I joked in a post last year that "you never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist's office," but last week that's exactly where I parked my bike. So okay---riding a motorcycle doesn't actually cancel out my need for mental-health meds, but it sure does put a grin on my face. A manager said this … Continue reading Go, Go, Glow
Category: Mental Health
Spooks & Sparklers
I'm still a little haunted. On my psychiatrist's chart, that condition is spelled out "P-T-S-D," but I think "haunted" is a better descriptor of the experience. As much as I've tried to process it, my brain still doesn't entirely know what to do with some of the sights, sounds, and experience my memory contains. I'm speaking … Continue reading Spooks & Sparklers
The Science of Smiles
Okay, I have to admit my body is not yet accustomed to day-long shifts standing on concrete. Or more accurately, it's not yet re-adjusted to that... When I owned and ran a restaurant the days were a lot longer, and sure, they wore me out---but they didn't make my muscles sore like they are this … Continue reading The Science of Smiles
On Vapors, and Vapers
Last week CBS This Morning hosted a lexicographer from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, talking about the malleability of language and the ongoing task of incorporating new words into the dictionary. Although prescriptive grammarians (unlike descriptive ones) would have you believe that our language and its rules are static, nothing could be further from the truth. (Sure, I … Continue reading On Vapors, and Vapers
Sea Legs & Side Effects
Yesterday morning I walked through a rainstorm to the gym we just joined---a Planet Fitness decorated in garish purple-and-mustard, and plastered with heartening signs proclaiming it a "No-Judgement Zone." I owned a StairMaster in my twenties, but my forties-self clearly needs some shaping-up because that thing was kicking my butt after six minutes. So I thought I'd try … Continue reading Sea Legs & Side Effects
How to Save Hundreds on Prescriptions (I don’t care if I sound like a bad TV ad… everyone should know about this!)
We're kind of conditioned to believe that something "too good" can't actually be true... So when I happen on something TRUE that's awesome... Well, I just have to share it! I know I'm not alone in relying on some prescriptions that are critical to my health (mental and otherwise), and I know I'm not alone … Continue reading How to Save Hundreds on Prescriptions (I don’t care if I sound like a bad TV ad… everyone should know about this!)
Changing My Story
Sometimes the really simple stuff is the hardest to get my hard head around... How is it, for example, that I can have a goal and know what it is and face no real impediments---yet it doesn't materialize? When there's not some external obstacle, why don't I get that goal accomplished? Well, it all comes down to ME, … Continue reading Changing My Story