I have a serious hang up. (I’m down to only a few and they are all pretty benign). I am blessed – I get to do stuff I love both personally and professionally. I go a lot of places and meet a ton of people. I try hard to hold on to first names and […]
Describe being a parent to someone who has never had children. Can they grasp it? The joys of being a dad were offset in fleeting moments of almost intolerable frustration. I can describe the colic my daughter went through as an infant. Words don’t do justice to what the sleep deprivation was like coupled with […]
We know that stigmatizing people who live with substance use disorder creates barriers to recovery. We know that it has a degrading and shaming impact not only people who are in active addiction, but upon their loved ones as well. What we seem to be missing is the connection as to why we are inclined […]
I just finished reading Michael Cianchette’s BDN column “Calm down and be civil before someone gets killed.” His facts are well placed and his appeal is well intended. But I don’t see it happening. And Michael, don’t tell people to calm down. That’s something privileged people say when they’re uncomfortable. It’s condescending. No one was […]
You’ve seen the Facebook memes about how normal conversation is boring and folks want to talk about things that really matter? I get to do that for a living. There’s often a dark side to those conversations that people need to have. I’m comfortable with that. Serenity, security, and self-acceptance allow us to bring light […]
You know those memes that talk about a dad’s protectiveness of his daughter? How he’ll hunt you down and kill you if you hurt his little girl? Let’s have more of that, please. Don’t get me wrong – the women in my life don’t need my protection or for me to advocate on their behalf. […]
Current favorite Facebook Meme: If you never heal from what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.” The rest of that story: No one heals alone. You’re gonna need some kindred spirits to help you put together the pieces of yourself. It’s tough to believe there are others like you…but I promise […]
Twenty minutes ago, I walked my brother into a local Emergency Department. We’re not biologically related. We claim each other. I love my brother. My brother has a horrible disease. His disease is trying to kill him. It will succeed if he does not receive the medical attention he needs immediately. My brother is equally […]
I just got off the phone with an old friend. Up until today, he was one of the kindest, most sensitive, generous, and saddest people I’ve ever known. Today he got closure on a battle that waged within him for over thirty years. Imagine letting go of a burden you’ve always carried… Today he has […]
Gabor Mate is an expert on overcoming the long-term effects of trauma. I recently came across a quote of his that explains the intersection between emotional and physical illness brilliantly: When you shut down emotion, you’re also affecting your immune system, your nervous system. So, the repression of emotion, which is a survival strategy, then […]
