One of the most frustrating social interactions I’ve had recently took place with a rideshare driver a few weeks ago. The driver in question was having difficulty finding my location and driving me home. When she asked me for help, I froze and panicked, as I am severely spatially challenged…

Evolving Evolving “Skin cannot evolve with spirit” (So it is said) Must must MUST tighten in Shrinkwrap tight, protect the pearls Spirit must must MUST wide wide Expand beyond star-reach ascend Become perfect pearl unfleshed Flesh stretches insists breaks free Avoids pain seeks joy Avoids hair shirts seeks Egyptian cotton …

If you have been following my blog for some time, you may have noticed that 1) I have not posted any new articles since October 2021, and 2) I have completely disappeared from Facebook. This hiatus and disappearance from social media can be chocked up to a simple explanation: lots…

A/N: many of these stories contain discussions of spiritual abuse. Some also mention domestic abuse (mental, emotional, and s*xual) and homophobia. Specific trigger warnings are placed before each story. If you are struggling with intrusive thoughts/memories and need to speak to someone, help is available at the National Suicide Prevention…

When my body is in some state of discomfort, I often find it impossible to “mask,” or suppress, my autistic traits. My teeth click together in patterns, I repeat nonsense words ad nauseam, I may even violently rock back and forth. All of my thoughts center on neck-back-chest pains, flayed…

A/N: I took a hiatus from writing to focus on my phlebotomy program. Now that I have graduated, I plan on posting more often (2–3 times a month). However, changes to my schedule over the next few months may affect my ability to post regularly. The best way to stay…

Lately, I have been exploring the concept of black-and-white thinking more, as it is a popular buzzword in the field of psychology. For the uninitiated, black-and-white thinking refers to seeing the world in terms that many would consider to be extreme or narrow-minded. …

In spite of the well-documented influence of Stoicism on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), practicing Stoicism while struggling with mental illness can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. This conflict is usually the result of widespread misinterpretations about the nature of Stoicism (i.e. confusing little “s” stoic behavior with Stoic philosophy). We…

Recently, a person very close to me (let’s call her “K”) confided in me her distress about an old friend of hers still being involved in the evangelical church. For context, both me and K. have distanced ourselves significantly from Christianity and evangelical culture. K. could not understand why this…