The Mind Body Connection

The Real Cost of Growing Up in an Alcoholic Home

I remember sitting by my heater at night, listening to the wind come through. It was an old-fashioned wall heater that expanded from the floor to the ceiling, grey and talkative.

My nightgown was pink on the top, yellow in the middle, and blue on the bottom. My hair was cut short and was like straw from all the chlorine. I had a lot of freckles, which I hated because I thought they made me ugly.

There was this sense of freedom in listening to...

How My Daughter and I Navigated Part-Time Personalities

Recently, my daughter and I embarked on a journey that was both physically and emotionally challenging. She moved away after high school and immediately got into one narcissistic relationship after another, until the pattern became so painful, we agreed it was time for her to come home and heal. Watching this nightmare unfold, feeling powerless to stop it, was one of the most painful and powerless experiences of my life. 

As we...

 A Childhood Memory of Financial Highs and Lows

As a young girl, I remember my parents having a tumultuous love-hate relationship with money. My mother often complained that we would be fine if only my dad paid child support, while my father insisted he did pay, but my mom spent it on herself.

The financial roller coaster was real in our family. When we were rolling in it, we were ROLLING in it. Winning and losing money became a bit of a game. One vivid memory stands out from when I was...

In 2014, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I decided to leave my husband. His drinking had spiraled out of control, and it was impacting my children and me in ways that were no longer sustainable. 

One night, his behavior was so erratic that I had to call the police. The officer looked at me and said, “Ma’am, there comes a point in everyone’s life where they have to take a cold hard look at the truth of the situation and make a change. This is that...