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 →
Benzodiazepine information page: risks and safer withdrawal info
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 →
“The endeavor of meditation is a utilitarian endeavor. It is to know the truth of one’s own internal processes”
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.
The trouble with brain scans
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.
Trauma, Fixation and Reactivity – (Somatic Experience)
Lately I've become more aware of how virtually all of my reactivity has an element of traumatic response in it. Somatic experience
We have come to be danced
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 →
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Clearly Linked to Gut Bacteria
Update 2024: IBS is a catch-all term for many diverse gut problems that have some similar symptoms. When I wrote this piece, I had stopped having diarrhea for the first time in about 20 years. I didn't understand how much more work I had to do to truly heal my gut. The victory at the... Continue Reading →
The jungly memorial weekend walk I was blessed to be able to take…
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 →
Memorial Day: Among post-9/11 veterans, deepening antiwar sentiment and high rate of suicide
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.
facing facts
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 →

You must be logged in to post a comment.