Quarantine was a natural boundary. No one comes in and no one goes out. Boring but predictable. Things are opening up some places but with a new restriction or boundary. You have to wear a mask. NOT going well with that one. Someone chided me that it is just a piece of fabric. Yes, a…
Last week end I took a trip with my daughter. In the past, she did all the driving while I chatted with the kids, crocheted or slept. This time she felt sick. Our choices were go home or I drive. I chose to drive. I hit a record of driving almost 8 hours. I haven’t…
Every time I get on the freeway my enhanced hyper-vigilance is rewarded. I am super aware of cars changing lanes, speed demons racing up from behind and near misses that keeps my hyper-vigilance on alert. It is exhausting being super aware all the time of every person around. I didn’t know it was unusual. I…
This technique in keeping a victim confused and down is sometimes called ‘bringing out the flying monkeys.’ (Wizard of OZ reference… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SESI19h4wDo ) When an abuser can’t put you down themselves, they enlist others to do their bidding. Or if they can’t win an argument they will bring in a third party person to ‘gang up’…
“Stop complaining,” I heard this when I would speak up about how I was being treated. Bullies use this injunction to shut up their victims. Dictionary definition for complaint- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/complaint?s=t an expression of discontent, regret, pain, censure, resentment, or grief; lament; faultfinding: his complaint about poor schools. Expressing why I am uncomfortable is one of…
Just because someone is Rude or Mean it doesn’t mean the behavior should be ignored. The earlier post defines bullying as malicious acts carried out intentionally over time. If a person is accidentally rude, bringing it to their attention helps them understand that what they are doing is not ok. If they do it again,…
A Mighty Girl Thanks Mighty girl for sharing this article. Thanks to those that passed it to me. Signe Whitson, a child and adolescent therapist, has a timely message for parents and educators: “there is a real need to draw a distinction between behavior that is rude, behavior that is mean and behavior that is…
Question: How to answer a frequent user of the phrase GET OVER IT to her friends, family and children. It seems to be her “go to phrase” that totally stops the conversation? I want to respond to her some way but generally feel discounted and dismissed. What can be said that will cause her to…
The age old debate of which came first the chicken or the egg? An article on Bullying in the work place noticed that those that are already anxious are more likely to be targeted. My counselor told me the same thing when I joked I must have a target on my back. He responded that…
PTSD - Accepting, Coping, Thriving 