A closer look at the importance of introspection for lasting change This past week I’ve been flooded with memories. I’m sure it has to do with the date on the calendar. Later this month is my third wedding anniversary. And I think to myself never again. The flashbacks aren’t fond recollections, but snapshots of painful, disturbing, […]
Category: Mental Health
My Private Battle With Poor Body Image
Passed on by the women who went before me and fueled by our culture It’s another hot day in Texas. I put on a bathing suit and head out to sit on the patio, where I can enjoy the poolside view. Looking sideways, I catch a glimpse of myself reflected in the sliding glass door. There […]
How Being Ghosted Improved My Life
Accept people will come and go. Five years ago, when I lost my husband to cancer, I never could have imagined my new life. I now live in a different state and write full-time instead of counseling clients. I knew his death would bring change, just not how or in what way. I especially could have […]
How to Reclaim Repressed Memories on Your Own
It took patience, determination, and gentleness I stared at the blinking cursor and drew a blank as I tried to recall what happened next. This morning I had opened my Word document to start the next chapter and discovered a significant gap in recall. The particulars of this time frame had gone missing. For several […]
7 Practical Ways to Combat the Stress
And it goes beyond the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a daily schedule. As I ended the video call with my online friends, it hit me how stressed we all are. The whole world is facing the likes of something several generations have never seen before. How are we supposed to combat […]
Social Distancing Isn’t New to Sexual Abuse Victims
A closer look at our uncomfortableness with trauma stories. I recently wrote about the personal details of being sexually abused. I felt terrified as I prepared to publish the article. How would others react to reading the brutal violence I experienced? The power of social pressure to silence Most of my life, I’ve carried a deep sense […]
My Struggle to Find My Voice After Sexual Abuse
Trying to re-integrate my fragmented self into someone whole. Sticking up for myself is hard. I’m still trying to find my voice. I’ve heard many women complain that they have trouble asking for what they want or need too, but it’s particularly challenging for me. When triggered, I react by becoming oddly submissive, an old coping […]
Being Raped as a Preschooler and Finding Healing
It’s hard work, but I’m finding the inner strength to stand up for myself. Today I’m flying home in the midst of the coronavirus scare. I’m grateful for the medical mask that covers most of my face. It’s doing more than protecting me from the spreading epidemic; it’s hiding my tears. Being raped as a preschooler […]
How My Unconscious Mind Keeps Messing up My Dating Life
Apparently Freud got something right about the power of making the unconscious conscious I recently started dating again. This was the first time I’d dipped my toe back in the dating pool since getting a divorce. As I met a few men my age, I noticed a problem, though: instead of having feelings of attraction, […]
Echoism: Hiding from Others
The Risks of Hiding from Others Recovering from echoism, a developed adaptive response to narcissistic abuse Off to one side of the large room there’s an open seat. Threading through a group of women, I make my way to that spot. Doing this, however, is what I hate. For a moment, I’m sure every eye is […]