The Machine That Ate My Daughter
I was twenty years old, standing in a Boots aisle, staring at a bottle of Oil of Ulay. It was pink. It was mysterious. Nowhere on the glass did it say what it actually did. It just whispered: “Share the secret of a younger looking you.” I was twenty. What was I trying to look…
Numb and overwhelmed at the same time
Why “Freeze” doesn’t cover your whole body equally—and how to find the edge where the numbness thins. I was in the bath a few weeks ago. Not relaxing. Holding. A lifetime of stuff had just come up. Memories I didn’t know I was carrying. Shame I’d passed to my daughter without realizing. Patterns that went…
I learned how to live from the neck up
For those who already woke up – and don’t know what comes next For most of my life, I was the easy kid. When I was 13, I used to cycle across town to hang out with my friends. I had a strict 9pm curfew. I was never late. Not once. I always made it…
Nervous System Regulation: Handling Overstimulation at Theme Parks.
I watched a toddler melt down at a major theme park yesterday. Not a tantrum. A collapse. The kind where the body just gives out because there’s nowhere left to go. Her mother was dragging her by the arm toward the next ride while the kid’s legs buckled under her. The mom looked exhausted. Frustrated.…
How to Ground When You’re Dissociating
5 Techniques That Actually Work For years, I dissociated, that floaty, detached feeling where you’re watching your life from outside your body. When I’d try traditional grounding techniques like “name 5 things you see,” it did nothing. I’d dutifully list objects in the room while still feeling completely disconnected from my body, my emotions, and…
Why “Being Yourself” Feels Dangerous: Understanding the Fawn Response
We are always told to ‘just be ourselves,’ but for those of us with a sensitized nervous system, authenticity can feel like a threat to our survival. If you find yourself constantly people-pleasing or ‘shrinking’ to make others comfortable, you aren’t weak, you are likely in a fawn response. This is a survival mechanism, not a personality…
5 Signs You Need Energy Healing (That Have Nothing to Do with Being Spiritual)
You don’t need to own crystals. You don’t need to believe in chakras. You don’t even need to meditate. You just need to be honest about what’s not working. If you’ve been to the doctor and they found nothing. If you’ve been to therapy and you understand everything but nothing changes. If you’re functioning fine…
Why Do I Feel Unsafe All the Time? (When There’s No Real Danger)
Your logical mind knows you’re safe. You’re not in immediate danger. Your basic needs are met. People around you aren’t threatening you. But your body feels like it’s constantly bracing for impact. Maybe it’s the chronic tension in your shoulders, like you’re always ready to defend yourself. Maybe it’s the way you scan rooms when…
Why Your Brain Won’t Let You Change (And What Actually Works)
You’ve learned to notice your patterns. You’re working on reconnecting with your body when you feel disconnected. Now comes the part that changes everything: understanding that your patterns aren’t the problem, they’re the solution to a problem that used to exist. Every pattern you have; the people-pleasing, the perfectionism, the emotional shutdown, the hypervigilance, developed…
Why Do I Feel Like I’m Not Myself Anymore?
You look in the mirror and wonder where you went. Not your body, that’s still there. Not your memories , you can still remember your life. But something essential feels missing. Like the person you used to be has been replaced by someone going through the motions of your life. You might catch yourself thinking,…
