How do I communicate to the heart so that a stuck situation can ventilate? How do I communicate so that things that seem frozen, unworkable, and eternally aggressive begin to soften up, and some kind of compassionate exchange begins to happen? It starts with being willing to have a compassionate relationship with the parts of ourselves... Continue Reading →
As I've done with the recovery stories pages: here and here, I'm giving blanket permission that this post may be cut and pasted in full and shared on blogs or withdrawal boards, etc. This is a copy of the Benzo Info page that is always available under the Psych Drug Withdrawal tab at the top... Continue Reading →
In meditation you are simply observing the mind and body as it is experienced in the moment. If they happen to be lost in illusions of different sorts, then your job is merely to trace, in real time, the course of the illusion, to experience its comings and goings, rather than try to get rid of it. At least that's one approach to meditation.
In the world of mental health and psychiatry the use of brain scans is often highly suspect the data from them is often been manipulated to support weak theories about mental illness. Still, neuroscience is exciting and the developments that are happening are certainly fascinating. It's a good idea to approach any reports that use brain scan data critically and carefully. This article in the Guardian brings up some good things to be aware of when considering any reports that use brain scans to support their claims.
Lately I've become more aware of how virtually all of my reactivity has an element of traumatic response in it. One definition of trauma is that the nervous system loses its capacity to regulate itself - we're caught activated and we stay activated. On a smaller scale I see this whenever I am activated. Worry, fear, anxiousness, even just being caught up in stream of thoughts, they all entail a fixation - repetition of thoughts, being stuck in the same vein, awareness narrowing to only include the thoughts and body's negative reactions to the thoughts. So bringing in some Somatic Experience practices to work with it has been helpful -
I've said before that I feel like life is experiencing itself through this body. Seems like perhaps that is what this poem is about too. We Have Come to Be Danced We have come to be danced Not the pretty dance Not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance But the claw our way... Continue Reading →
An article in Science Daily reports on a study about bacteria being associated with irritable bowel syndrome. This is, of course, something those of us who use alternative methods of healing have known for a long time. It's the WRONG bacteria that is problematic. Unhealthy bacteria, rather than enough of the good bacteria we need... Continue Reading →
I'm still often too sick to go out, but boy when I am able to -- I enjoy it more than I ever imagined possible. Seriously, I didn't know what joy was while I was on drugs, or at the very least I'd forgotten completely what it was. Nature is where I feel most deeply... Continue Reading →
Here are some numbers to remember this Memorial Day: Although only 1 percent of Americans have served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, former service members represent 20 percent of suicides in the United States — 18 veterans kill themselves everyday. Close to amillion veterans currently have pending disability claims.
Why should not jealousy, ambition, etc. be immediately brushed aside? Why should there be this postponement, the gradual change, the acceptance of idealistic authority? I hope, sirs, you are thinking it out with me and not merely listening to me. We accept this gradual process of change because it is more easy, and postponement is... Continue Reading →
Everything matters 
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