I worked at Wal-Mart as a cashier. One of my coworkers whom I had seen and talked to several times asked me to go get coffee after our shift. I was always up for some good conversation and agreed. Thankfully (sort of), he asked me to drive. We got in my car and started to exit the Walmart parking lot. I asked…
I have thought long and hard about this particular post. It requires a level of vulnerability and honesty that is downright uncomfortable. In my last post, I talked about the first layer of my shame and ended it with the ugliest layer of my shame: shame that in my marriage I became someone who was no better than he was. That sentence…
Throughout my marriage and since my divorce, I have been plagued with at times, unbearable shame. There was the typical shame that surfaces as a result of experiences like this: Why did I stay? I should have known better. How did I let this happen? What did I do to bring this on? When you realize you are in an abusive relationship,…
I can still vividly remember walking up to Bolton Refuge House's front doors feeling as though my stomach was in my throat. I had never shared my experiences with a room full of strangers before. I was feeling exposed and vulnerable. I had no idea what to expect. I read my speech to them as I would read it during the annual…
One of the most profound things I have ever done thus far in my life was getting up in front of a room full of strangers and sharing, in agonizing detail, what happened to me. It was terrifying. It was terrifying to say it out loud. It was terrifying because saying it out loud made it more real. It would no longer…
The first time I tried acupuncture was to address the recurring migraines I was experiencing. While acupuncture was an incredible, natural experience, what has changed my life the most by far is health kinesiology. My acupuncturist mentioned it to me during my intake. I opened up about my past and my struggles with paralyzing triggers. She suggested I try health kinesiology and…
I started to see a licensed clinical social worker to address my nightmares specifically. Finding a therapist is a lot like buying a car. You want to make sure they come with the options you need (specialize in your particular disorder/mental health challenge). It may take some time to find the right one for you. Just like when you test drive a…
For me, nightmares are one of the worst components of PTSD. When I am awake, while I still struggle, I have more control over myself. When dreaming, however, I have no control. It doesn't matter how far I have come in my waking life - the nightmares persist. I wake up with a racing heart, heavy breathing, and experiencing intense fear. Everything…
The first time he put his hands on me was Labor Day weekend, 2012, just 5 months after we met. We went to visit his dad and stepmom for the weekend. We sat around the bonfire while he and his dad drank – a lot. Later that night we went into the basement to go to bed. He went into the bathroom…
Sometimes I wonder if our marriage is going to work. I have somehow managed to hold on to who I am despite all of the toxicity. Darkness surrounded me. A darkness my husband attributes more to my mental health than to the environment I was exposed to. That is devastating. I walked in who I was: optimistic, compassionate, and full of life.…
