First things first: the vlog returns next week. Balthazar is back up and running, things are smooth there, and I have plenty of spoons to illustrate the Spoon Theory for folks who are unfamiliar. So, stay tuned for that. At the expense of being blunt: I trigger people. People’s feelings are not invalid. Nor are… Continue reading The New Diagnosis
Category: Current Events
Agency and Redemption
In case this week’s vlog didn’t tip you off, I am a huge fan of Mad Max: Fury Road. Long after having seen it several times in cinemas and at home, I still want to talk about its greater meanings, implied or intended, regarding personal autonomy and agency, the depth of truly human characters, and… Continue reading Agency and Redemption
I Am My Own Ex
“If you treated a partner the way you treat yourself, would you tolerate it?” Short answer: no. Long answer: I’d dump my ass the way I was dumped. Long nights of contemplation and bouts of fighting back tears have reinforced that I was not abandoned out of a lack of love. It was limits of… Continue reading I Am My Own Ex
Dealing With Frustration
This week has been incredibly frustrating for me. A number of deeply honest and emotional posts all over social media combined with all sorts of self-care oriented shenanigans and missteps that lead me into a downturn. I’m still navigating the dark and bullshit-smelling waters of bipolar depression, and as a result, I don’t have a… Continue reading Dealing With Frustration
The Open Letter
This is Josh. The real Josh. The Josh that should have been here all along. The Three Gratitudes Thank you for reading this. So much of this has needed to be said… well, written… for a very long time. Garbage and bullshit has clouded so many of my perceptions, caused so much projection of anxieties… Continue reading The Open Letter
'The Fix Is In'
This week I talk about one of my pet peeve turns of phrase. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I won’t reiterate my take on it here, because I already discussed it in the vlog (which you should totally go watch, plug plug). Instead, let me turn my attention to a very different one… Continue reading 'The Fix Is In'
Learning to Listen
We hear all sorts of voices every day. None are more pervasive and frightening than those that come from within. They can amplify what we hear from others, or contradict the good things we’re told, or even drown out support and reinforcement from people we care about. There are two very important skills that I… Continue reading Learning to Listen
Zone Control
Paradoxically, talking about comfort zones makes me uncomfortable. Not because they are strange things, or because I don’t understand them. I do. I know consent is a vital, essential thing, and you cannot and should not cross into someone else’s comfort zone without that consent. When you do, apologize and back out. At least, if… Continue reading Zone Control
Feeling Like Dying
Suicide discussion follows. Be forewarned. For someone who no longer has the impulse to commit suicide, I think about it quite a bit. It’s a feeling. I talked about feelings earlier this week. I know that my suicidal thoughts, and the attached feelings, are not invalid. I have no intention of acting upon them, so… Continue reading Feeling Like Dying
Shadows and Silence
We have no control over the shadows we cast. For the purposes of this piece, the ‘shadow’ I refer to is not the Jungian concept of the ‘Shadow’ unconscious self, but rather the way others perceive us when we are not directly interacting with them. Just to be clear. As inherently social beings, we meet… Continue reading Shadows and Silence
