A year ago yesterday, tests to monitor my heart landed me in the hospital with full-body muscle contractions, quirky contortions, and breathing difficulties, marking my first major dystonia storm in more than five years. I have lived with dystonia for a decade now; last month marked our 10th anniversary together. Those first few years were especially challenging (and included a 5-day hospital stay … [Read more...]
Two months ago, my life with dystonia ‘got flipped turned upside down’ and i’ve been on a rollercoaster ride of recovery from it ever since. Seemingly overnight, my plush California King-sized bed transformed into the terrifying setting for violent contortions that wiped me out for much of the next day. Accompanying this sudden change, the sights that normally inspired me as a writer and the … [Read more...]
Trauma is never simply a single, isolated event. Its impact occurs in cascading waves that ripple out in multiple directions at disparate periods in time. Present trauma builds upon trauma from our past–the experiences are distinct, yet not separate. While an initial traumatic event might have already happened once, its impact and repercussions will be felt anew again and again, until we can learn … [Read more...]
One of the greatest gifts we can give to both our fellow human beings–and to ourselves–is to volunteer our time in service to others. Greek philosopher Aristotle is quoted as stating that the essence of life is “to serve others and do good.” Not only does serving others through volunteer work seem to imbue our lives with extra meaning, purpose and direction; it also fosters optimism and greater … [Read more...]
When it comes to our personal experience of the world around us, perception is everything. How we perceive our environment is largely influenced by the information our brains receive from our senses, which help us to determined how to behave and what to feel in a given situation. Every day, we rely on the five most recognizable senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. However, our brains … [Read more...]