The Blog
Suffering and Wisdom
Perhaps the most moving artistic creation I have ever encountered was a four hour performance of Aeschylus’s The Oresteia produced by Robert Icke in the Almeida Theater in London. The performance itself was truly staggering, and I would pay an exorbitant sum to have a recording of the performance. I often thought that I would show it to every class of students I taught if I had the means. The interpretation of the canonical Greek tragedy was that impressive, that intricately woven, a near perfect artistic creation.
Read MoreSalinger and Starting Over
As my girlfriend tells me, however, magic only happens outside of one’s comfort zone.
Read MoreTo David Le’aupepe
So I was jamming out to the band that will surely be my Spotify new artist of the year earlier, and I thought it would be a good idea to blog about some lyrics for a change of pace. The band is Gang of Youths out of Australia, and the song is called “Fear and…
Read MoreNatural Healing
Nature has always been a place where I have found peace, and now studies are coming out that support nature as a powerful force in recovering from PTSD.
Read MoreAdvances in Concussion Treatment
It’s hard to explain the impact that my concussion glasses have had on my life, and I hope that, if you’re reading this article and have had concussions, you will look into these glasses.
Read MoreReflections on the First Sentence of My Novel
Mama and Daddy spent their Sundays in silence, and if that don’t prove God exists, I don’t know what does. I first wrote that sentence in undergrad, and it remains untouched as the first line of the novel I am starting to shop around. To this day, that line remains one of my…
Read MoreDefining CPTSD
One of my former students recently read my post on Emotional Flashbacks, accessible here, and asked me to differentiate between PTSD and CPTSD. I thought I would take this week to do so. Though not an official, DSM-5 diagnosis, Complex PTSD is becoming increasingly accepted in the psychiatric community. Pete Walker, the author of Complex…
Read MoreThe Power of Music
Recently, a friend and fellow music enthusiast emailed me and asked if I would write a blog post about music that has helped me throughout my journey. I really liked the idea, so I want to take the time to do that now. Art is art, no matter the medium or sense with which it…
Read MoreTrigger Warnings
During one of my graduate school classes this summer, I faced a difficult question for the first time. Given the reading list for the course, I had no choice but to approach my professor and tell him about my CPTSD. Multiple books on the list were rife with triggers that could steal hours, days, or…
Read MoreMadness
Yesterday, a friend stumbled upon my website. I haven’t made much of an effort to broadcast my health struggles, and this friend was unaware of the recent discoveries in my life. He asked me what it was like living with mental illness. I must admit, I know he is going to read my response. That…
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