Let’s be brave together. — When a scheduled dental appointment appears on our calenders, we find ourselves remembering our history in dentists' offices. …

Hope the new year is finding you feeling well, but honestly, I’m feeling like I got chewed up, spit out, and stomped on. I’m hanging in there though. Hanging out in my shitstorm country, the U. S. of A. And, writing. I finally wrote my About Me Story. Thanks, Quy…

On the shame of not being a traditionally working woman — The bottom line is that in most societies around the world, men are given slack that women are not afforded when it comes to defining the roles they should play in life. — Lahle Wolfe, The Balance Careers For my first college job, I was the front desk attendant at…

What I’ve learned from years of living with unidentified chronic pain — I’m sleeping and feel the sharp sting, the acute pinpoint pain grabbing my right hip bone. On my back, I lay and lean into this sleepy wisdom — we all have pain — every single one of us humans. It may be heart-sting or a bruised ego or a bruised…

And, we can’t wish away a global pandemic either — I’m putting away dishes when I glance down at my winter-dry hands and see a little crack on my skin, a tiny bit of pinkish-red blood between the very bottom of the back of my thumb and the beginning of my arm. It’s not going anywhere. …

Anxiety used to keep me from trying marijuana and now I use marijuana for anxiety and chronic pain — Content Warning: Discussion of medical marijuana. Medical Disclosure: I am not a doctor. Consult a doctor before making any health changes. I don’t remember the first time I smoked a cigarette but I do remember that it was in my last year of high school when I was a hybrid…

My brain processes high fructose corn syrup as love — CW: Disordered eating. In childhood, candy was a sweet hug. A high followed by a crash. I was an anxious kid who struggled with sleep. I craved the relief of the crash that followed the candy high. I had the sweetest of sweet tooths. …

We are all little moons — Rise with me moon-feelings, as I drift into a cannabis-induced sleep. I find the memories that wouldn’t budge take only a gentle nudge from a calmed brain. Then they bubble up, a babbling brook of mystery, resolving, reminding me, I am me. In 2021, I realized I am on the…

Unraveling Decades of HIV/AIDS Fear Through Self-Compassion, Humanity, and Love — Whoosh whoosh At 43, finally, I wade back through memories to observe the layers of fear accumulating around HIV. I’m 12 years old. We’re watching a video about a kid, Ryan, who got HIV from blood transfusions. Not even doctors could save this kid. …

A poem — Readers please note: this poem discusses C-Section trauma They said our baby’s neck could break. He was in the brow position. It was near Christmas and my doctor was on vacation. The doctor on-call strongly recommended a C-section. I had been laboring for hours and hours. …

Especially on the hard days — I’m tired. You’re probably tired of reading my writing about tiredness. But, here we are. Back to the page, back to being tired. My right hip hurts. It’s a constant ache in the hip and butt area. It causes me to favor my left leg when I walk. Only when…

A complete guide to being ready for bad days by preparing a safety net in advance — When we find ourselves in mental health crises or situations of more subtle depression or anxiety, it helps tremendously to already have a safety net in place before these episodes happen. Here, I will break down into more detail how you can prepare yourself for when these times come. By…

Start here — Do you ever wake up in the morning and want to bury your head under the covers? The overwhelm of facing another day just feels like too darn much? Do you smash the alarm button and make frustrated, guttural grunts? Ambling to the kitchen, you make a pot of coffee…

Let’s normalize mental illness — Standing in the lobby’s door was a young and handsome man calling out my name. He stood at six and a half feet in jeans and subtle brown cowboy boots. Curly brown hair and exuberant brown eyes. Great. I have to talk about my OCD, depression, and anxiety with a…

What it was like living through the Pandemic Era that began in 2020 — “Do you have your leotard ready for after school? Is your lunch packed? Where’s your homework? Has anyone seen my keys? I’m running late. Love you! Bye…I’m back! Forgot my water. See you later! I might be late for pickup. …

Nature is our perpetual friend — I was driving home from a work conference and saw many flashing lights ahead. Ambulance, firetruck, police cars. My heart dropped. As I inched by the traffic incident, I saw a black car flattened like a soda can under a tire. No way someone survived that wreck. And, how was…

How to emotionally navigate invisible illnesses — A storm of terror We were at the University of Oklahoma Center of Meteorology watching live footage of tornadoes. My elementary school class ooohed and awed at the natural weather wonder as high winds blew and cars and bodies got sucked into the storm. …

I hoarded food and spent hours shopping online — I’m not a psychological expert on compulsive shopping behavior — I’m a personal one. For several years, I hid my compulsive purchases from my spouse. I sought the immediate satisfaction of hitting the “Buy” button. I snuck boxes in the house and made secretive trips to pick up stones from…