I went through the motions, like they do in all romantic comedies, all the way down to the bottom of the wine glass. In many ways, it was more of a performance than something sincere. Maybe that’s all that “closure” really is—a performance. I have been pondering what “closure” really means for the last four […]
In a culture that stigmatizes those who refuse to forgive, the added stress can lead to poorer health and slower recovery. When I say that I am against forgiveness, I am not judging individuals who choose to forgive. If doing so helps you, then by all means, forgive. What I abhor is a culture that […]
The laying-on of hands is one of the oldest healing capacities, available to everyone. But physical contact is often frowned upon here. What are the consequences of that? “Mom, I am so sad. I am forgetting how to love.” “What do you mean, sweetie?” “When I go to hug or kiss my friends here, they […]
While it can be hard to find anything positive about trauma, one way to grow from it and to heal is to find meaning and purpose in it. The news is regularly filled with stories of sexual abuse, assault, and molestation. Sadly, a new global study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that […]
Perhaps we hold certain stereotypes that prevent us from recommending mental health treatment for our elders. Do we believe change is only possible for younger generations? A few years ago, my mother-in-law, Joan, developed an infection following a root canal. Her dentist prescribed penicillin, which triggered an awful allergic reaction—she actually stopped breathing. “Joan, stay […]
You would never tell an asthmatic that their chest is hurting wrong, just breathe better. The same goes for grief. There were several years in my early 20s that I call my “season of death.” Within a three-year span, one of my best friends, my dad, both of my maternal grandparents, my aunt, and my uncle […]
In many ways, my mother’s failure to protect me was much worse than my brother raping me. Trigger warning for rape. In a lifetime of moments, most are quickly forgotten. Only a tiny number are retained, and most of these are filed away in our mind, reminiscences that can be pulled out or put away […]
Women are told that they could have prevented the rape by wearing more modest clothing or not walking alone late at night. Men are told that there wasn’t a rape to prevent. My student stood braced against the wooden podium at the front of our public speaking classroom and, with a deep breath, addressed the […]
This originally appeared on The Daily Life. Republished here with permission. Can you ‘heal’ too much? A friend just went through a breakdown, brought on by 15 years in the corporate world. Physically and mentally burnt out, she turned to various different healing therapies to recover. Gestalt therapy, an Ayurvedic diet overhaul, then a celiac […]
