Blogs
I recently went to a friend’s 30th birthday. Christina was happy, making plans for the future, and freshly single after breaking up with her long-term boyfriend. She could have been depressed at the thought of being alone on her birthday, but instead she seemed relieved that she finally found the courage to break up with him after feeling rather blah about him and their whole relationship for the past while.
Doug was a nice enough guy, but when it all boiled down, he just wasn’t right for her and she knew it. Christina wasn’t ready to give up hope in finding the real Mr. Right by settling for a Mr. Okay for Now.
Amanda_HP
I wasn't really familiar with avoidant personality disorder until studying up for this week's guest. I came across notes from a mock therapy session with a patient diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder. Reading it, you can get a sense of what it's like living with avoidant personality disorder.
We make the stupidest mistakes in loud and humiliating ways. Who could be surprised that ADHD leads to insecurity? Although I didn't dispute it, I also thought that ADHD had been responsible for helping me overcome insecurity as well. How?
I can feel suicide flicking at the edges of my consciousness.
This morning I woke up wanting to die. Before my eyelids fluttered and my logic circuits sparked I knew it was going to be a horrible day.
"And" vs. "But" Important in Discussing Causes of Eating Disorders
Conversations about what causes eating disorders involve a lot of "and, and, and" and "but, but, but."
I think we'd all do better if we make a distinction when it comes to causes of eating disorders.
Words have power. I know this because I’m a writer and I’m perfectly capable of angering, saddening or frightening people with my words. If words were not powerful, bookshelves would be empty. And bipolar is a powerful word when used in the context of a mental disorder. Depending on who hears this word, it can conjure up images of violence, danger, suicide, crime, fear, and many other unsavory things. It’s really no wonder that people don’t want to “be bipolar”.
One hallmark symptom of ADHD is restless fidgeting. Ever feel as if each limb is crackling with busy energy, almost as if you might explode unless you MOVE THAT VERY SECOND? Here are five four things I do to release that energy constructively.
Have you ever said "I'm worried about you" to your child only to have them respond with seemingly irrational anger? It hurts. After all, we worry about our kids from the moment we anticipate their arrival. We start saying "be careful" the moment they take breath. But can we expect our worry to help them feel cared for instead of insulted, belittled, and flawed? Probably not.
Pink is not one of my favorite colors but I happen to see a lot of it now that I have a baby girl. The large majority of the clothes she has received as gifts are pink. A little bit of pink now and then is fine, but I like to dress her in other colors too and find the lack of non-pink clothes for young girls to be disparaging.
Amanda_HP
Here's how one person in a 10-year relationship with a person with borderline personality disorder describes the experience: "Although I loved this person, I hated the relationship. It was a psychological hell."
Coping with someone living with borderline personality disorder can be emotionally exhausting and a difficult challenge. Here's why.
I read this book many years ago, just as I was entering the turmoil of remembering, questioning and doubting myself all the way (as I'd been covertly taught over a lifetime). I happened to mention to my two sisters one day, "This is so strange but I've been diagnosed with PTSD." Both my sisters surprised me by responding, "Me too."
THEN I happened upon an old book manuscript that my now deceased father had written (not published), wherein the protagonist was obviously based upon himself and he rapes his "fiancee," who had my unusual name. Yes, truly.
Then I made myself look at the peculiar memory I always had where he violently threatened me but somehow I had never been able to recall what came before or after the episode. I had to admit that was a bit strange.
The pressures and powers to forget sexual abuse are great, both in family and society. In fact, I've come to the sad conclusion that the vast majority of survivors never really deal with their childhood wounds (a neglect for which there are always repercussions).
To critique an encouragement of people trusting their intuition in such matters is really getting the prescription dangerously wrong.
Thanks!