It’s a symptom of trauma. Do you think you know who an addict is? Think again. Our society generally pegs people with mental health issues as being guilty of some kind of moral failure, particularly if your issues include addiction. You lack self-control. You don’t trust God enough with your problems. You are too lazyContinue reading “Addiction is Not a Moral Failing”
Category Archives: mental health
I Am a Human Voodoo Doll
My experience with acupuncture Lying on a massage table, my arms, hands, lower legs, and feet exposed, giving my body to a woman I don’t know, is a pretty vulnerable feeling. My acupuncture therapist asks me what I’m struggling with. The answer has been the same for a while: anger. With a bit of painContinue reading “I Am a Human Voodoo Doll”
We’re at the “Find Out” Part in the “F*ck Around” Game
Nice white boys always win. My husband and I had to go to court yesterday. In the ongoing saga of dealing with the consequences of my neighbor’s grandson shooting a bullet through my house, the case was heard. It turns out that the boys were shooting at a dilapidated playhouse in the backyard. Our houseContinue reading “We’re at the “Find Out” Part in the “F*ck Around” Game”
2023 Said, “Hold My Beer!”
Will 2024 be better? This should be a year of new beginnings. That is what we all desire as we flip that calendar to January, right? A fresh start. Setting lofty goals to achieve great things. But 2023 was rough, y’all. I merely survived, so I’ll count that as a win. It started with aContinue reading “2023 Said, “Hold My Beer!””
I’m Not Prepared to Handle the Stigma
My post-rehab world sucks. It’s one thing to admit that you go to a therapist for help to handle all of your emotional shit. It’s quite another to own up to the fact that you spent 45 days in an inpatient treatment facility. It’s admitting that you are a whole other level of crazy. EvenContinue reading “I’m Not Prepared to Handle the Stigma”
Guns Have More Rights than Women in the United States
That’s not hyperbole. Let’s start with a couple of stories: Despite a cautiously protective upbringing, your twelve-year-old daughter develops a confluence of problems, and you don’t know why. Defiant, distant, and melancholy, she has morphed from the beautiful, joyful, obedient good girl you thought you had into this: a stranger. Instead of trying to figureContinue reading “Guns Have More Rights than Women in the United States”
Run the Mile You’re In
My new mantra for life as I learn to live in the present. A wise running coach once taught his marathoners that when the run gets tough, just run the mile you’re in. It’s such a simple metaphor for life, right? I mean, how much time do we spend ruminating about the past while simultaneouslyContinue reading “Run the Mile You’re In”
It’s 8:30 on a Friday Night. Do You Know Where Your Jesus Freaks Are?
A sad tale of witnessing. My daughter has just parked the car. We found a great spot next to the cart return at the grocery store. I’ve taught my girls a series of lessons in grocery shopping, and parking location is one of them. We step out into the cold, damp Virginia night air asContinue reading “It’s 8:30 on a Friday Night. Do You Know Where Your Jesus Freaks Are?”
A Gen-Xer’s Perspective on Surviving Early Motherhood
It takes a village I’m at a stoplight. I haven’t been driving alone since my baby was born, but I guess I must return to real life at some point. Guilt is my overwhelming emotion right now. Tears stream down my cheeks, and I wonder how they let me become a mother. I’m terrible atContinue reading “A Gen-Xer’s Perspective on Surviving Early Motherhood”
Do We Shame Sex Because It’s Animalistic?
Maybe it’s time to change the conversation about sex I was thrifting the other day and found a book entitled The Secrets to Tantric Sex. The title alone made me blush. I looked over my shoulder to see who might be around, and, seeing no one to judge me for my curiosity, pulled the titleContinue reading “Do We Shame Sex Because It’s Animalistic?”
Anne the Vegan 