4 days agoMember-onlyMy Emotional Protection AnimalsI have what I refer to as emotional support animals — principally my husband. He goes with me to places and into situations that upset me, like a dentist appointment or a class reunion. He puts a comforting hand on my shoulder and encourages me. My cats provide emotional support…Psychology3 min readPsychology3 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyReading With AbandonI’m an unrepentant bibliophile. I started reading at the age of four and never stopped. I prided myself on the number of books I read, even after I grew too old for the library’s summer reading program. However, increasingly, there are books that I just can’t read. (And not because…Books4 min readBooks4 min read
Mar 19Member-onlyWhen I Need to Feel NormalA lot of the time, I live with sort of a low-grade dread, kind of like coming down with a fever. I’m well-known for overthinking and catastrophizing. The combination is exhausting. When anything alarming happens, I ratchet up into an agitated state. It could be anything — a relationship problem…Psychology3 min readPsychology3 min read
Mar 19Member-onlyI Tried Not to Love HerDushenka came to us as a stray. She hung around the neighborhood for about a week, with my husband trying to coax her closer. Then she disappeared for a week. One day, though, she came trotting through our garden and up to our door. …Cats3 min readCats3 min read
Mar 12Member-onlyMeijer Is My FrenemyI love Meijer. I hate Meijer. Call me conflicted. I’m so conflicted, in fact, I’ll probably give my brain whiplash. On the one hand, Meijer is great. I particularly like this terrific thing called Flash Food. (I imagine other stores have it, too, but I learned about it through Meijer.)…Meijer3 min readMeijer3 min read
Mar 12Member-onlyWhat Does PMHNP Mean?What the initials mean is Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (also known as Psychiatric Nurse Practioner or PNP). What that may mean for mental healthcare is the potential for more treatment and access to therapy. Increasingly, nurse practitioners are taking over some of the duties of psychiatrists and providing services to…Psychology3 min readPsychology3 min read
Mar 5Member-onlyThe School Shooter Problem and the Mental Healthcare SystemIt’s been reported lately that there is a mental health crisis among young people in the US. Depression and anxiety are on the rise. Some claim they know what causes it, and some don’t. The usual suspects include social media, bullying (especially bullying on social media), academic pressure, the COVID-19…Mental Health3 min readMental Health3 min read
Mar 5Member-onlyBliss, InterruptedMy husband and I booked a couples massage this week at Gravity Spa, which is called that because they also have floatation tanks. Those actually sounded good, but I no longer own a bathing suit and didn’t want to float in my underwear or sweats, so they weren’t an option…Massage3 min readMassage3 min read
Feb 26Member-onlyLive for TodayI see a lot of memes exhorting us to “live for today.” Sometimes these are in the context of life being uncertain and needing to live each day as if we’re going to die tomorrow. And it’s true that the future isn’t guaranteed to any of us. This has evolved…Yolo3 min readYolo3 min read
Feb 26Member-onlyChanging the CultureCulture change is slow, but it happens. What’s happening now in society isn’t the same as in the past, and it won’t be the same in the future. Culture changes in small and large ways, largely through the coordinated actions of groups of people. …Culture Change3 min readCulture Change3 min read
