If you are a healthcare provider, you should be scared. If you are a healthcare consumer or a patient, you should be terrified. If you require prescription medication, or physical, occupational, or speech therapy, or you require mental health services, if you are raising children or caring for an aging parent, you should be afraid.
"The degree to which you can tell your story is the degree to which you can heal."~S. Eldredge
Sunday, March 16, 2025
the scariest thing
Sunday, March 9, 2025
writing to heal
Some time ago, I talked about the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Score and how childhood trauma can cause epigenetic changes in the young brain that trigger an overactive inflammatory response. This has been shown to lead to disease states in adults, such as autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, depression, and PTSD-like anxiety and reactivity. Luckily, epigenetic changes can be reversed. Healing is possible.
Among the practices that have been shown to promote epigenetic healing is writing to heal. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon found that the simple act of writing and reporting on an emotional state had a significant effect on the body's physical state. It improved measures of immune function even in patients battling life-threatening diseases. It reduced markers of the stress response by lowering the heart rate and blood pressure. It lowered rates of depression, addiction, anxiety, and PTSD. The damaging effects of ACEs can last a lifetime, but they don't have to.
- Find a time and a place to write without distraction or interruption.
- Try different modalities, such as writing long hand in a journal, tapping it into your laptop or phone, or dictating and transcribing your story.
- As you write your first draft, do not worry about or let yourself be sidetracked by correcting grammar, spelling, or usage.
- Forget what you imagine others will say about your writing.
- If what you are writing about makes you increasingly anxious, set it aside. Focus, instead, on self-care. Take a walk outside. Take a nap. Have something good to eat. Call a friend. Return to writing when you are ready.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
five succinct bullets
Last week, Elon Musk directed all federal workers to submit a list of five things they had accomplished at work in order to justify keeping their jobs...or risk being fired. A few days later, they were advised to ignore the order. Then, without explanation, they were redirected to comply with it. Needless to say, this resulted in total chaos. In fear, anger, and confusion.
I'm retired, so obviously, this doesn't apply to me. Still, I thought it might be fun to try it (tongue in cheek...). So, here it is:
1. When my plans for the weekend fell through at the last minute, I decided, instead, to drive to Pittsburgh to surprise my son who was celebrating the first year anniversary of his very own craft brewery, CoStar Brewing. Check it out at https://www.costarbrewing.com/. I think it pleased him when I showed up unannounced.3. I read. I'm reading "Coming to Our Senses" by Jon Kabat-Zinn in preparation for a meditation retreat with him later this year. It's a big book! It'll take a while for me to get through it.
4. I woke up early to enjoy the sunrise.
5. I fed the birds, squirrels, and the deer out back with the "good" (meaning "expensive") birdseed every day.