Oliver Sacks, the autonomic nervous system, and psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome

My husband, Paul Woodward, who has published quite a few essays on this blog, sometimes sends emails to me about his thoughts on my (and therefore, often, our) circumstance. Sometimes he’s incredibly helpful and insightful both. I’m sharing what he wrote to me yesterday. The below is most of the body of an email. I’ve edited out a couple of sentences that were directed to me more personally at the beginning and the end. Most of it is just as it was written. As way of introduction to those who perhaps are not familiar with this blog, the autonomic nervous system injury that Paul is referring to in myself is the one incurred by psychiatric drugs and their withdrawal. It is essentially a sort of chemical and pharmaceutical and, therefore, iatrogenic brain injury. It’s often referred to as psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome and in some people can be a severe and debilitating condition. … [click on title to read and view more]

Healing is, in the end, the marriage of opposites

Today when I woke up I had just had a very dark and dystopian dream. I considered the fact that two days ago I awoke from a dream that was quite the opposite -- in it I was a shamanic healing Goddess with light coming out of my hands. I love that my psyche in two days time was visiting both light and dark...I see that this is how we heal in the bringing together of these extremes. My healing journey has been in so many ways about visiting and healing opposites and embracing paradox. … [click on title to read and view more]

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