Anorexic. Addict. Bulimic. Bipolar. Crazy. Depressed. You can go through the whole alphabet and probably find some manifestation of that inner turmoil we all feel at some point in our lives. We get a bit of sadness, feel a bit of imbalance, and either have the self-awareness to fix it on the spot, or let it evolve into some dauntingly vast chakra chasm where all your life goals, relationships, and.. Read More
Paint that pain gold.
Ever heard of that “manifesting” thing? The whole “law of attraction” concept? Wherever you focus your attention and intention, becomes real? Like, if your focus is on fear of spiders (hi.), you’ll think there’re more of them in the world than there are oxygen molecules. If you’re obsessed with Starbucks (hi, again.) it will seem like there’s one on every street corner. (Realizing this last example may be ineffective. Because.. Read More
“It gets better” – Does it? Or do you?
You know what campaign I hate right now? “It gets better.” Okay, hate might be a bit strong. I don’t personally identify with it enough for me to hate it on a serious level. I just, shall we say, dislike it for how misleading it is. Don’t get me wrong – I love the idea of inspiring kids and offering them a light to get through the darkness so that.. Read More
“Joy” product is offensive, but no one seems to nail why.
Ever get offended by a product? Because it pokes fun at a condition you personally have? Like this “Joy” card? First of all, is MSpaint the new minimalism? Secondly, call me crazy (both because I am a bit and the pun works magnificently here), but I’m not seeing anything about bipolar disorder on the actual product. Should people with chronic anger issues and depression sans the mania get upset about.. Read More
You’re too hot to give fckks out for free
Ever read something in public that makes you GOL? I don’t mean “laugh out loud”, but guffaw? One of those mortifying chortles as you lose yourself in the delicious ironic laughter after reading a poorly done piece in a published magazine? Like the three point explanache I just read on why hot people don’t have it that good? So screw ’em? The three main bullet points went thusly: 1. “Super.. Read More
Your brain needs 5 good things to cancel 1 bad thing. Here’s 10.
Is it just me, or is it miserable in here? Yes and no. It’s you. It’s me. It’s the guy sitting next to me – and everyone else who’s trying to get through life on this rock ball. If you read my recent article on fear-pheromones perpetuating pain, you might be remembering it now. But the yes-and to this that I just learned yesterday is that it’s also possibly… genetic… Read More
Pessi-mist: sniffing out the link between physical and mental ouchies
I saw this article in Psychology Today and thought, “I already read and wrote about this.” Actually, I hadn’t. It was something close – how physical pain and emotional pain following social rejection are similar. In fact, so similar are they, that in the study carried out, an over-the-counter analgesic like Motrin (meant to solve physical pain, obv) also served to mitigate painful emotional responses in chicks. As a yes-and.. Read More
My half awake brain speaks volumes
As shared on Facebook the other day: “Fascinating new low: putting coffee in the the cupboard, shutting the door, and looking for the reheat button.” Yes, that’s right, kids. And no, I’ve got no chemical scapegoat these days on which to blame my haplessness. Just a bad night’s sleep followed by a morning spent looking on the floor for my soul so that I could try to put it back.. Read More
HabitHacks: Can we make bad memories better?
Ever feel your heart drop into your anal cavity as you set foot in the dentist’s office? Or the eye doctor? Or a church? This “associative learning” can span feelings as mild as the above annoyance all the way to the after-war torture of PTSD. While some don’t mind (or have the wherewithal to attempt) doing the inner work to re-associate our miserable memories into better new ones, it can.. Read More
Are all artists con artists?
“Ah, you’re taking a break from work?” I looked up through a visor of my own splayed fingers to see the source of the familiar inquiring voice with the rhetorical question. It was the maintenance dude who works at my apartment – just finishing up his shift. I paused for a moment. “Yes!” I lied enthusiastically. I was on a park bench, in the middle of summer, dog in tow,.. Read More