Anxiety

ADHD and the Fear of Using Gifts

In the spring of 2020, my life turned topsy-turvy for the second time. After a period of intense therapy to deal with my PTSD symptoms, it became clear that there were more things going on than just childhood trauma. I saw a few specialists, and was diagnosed with inattentive-type ADHD. I had never had soContinue reading “ADHD and the Fear of Using Gifts”

When Happiness is Scary

If you’re reading this right now, I want to say first that you’re not alone. You’re not weird or defective. If you fear happiness, you are very likely in pain, and fear is a normal reaction to things that hurt. A fear of happiness develops in people for a variety of reasons. You might haveContinue reading “When Happiness is Scary”

The Gentle Art of Self-Allowing

There is a broad base of therapeutic literature focusing on self-regulation, or the ability to manage and re-direct one’s emotions in a healthy way. When individuals act out in unhealthy ways due to a lack of control over their emotions, this is called dysregulation. Most people would agree that a high level of self-control isContinue reading “The Gentle Art of Self-Allowing”

Reclaiming Your Sense of Self After Codependency

Codependency can develop for many reasons: an addiction or chronic illness in the family, an attachment disorder from past trauma, or having lived in a dysfunctional environment, among others. Codependency is even transmittable, passing down from parent to child, and from partner to partner. Mental Health America defines codependency as an “emotional and behavioural conditionContinue reading “Reclaiming Your Sense of Self After Codependency”

What to Do When You Struggle With Neediness

We sometimes get to a place where we need help. Depending on how we grew up, we can react to this place in several different ways. Those who had a secure, trusting attachment to a parental figure are more likely to feel safe asking for help as adults. If you developed a more avoidant attachmentContinue reading “What to Do When You Struggle With Neediness”