The Wolf Finally Frees Itself
— Brianna Albers

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs in the wake of adversity, initially through grief work — recognizing that our lives have fundamentally changed as a result of trauma — and eventually through self-reflection. Once we mourn the loss, we can cultivate positive psychological change, recognizing personal strengths…

Last week, I wrote that to properly address anxiety about the coronavirus, we must sit with our grief and accept it. But grief work is one step among many. Grief work is crucial and valid, but it also lends itself to forward…

One of my readers asked me to write about coronavirus anxiety. I’ve spent the past week coming up with solution-focused approaches to the pandemic because that’s how my brain is wired — I spent seven years and tens of thousands of dollars on…

You can tell I got my master’s degree in mental health counseling because there are certain things I cannot tolerate. For example, baffling definitions of codependency. People sling “codependent” around like mud. Google codependency…

“I hate to say it,” my dad said, “but you’re getting a little heavy.” A miracle, really, when you consider my base weight of 50 pounds. I was a baby for the longest time. A young adult in a preteen body. One of my biggest challenges…

I keep hearing about “making the most of quarantine.” Learn a new skill! Finish that book you’ve been reading for months! Plant a garden! The possibilities are endless. The issue is that productivity and survival are two sides of the trauma response…

I cried, really cried, for the first time last week. My mom is working from home (WFH) and has transformed our basement into a makeshift office. My dad has become my full-time caregiver. Our cat, Josie, has been forced into quarantine with…

I’ve been thinking about Rare Disease Day on Feb. 29 for weeks. I’ve been trying to figure out how exactly I’m rare, and in what ways, and how I might address all the weird, rare, exhilaratingly absurd parts of me that make me…

I feel like it’s been forever since I last wrote one of these things. It may be because between the holidays, the start of a new month, year, and decade, and school (which is frankly turning out to be the semester from hell), I feel a little bit…

Like a decent percentage of the global population, I have part of the “Frozen II” soundtrack stuck in my head. The movie is about the unknown. Self-acceptance. Stepping into your power. Themes that are fitting for me, as the sun sets on the second decade of my…

I have this nagging feeling that I’m going to die in bed. My parents sleep in the basement, so when I need to be rolled at night, I scream at the top of my lungs until someone hears me. We have a baby monitor that works…

A few weeks ago, my mom and I went to Junk Bonanza, a vintage market that’s held twice a year at the local horse racing track. I feel twice my age while I’m there, but it’s a chance for Mom and…