Today is the 17-year anniversary of a certain trauma-with-a-capital-T that I won’t rehash here but which I am compelled to conceptualize in terms of magic bugs. I’ve experienced plenty of other traumas before and after this one, and I’m not in the habit of ranking them or shoving pins through their thoraxes to categorically arrange […]
October
22
Forgetting trauma: doomed to repeat?
posted by Apryl Pooley
Today is the 13 year anniversary of my first rape. Technically, it was on October 25th, but it was on a Saturday—and this Saturday morning, October 22nd 2016 ,is when my body chose to remember it. I’ve written before of “anniversary reactions” in people with PTSD, and I woke up this morning thinking “holy shit, the […]
July
09
To the people who say “All Lives Matter” and “race is not the issue:”
posted by Apryl Pooley
In the wake of the recent anti-black violence, the black community has outlined ways that white folks can help support #BlackLivesMatter. In my experience, however, so many white folks aren’t even close to the “how to be a black comrade” part. So many white folks argue with each other over whether racism is really even […]
June
25
Reflections on 3 years sober
posted by Apryl Pooley
Three years ago today, I had my last drink. Well…last eight drinks. My dad always said, “If you don’t know when your last drunk was, you haven’t had it yet.” He was right. And I knew June 25, 2013 was it. I was a year-and-a-half in to a serious, professionally-aided attempt at getting sober […]
June
09
Mindfulness is Good for Your Brain When Standing in Line (Guest post by Kelly Wilson)
posted by Apryl Pooley
This week, I’m honored to have Kelly Wilson as my guest. Kelly is a comedian and author who writes about grief, recovery, mental health, abuse, and healing. Today, she shares with us the usefulness of mindfulness, even if it does make you look like a moose. Mindfulness is Good for Your Brain When Standing in […]
June
06
PTSD & Sleep Paralysis: How Traumatic Experiences Can Affect Sleep (Guest Post by Melissa Flickinger)
posted by Apryl Pooley
This week, I’m pleased to present an article written by the wonderful Melissa Flickinger–book marketing manager extraordinaire–about an experience I know all too well: sleep paralysis. More about Melissa later, but first her post: PTSD & Sleep Paralysis: How Traumatic Experiences Can Affect Sleep It began in high school, the terrifying nightmares of […]
May
27
The Reasons A Sexual Abuse Survivor Asks: Am I Permanently Damaged? (Guest Post by Rachel Thompson)
posted by Apryl Pooley
I am so excited to have the one-and-only Rachel Thompson on my blog this week to discuss one of the most challenging questions survivors of trauma face. You can read my post on the same topic over at Rachel’s blog here. Find out more about her at the end of the post, but without further ado, […]
May
19
Voices From the Past (Guest Post by Beth Schulman)
posted by Apryl Pooley
This week, I’m excited to share a guest post written by author and teacher, Beth Schulman. Beth’s debut memoir, The Gold Mailbox, was published in March 2016. You can find out more about Beth at the end of her post, but first: Voices From The Past True Confession: On Tuesday at 11am, I got back into bed to […]
April
28
Mental Illness Visibility: How to see what is invisible (Guest Post by Joan Jessup)
posted by Apryl Pooley
This week, I’m excited to share a guest post written by fellow Gravity Imprint author, Joan Jessup. Joan’s debut memoir, Bipolar Goggles, was just published last month by Booktrope. You can find out more about Joan at the end of her post, but first: *** Mental Illness Visibility: How to see what is invisible I have often heard people refer to different forms […]
April
22
3 Dating Rules for DV and Sexual Assault Survivors (that helped me move on) (Guest Post by Lindsay Fischer)
posted by Apryl Pooley
This week, we have a guest post from the amazing Lindsay Fischer, author of The House on Sunset, a chilling and brave memoir about intimate partner violence. More on Lindsay below, but first, her words… 3 Dating Rules for DV and Sexual Assault Survivors (that helped me move on) Two years into trauma therapy, […]
The Egghead Agenda 