Author: Liana

I am a semi-retired freelance writer. I recently discovered I have aphantasia (inability to visualize, aka mind-blindness). Despite my lifelong inability to visualize - or perhaps because of it - I have learned to adapt, bending my capabilities in imaginative ways to service my creativity. As a storyteller with aphantasia, I imagine our wondrous world through the lenses of perception, memory, and feeling, seeking to write passionate, sometimes humorous, tales full of possibilities.
Aphantasia

World’s First Aphantasia Awareness Day

Liana

Mayor of Rowlett, Texas, USA, declares the world’s first aphantasia awareness day!

Originally published on aphantasia.com

ROWLETT, Texas – In a groundbreaking move, the city of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, declares the world’s first Aphantasia Awareness Day on February 21, 2023. The event was established to bring greater understanding of aphantasia, a unique cognitive style that affects nearly 4% of the global population. Continue reading on the Aphantasia Network.

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Anxiety, Depression, Gratitude, Mental Health, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Practicing Gratitude Helps Get Me Through the Holidays

Liana

There’s so much expectation on everyone during the holidays; to spend money, to eat food, to make food, to drink, to be festive, to be jolly, to be happy, to want to be happy, and so on. It being such a chaotic time of year, it’s no surprise that people get anxious before, during, and after the holidays. Keeping a gratitude journal helps keep me grounded, especially during the holidays. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Mental Health

Feeling Anxious When Speaking to Adult Children

Liana

I have three children; two daughters and a son. They’re adults now with busy lives and stresses of their own. My adult children are exceptional individuals. I love and respect them as I know they love and respect me. Why, then, do I get anxious when I need or want to speak to them, to ask them about their lives, or talk about something important to me? Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, dissociation, Mental Health, Panic Disorder, Trauma

Recognizing Symptoms of Dissociation

Liana

Feelings of dissociation can be terrifying. On top of the already horrific acute, prolonged panic symptoms I was suffering, in an out-of-body utter state of confusion, I looked at my husband and asked, “Are you going to have me committed?” Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, dissociation, Mental Health

When Confrontation Triggers Anxiety

Liana

We’ve all had to make that dreaded call to customer service to report an issue. Something has gone wrong, so you’re already ticked off, but you do your best to proceed politely. Or, at least, I do. Most times, the issue is resolved quickly and with minimal upset. But then there’s that one frustrating experience where nothing goes right, and the resolutions are unacceptable, which triggers so much anxiety that you feel you’ll either explode or simply shut down. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Mental Health

Increased Anxiety From News and Social Media

Liana

Growing up, I left the room when my parents turned on the nightly news. I had no interest. Besides, it was all bad news, or so it seemed: wars, fires, shootings, murders, robberies, injustices, bickering politicians, and so on. No, thank you.  Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Mental Health

Cleaning and Anxiety

Liana

Nobody likes cleaning. Wait. That’s not right, because I’ve known people who enjoy cleaning as it provides a sense of accomplishment or something else I can’t comprehend. Not me. I hate cleaning. Especially the big jobs. They give me anxiety. Of course, I procrastinate, the job gets bigger, and my anxiety increases. So I procrastinate some more. And again and again. A circle of procrastination and anxiety that eventually must be tackled. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

How Much Sleep Is Too Much Sleep?

Liana

I sleep a lot. I always have. From a certain point of view, I’m lucky that I can sleep, but it’s rarely enough. This was worse when I had young children to look after, plus a house, a spouse, and a full-time job that had me up nights resolving issues. Like so many working people worldwide, my remedy to combat sleepiness and fatigue was to guzzle coffee. But I’m retired now, a young retiree at 57. I had hoped to be full of energy without the burden of full-time work. I thought once I retired and got ample regulated sleep, that the feeling of sleepiness would go away. It hasn’t. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Mental Health, Panic Disorder, Trauma

Does Therapy Still Make Sense for Me?

Liana

I’ve written many blogs this past year about my struggles late last summer with weeks of acute panic and anxiety that left me traumatized. I attended weekly therapy and worked hard for almost a year to get to a point where I could finally revisit the place where the worst of the trauma occurred, which I did, successfully. With that said, I’m wondering if therapy still makes sense for me. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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Anxiety, Mental Health

Making Mistakes Gives Me Anxiety, but I’m Improving

Liana

Nobody is perfect. Another way of saying that is: everybody makes mistakes. They’re an opportunity for growth—something about failing forward, or, without mistakes, there is no progress, and so on. Some people take their mistakes in stride, learning the lessons and moving forward, seemingly unconcerned. As for me, whenever I make or may make a mistake, I deal with anxiety bombs of varying sizes that go off inside me, rendering me twitchy, edgy, and generally a mess. Continue reading on HealthyPlace.com.

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