Just Go For It

There are times my proactive mentality overrides my sense of reality, and becomes closer to willfulness than anything. I grew up surrounded by people who taught me what it meant to be selfless. One of these people was my Abuelo (grandpa) Armando. He was the MOST selfless person I know. He literally would give you the shirt off his back or anything he could if he had the capacity to do so.

Recently the five-year anniversary of the day he went home to God passed us and I was a tad more emotional than maybe the past couple years. Part of it may have been the five-year mark, realizing it had been half a decade since he took his last breath, or perhaps it was something else. You see, I recently made some choices that bettered me as a person, and for the longest time I didn't think I'd be able to do that because it may have been viewed as selfish.

However, as I look back on this past year, specifically what led me to planning my suicide and ultimately the continuation of suicidal thoughts and self-harm, it dawned on me that had I not made the necessary changes in my life, I perhaps would not be on this earth. Although I don't see suicidal tendencies stemming from any type of mental illness as necessarily selfish, had I not been willing to fight, THAT would have been selfish.

So I did fight. I fought for everyone surrounding me and typically, that might make sense. I focused on serving those around me without really thinking about what I needed to change in order to start living a life worth living. I figured deep down there is no way I could restructure myself because it might affect too many people in the outcome. I chose to continue to bury seeds of truth deeper within my being and fight for survival.

Do you know how exhausting just surviving is?

It is not only exhausting, it is miserable. 

After half a year of tearing through these deep roots, and prayers filled with tears of anguish, I finally was met with clarity. Clarity that not only provided me with a sense of hope, but also removed any desire to escape this life. Regardless of my progress, and it had been a ton of progress at that, it doesn't mean I still didn't have massive breakdowns I had to work through with a superfluous amount of skills. Somewhere in the back of my head I still held suicide as an ultimate option and before you judge that statement, remember that having Borderline Personality Disorder can sometimes be a daily effort to survive.

I got to a point where surviving wasn't enough. I needed to be able to live...and thrive.

I had to throw the "black and white" mentality out the window and just go with it. One of my favorite quotes is:

There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it. - Judith McNaught

Oh but where does God come into this for those of you who might be shaking their heads. Well, God created every intricacy of our minds and that includes that "gut feeling" you have when you know you have to do something.

I have for TOO long concerned myself with pleasing everyone in my life. Guess what? 

Not going to happen.

If we were all on the same page, well then politics wouldn't exist. It is that simple.

This doesn't mean I care only about myself; however, what it means is that I'm not going to let the opinions of others or the dialectics of others be my foundation. I need to stand for myself. Another quote from the famous character Rock Balboa:

It doesn't matter how this looks to other people. If this is something you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight.

What Are You Afraid Of?

What are you afraid of?

I have asked myself this very question numerous times the past couple of weeks. So many times in life we shy away from those things that frighten us because we don't want to risk stability. However, how often does stability bring true joy?

For me I played it safe for years, staying within a "black and white" mentality only to fall within the cracks of society. I'm not talking about going unnoticed, I'm simply talking about flowing right along with the people that surrounded me. I was too afraid to speak my mind when tough questions were presented. 

I always thought "this can't be right, that isn't what I was taught," and for the most part I just shrugged off anything that was pointing me in the other direction. We strive so hard in society to please the mass majority, but in the end is that what we truly deserve as an individual?

We are each crafted in such a unique way, that no one should be able to mimic every iota of our being. So why do we struggle so hard to be someone else? For me, I had a lot of factors that dictated why I was afraid to be myself. Religion, culture, the school I went to, general demographics in the town I grew up in, parenting style....and much more. I thought I had to be this cookie-cutter Baptist conservative who lived the American dream. 

In the past year, through therapy and digging through the sludge of my past along with pushing away the denial of who I was fighting for so long, I have started to confront my fears, specifically in the past couple of weeks.

Do you know that my biggest fear is finding true joy? All growing up I was told to be thankful for what I was blessed with, and that couldn't be further from the truth. However, true joy doesn't always stem from blessings. To me, in order to find happiness you have to go through a bit of muck. 

"Dana, hasn't your life been a bit mucky already?"

Yea sure, but whose hasn't? We have all had trials of some shape or form. Trials that were thrown on us without asking for it. Trials that may have helped developed how we act as human beings today. But tell me, have you ever specifically decided to go through the worst in order to get the best?

Many people may disagree with me over this, specifically those close to me, however opinions are opinions. We all have them.

This past week, on February 26th, I decided to confront those fears because I was given a reason to do so. A reason that practically fell in my lap. Ever since that day, the sun has literally been shining and I can't stop but thank God for that, and the joy he has instilled in my heart. 

So tell me, are you afraid of joy?

Before You Watch 'Fifty Shades of Grey', Read This

I told myself I wasn't going to use the phenomenon surrounding 50 Shades to utilize my platform, but the more attention it gets this weekend through the movie premiere, the more my obligation to educate people grows.

Despite what I state here, let me be clear that I am not going to judge anyone who sees the movie. However, please understand that when you watch it, watch it with a mind that understands what is TRULY being represented. On top of that, I most certainly am not judging the BDSM lifestyle, because legitimate BDSM is far from what is represented in the film. So let us get the judgements out of the way, because that is not what my agenda is here.

Additionally, I am someone who has ACTUALLY read the book. I'm not using anything out-of-context.

I have been debating via social media for the past 24 hours, so instead of re-writing what I have been saying, let me just pull from my statements.

 I did read the book the whole way through and here is the deal people: what you need to realize is that media is a powerful force. When there are people saying this is not abuse they are clearly misinformed. Movies can depict this, but they need to call it like it is. There was stalking, and emotional manipulation. Anastasia was vulnerable and drawn in to him and because that manipulation contorted her sense of what she really wanted, it looks like it is consent. It isn't though. BDSM does not equate with what this movie depicts. Fantasy or no fantasy: media producers need to admit to the reality of what they are depicting. The ACCEPTANCE of the portrayals of abusive relationships, even if it's a movie, just shows that a culture will not realize what is abuse in reality. Go get titillated, but remember that somewhere nearby, an actual woman is being controlled in the same fashion and has no way out. I feel like people need to read Susan Brownmiller's book, because as more attention is given to this film, the culture to support it is becoming more prevalent... People need to start talking, because if this is what it takes to educate the masses in what so many people experience in reality, let the awareness begin. Additionally, from my experience, let me say I was infatuated with my abuser. He took advantage of my vulnerability. He made me feel like no one else mattered but him and I felt by the end I had no choice but to give in. Even if I said I wasn't comfortable or no he was always rationalizing it to make me feel like I deserved or desired it.

Don't mistake the age of my trauma to offset the patterns in an abusive relationship. They are all the same. Just because someone is an adult, doesn't mean they are immune from abusive patterns.

Let's get the BDSM issue out of the way. This is not BDSM. Coming directly from someone in the adult industry I was inadvertently in a Facebook discussion with:

I have read all these books and have worked in the adult industry for over 5 years. I can say this book is trash and makes me mad because I have worked with people educating them in the correct way of getting into BDSM and this book is everything you DON'T want to do. It may not be noticed to those who are not familiar with the BDSM community or even the stages of abuse, but with all these things popping up to educate you with FACTS, don't be ignorant and ignore it. It's a story written by someone who had no idea what the hell she was talking about and it clearly shows. I understand why people want to see it, but keep in mind that this relationship should not be wanted by a single soul or idolized - Jammie Ryerson

"Dana...it's just a flipping movie! It doesn't mean it is making choices for people!"

No it isn't. However, media has the impeccable ability to warp how things are perceived. If the abusive relationship was called out on, recognized in some fashion, this would not be as big of an issue as it is becoming.

If you ever have seen the movie Enough with J-Lo, then you would see a movie that says clearly it is about domestic abuse. Interestingly enough, the patterns established in that movie aren't far from what is represented in 50 shades. Go figure.

Everyone keeps saying "This isn't abuse! There was a contract." Okay...stop it. That contract was not introduced until Anastasia had been far in the manipulation process. This isn't two consenting adults from the beginning. It was an obsession, that turned into stalking and emotional manipulation. Anastasia, being naive, and drawn into Christian's tall, dark, and handsome, is all it took. She had a fascination with him and because he gave her the attention she was thirsting, it was all the easier to be contorted.

Abusive relationships do not start with a man threatening the woman. If that were the case, the woman would run. There is a cycle, and once a victim gets caught in it, it is almost impossible to escape. There is a honeymoon period that it starts with, which isn't all that different from the grooming period in sexual abuse. Eventually, the victim is sucked in and somehow buys into all the crap the abuser is spouting. Abusers know what to feed off from, trust me.

There are enough people writing about this to form a thesis, so I'm not going to keep blabbering. If you want some good sources of context comparison and legitimate articles representing my point, they are below.

Fifty Abusive Moments in Fifty Shades of Grey: A woman's blog analyzing the book in pieces. It is a long read, but doesn't take long to realize how much sense it makes.

Even the co-stars of the movie think 50 Shades of Grey is awful (and maybe even a bit like Hitler): Yea...they knew something wasn't right.

Review-'Fifty Shades of Grey' Is Abusive Gender Roles Disguised As Faux-Feminism: A review on Forbes nonetheless by a male. This is more non-biased but still representative of the themes shining through the film. Long, but good read.

I'm Not Struggling: I'm Battling

These past couple weeks, I have been met with some interesting challenges. Up until a week ago, I had a solid grasp on my life and felt as though I was settling into a comfortable pace. I knew what I believed in, knew what my goals were. I had a general understanding of who I was. I still like to think that I am aware of the person I was created to be.

I have an earthly partner who reminds me of the precious time we have in life. I have said how he tells me not to question the confusion I face on a daily basis. The so called, "But why?" 

I don't need to ask why anymore.

However, I am pondering some decisions in my life. Not necessarily ones that may seem cosmic in comparison to other people's life choices; however, to me they hold meaning.

There is a huge part of me that is vulnerable when it comes to what has happened to me, mostly because I want people to know that trauma happens. Horrible trauma. Awareness is my number one goal when it comes to sharing my story. Anything that will in turn help others. Because of this vulnerability, it is no surprise that I have no fear in being open when it feels right.

What happens with me though is that people confuse my vulnerability, or my willingness to share the bad days with my mental illness, with an internal struggle. I may always be battling, but I am not struggling. This creates an unneeded burden on those who pry for details on my progress. I tend to not share with people unless they know my situation and ask.

The point is, I have realized that I need to create boundaries. Healthy boundaries that establish security for me, because any sense of abandonment or betrayal just throws me off the grid of stability.  This may sound cold, but it is just kind of what I need to do. I have mentioned before in way earlier posts that I have a close support system that consists of those who stand by me 100% of the time. No judgements. No "but....yada yada yada." Just there.

Without these people, right now I'd be fighting myself left and right. I struggle so often trying to make the perfect choice, but it doesn't have to be that way. Frankly, whatever decision I make, someone in this world probably isn't going to agree. That is called individuality. 

 Please don't confuse what you see as pain a struggle. It honestly is me just kicking ass. I am 100% okay with having to battle my brain every day. I am also 100% okay with who I am. 

Don't Question. Just Live. It's Worth It.

I have been sitting, staring at my screen for a good twenty minutes attempting to dissect the ball of complexity in my chest right now. I have reached an important milestone in my journey of healing. There are literally so many emotions compressed together into a brick pressing on my heart.

It isn't the type of pressure that makes me want to bawl uncontrollably, although tears are fighting their way out. I'm not falling apart. I'm coming together.

Yesterday I had the largest sense of clarity during my exposure session. 

As someone who is knowledgeable about the neurobiology of trauma, especially childhood trauma, one would think I would have been able to give myself a break. There is something that happens in a child's brain when they are victimized that changes how that chemistry works for the rest of their life. Additionally, certain brains may be wired already to the point where the effect of trauma is more potent.

I could tell all of these things to myself, and spit them out to other survivors over and over. These are the facts...I know them to be true therefore I should clearly be able to apply them to my own understanding.

It is so much harder trying to convince yourself, as a survivor, that what you experienced in those moments was normal. 

Normal...I kind of despise that word. There really isn't a normal...

I prayed for 18 years to be "normal," not entirely knowing what that meant. I just knew I didn't understand why I was the way I was. This isn't just about being a survivor of childhood trauma, or having BPD, it is more than that. 

Simply put, we are born with an intricate design inside our heads. Sometimes they make things more difficult and confusing. However, everything was God's design...EVERYTHING. I don't really see my BPD or anything else that is outside the realm of "average" a struggle. I honestly feel blessed by every quirk. 

There is something that Greg said to me the other day when I told him it wasn't "worth" stepping forward, and out of my shell. His response was simply:

"Don't question. Just live. It's worth it."

Rock Bottom: A Year Later

I apologize for being absent from the blogging world for a couple of weeks. I had to take some time to process a few things before I could write effectively. Sometimes, things happen that warp your sense of trust in the social world, and it takes a couple of laps around the rational pool to recognize that there is so much more than focusing on temporary pain.

Alas, I have returned to the fun-loving Dana that everyone adores! I have my guard up, and my trust circle and that is okay with me.

The other reason I haven't blogged is because the past few weeks have been absent of DBT and for the most part my individual sessions. It has been rather stagnant in life realizations other than the major one I came across a couple weeks ago. My social life was also pretty much gone until this week.

Something else about this week, besides getting back into the swing of things, is that it marks the one-year anniversary of when I hit rock-bottom. It is a big milestone for me to have come this far and I am so thankful for the amount of support I have gathered since then. I formed a great alliance among close friends and family.

On top of that, I recently have been blessed with even more support from a community that is near to my heart, simply because they stand with me on all the changes that I hope one day can and will happen throughout this country and world.

I used to struggle so much because I grew up with this black and white mentality, as I have mentioned before. When you start to realize, not everything is black and white....it starts to make things clearer. You stop asking why and just start living. That is what I have been doing.  I am aware that I may not be on everyone's side, because that is frankly impossible.

Trying to please everyone in your life is just not feasible. When you start to look inside yourself for what YOUR views are, and align yourself with the people who agree, it is loads easier than trying to conform to something you don't feel right about.

There will not be a day that I don't thank God for being blessed with a man, my best friend, who stands by me no matter who I am. His constant support and reminder to me that one can only live in the present, to worry about tomorrow is pointless, helps ground me constantly. When I start concerning myself with how I'm going to face certain situations I deep down know will be dreadful, he reminds me that for the few people I may lose in my life, I have a multitude more who are there on the sidelines waiting to hold my hand.

One year later...and I now know I am me.

" Loving every soul: beautiful, imaginative, and noble."

The Most Important Lesson I Learned in 2014

So, I was quite the giddy adult going into the days before Christmas, and I woke up Christmas Eve morning with a hop in my step and a warmth in my heart that I was sure could never be diminished. By the time December 30th rolled around, I was positive that I had been tested in some shape or form on my ability to manage a multitude of triggering events.

The first minor setback in enjoying the holiday season was the very fact that toddlers are unaware of what day it is, let alone when they will be cutting a very intense molar. My poor handsome baby boy had a miserable Christmas, and that poured right onto mommy. He wouldn't eat or nap because he was in so much pain, which then led an emotional Dana because I had no idea how to fix the problem at hand.

On top of that, my niece was very sick with Croup, which made for a difficult holiday for my brother and sister-in-law. My eldest brother got the Flu and it appears more of my family members are ill. Being sick is rather frustrating, but when you are supposed to be enjoying your vacation, and you are coughing and vomiting instead, it's like a slap in the face.

While these unfortunate events toned down the joy that I was trying to hold on to this year, it was no comparison to the ultimate test that hit me a couple days ago.

I recently have written about becoming more vulnerable and allowing myself to feel positive emotions and start opening myself up to others. This is something that is fairly new to me because early on I trained myself to "go in my shell," so to speak, before there was even a chance that I would get hurt. It has been very empowering to let my guard down and get closer to powerful emotions. Whether it be through Prolonged Exposure Therapy, or perhaps opening my heart to someone, it has been quite the journey.

A couple days ago I was blind-sided by a sudden detachment from somebody I care about and had been vulnerable with. I shouldn't ever expect a positive result from vulnerability, or "daring greatly" as Brene Brown would call it, but I also don't expect to be "left out in the cold." Abandonment to me is the most intense trigger of emotional turmoil. Unless you have similar issues, you might not understand.

I'd prefer not to go into detail, because it really isn't important to the post I am writing other than the fact that I learned a powerful lesson through this. Being vulnerable is a complicated and empowering, but mostly incredible painful process. This week I cried the hardest I have in a while, and while some people may have been uncomfortable with my 12 hours of anger and dismay, had I not let myself sit in those tears, I may be worse off now.

Don't be afraid to let the tears flow. We are human and emotions are there to tell us something important. I was hurt, deeply, and I may not be able to bounce back completely from that, but at least I know I bounced back.