Tag: #healing

Grief, Mental Health, PTSD, Writing

When You Grieve the Good Memories

Amanda Wilson

I think there is a misplaced standard when it comes to trauma.

Most times when you talk to others about living with a mental health issue, the focus of the story is typically about the painful experiences you have endured and survived. Lots of times people want to hear the horror stories of your past, or see the battle wounds you suffered over the years before you finally escaped. When it comes to talking about trauma, sometimes I think people assume that your past is nothing but painful memories, a whirlpool of pain and trauma that is unimaginable to the average person. And while in some cases this is true, not everyone feels this way, especially me.

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Life, Mental Illness, PTSD

Why Thoughts and Prayers Don’t Make Me “Better”

Amanda Wilson

I’ve been told my whole life that there are two things you should never talk about openly: religion and politics.

And while I have a very liberal-minded attitude and I live more of a spiritual life rather than be devoted to a specific belief system, there is one thing that annoys the hell outta me as someone who lives with a mental health issue. There is one thing that makes me cringe a little on the inside, and that is when I’m told this:

“Thoughts and prayers are going to make [your PTSD] better.”

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Mental Health, PTSD

Don’t Mistake Maturity for Weakness

Amanda Wilson

People can be terrible.

For as long as we have been on this planet, it seems like we can never learn to treat others with kindness and respect. We can move mountains and overcome milestones when it comes to big discoveries, and yet we still haven’t learned to master the concept of “loving thy neighbour as yourself,” a simple and fundamental concept that seems to fumble even the most brilliant of thinkers.

And in today’s world, you only have to turn on your TV, or listen to the radio, or go on FaceBook and see Joe Blow’s politically incorrect posts about ISIS or Trump or whatever, to see how cruel humans can be.

Because lets be honest. Humans are shitty. Keep Reading!

Mental Health, PTSD

Why We Need to Stop Comparing Types of Pain

Amanda Wilson

Pain.

It is a simple, four-letter word that can have both simple and complex meanings.

It’s a word we use with everyday jargon. “Man, [insert task] is such a pain.” It’s a term we use to describe someone who is getting on our last nerve. “John is such a pain in the butt!” Or it’s a term to describe the tension that radiates from a wound or injury. Doctor: “Ok, where does it pain the most?” A simple, but complex word that holds so much value.

For me, living with a mental health issue, pain is a word that is reiterated frequently in my vocabulary. Physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain. It is a word that has many levels of  complex feelings and emotions; containing raw and “painful” memories, both past and present; a term that can be used so loosely yet can detonate a bomb within seconds. Keep Reading!