The Questionnaire

I sat in the lobby waiting to hear my name. Mismatched clothes, slippers for shoes, bloated and empty belly resting on my striped thighs. I couldn’t look at the glowing women around me, I wondered what they might see in my face? Terror Exhaustion Apathy Sadness Counterfeit joy Envy Anger Confusion Physical pain Emotional pain…

The Kid Who Eats Alone

I’ve cried at work before. There was that one time at the Dolphin Research Center that I was walking out of the fish house and slipped on the glassy, wet sidewalk. I fell directly onto my knee and when I finally got the courage to look at the damage, I discovered that my kneecap had dislocated.…

Smelling the Fear

Throughout elementary and high school, I struggled with bullies. Most of the time they were not physical bullies. Sometimes they were. But mostly they were of the mental and emotional sort– my least favorite kind of bully. If you think I suck, just hit me. Give me an Indian burn or a titty twister. Pull…

Dear Worrier

Last week, Isaac and I deep cleaned our house and I found an important letter stuffed in an old desk drawer. When I received it from my therapist, Ken, two years ago, it was a lifeline when I was drowning in a sea of worry and anxiety. Finding it was a good reminder of where…

The Zyrtec Effect

It’s no secret in my family that certain medications and environmental factors have a bigger impact on me than a lot of people. A few years ago when I took 1/4 of the lowest dosage xanax available, I was a zombie for 2 days and couldn’t stop sleeping. Half a muscle relaxer feels like I…

Riding Towards Freedom

This past week was incredibly busy. I worked both jobs, making it a 70-hour work week. Because of this,I have been planning what I will do on my one day of freedom since Friday. Just the thought of a free Sunday was keeping me going. So far, my Sunday has been perfect. This morning I…