Things You Might Learn and Experience Processing Your Trauma

Today, I saw my trauma therapist. I’ve been working with her for eight years, through her transferring to three practices and countless psychiatrists. She’s working PT now so I also have a primary care therapist so my time with Brittany is spent on trauma work. After I told her I wrote a post about our […]

Happy birthday to me. Next week, I’ll turn 55.

Content Notes: childhood sexual violence, grooming, birthdays, anxiety, cats I have birthday issues. Not a real surprise to long-time readers. Or my friends. Or anyone who knows me. I used to think it was simple anxiety. But through my trauma processing work and therapy in general, I’ve sort of had a breakthrough. Birthdays are about […]

The Impact of Police Trauma on My Life

Here Come the Police Last night, a friend stopped by with some meals for me. I jumped in the car with her to avoid the torrent of rain. She was parked behind my house in an alley, but under a streetlight. We chatted about our days, caught up on assorted things. It was maybe 20 […]

How to cope with relationship trauma and recovery

It feels important to acknowledge this day, this anniversary of a terrible series of events two years ago that upended my life forever. You can read the details here. The details matter, of course, but at the same time – it is today that matters. My due process rights were violated. I was homeless for […]

My Fear of the Police Kept Me From Rallies in the Street

Two pairs of handcuffs

I really wanted to participate in a No Kings rally today. But I was afraid. For 22 months, I’ve coped with the traumas of my interactions with police during and following the fraudulent involuntary civil commitment authorized by Allegheny County OBH on Sunday, August 27, 2023. The police failed me that day and on ensuing […]