As a caregiver, particularly to someone living with dementia, I suppress my emotions so as not to trigger inconsolable fear or sadness in my mother. See, for someone with Frontotemporal Dementia, it can be nearly impossible for them to recognize, compartmentalize, and regulate emotional responses. Learning of the death of a loved one could lead to attempts to take one's own life, but the death of a perfect stranger or familiar celebrity may have an equally significant impact.
Category: Self-Care
Meet the Old Me
"The changes in my appearance are not due to some personal failure... [but] are illustrative of my commitment to keeping myself and my faily safe amid a global pandemic. My fluffier waist and coiled hair are badges of honor, as I choose to honor my mother and father."
Juneteenth, Justice, and Jheri Curls
When I was about 10, I received my first relaxer. I was thrilled. This meant that my hair would finally swing freely like that of my White classmates, my dolls, and the popular images I saw on TV. I was so excited.
Stay in Your Lane or Get a New Vehicle
If you are like me, you may feel overwhelmed and under-qualified to fully address the deeply rooted issues at hand in a way that produces sustainable, systemic change. Tensions in workplaces, places of worship, and households are running high and relationships are being tested. (Although, for me, I refuse to engage with foolishness from people who don't get it and have no desire to understand; keeps my blood pressure from rising.)
The Joyful Manifesto
TL;DR: Sometimes upsetting or difficult things happen in life. Those events can lead to stress. Too much stress over a long period of time can lead to disease. Facts. So Aisha is eliminating unnecessary, self-inflicted stress for 50 days to see what effect that has on her health. The Joyful Manifesto I, Aisha Adkins, hereby … Continue reading The Joyful Manifesto