One Wee Spark

This week, I've found myself struggling with "the things I cannot change". Life is filled with these, but because of my experiences growing up, I really struggle with the "unknowns", with things I can't actually control. Sometimes it's more than just struggling with them, it's struggling to know that I CAN'T control them that tears apart my soul. This week, it's just been tough to be aware that there are certain things that I can't control, and then just sit back and wait to see what will happen. Patience is NOT one of my strong suits. This morning, however, I realized that there is one in the middle of this struggle that I CAN control, I CAN change: My attitude I've spent this week bemoaning within my soul the things I can't control, challenging the fairness of decisions that have been made, and wishing for other decisions to "hurry up and be made". I have voiced my frustrations to my husband, but I know my spirit is...

Next month in San Diego, California, the International OCD Foundation is having its Annual Conference . The conference is being held at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on July 29-31. At this time, compulsive hoarding is considered part of the OCD spectrum, although there is more and more evidence that hoarding may not be related to obsessive/compulsive disorders in the majority of people affected. It has been proposed to move hoarding out of the OCD spectrum in the DSM-V which will be published in 2012. From the conference brochure: Since 1993, the Annual IOCDF Conference has been the only national meeting focused solely on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related disorders. This unique event allows people with OCD and their loved ones to learn about the latest OCD information alongside the mental health professionals who care for them. As many as 1,200 attendees are expected to join us in San Diego. This year’s conference will feature more than 100 presentations, work...

This morning I got the opportunity to share with a friend at my son's orthodontist some exciting news. Back in February, A&E/Screaming Fleas contacted me about the possibility of revisiting my mom and I for a follow-up episode. Since we have had great successes and seen much healing, we both jumped on the idea. So here it is! The follow-up episode we filmed will be aired on Monday, July 4th at 9pm EDT on A&E (check your local listings for channel and exact times). I promise that although you are probably planning to travel, barbecue or spend time with friends and family, you're going to want to set your DVRs to record this episode. I am not sure how many others will be revisited; the last update show featured four previous stories. I'd love to have you all over to my place to watch it on the big screen TV, but alas...that's just not plausible. But do the next big thing and watch or record it! Thanks!

This morning I started to write a post about boundaries, because I was appalled by the reactions I saw last night to parts of the season 4 premiere of "Hoarders". Someone made a very raw comment regarding Janet's absent children that hit me deeply. I had written three or four paragraphs when I got distracted by a hungry baby. Afterward, I took a shower and came back to the computer and realized that there was no way I could finish that post. My righteous indignation, I realized, wasn't going to do anyone any good. So, I am now writing a post about boundaries, but I'm not going to fall into that pit. Our whole society seems to lack healthy boundaries. We blur the lines of where we begin and end versus where those around us begin and end. Of course, there are times for us to melt into one another, and if you're like me, that's tough too. I see these issues in my own household. My teen daughter has a cellphone that rings or notifies her of text messages 24 ho...

For years I suffered with migraines and tension headaches. Every ounce of stress in my life made its way into my jaw and then into my temples. Some of these headaches were debilitating. I could spend 24 hours in bed with my eyes closed and still they wouldn't resolve. I took every know pain medicine for headaches, including some very strong prescription medicines, and yet my ears would start to echo the marching of toy soldiers, I would have stars in my vision, my temples would throb, and I prayed someone might drill a hole in the top of my head to let some of the pressure out. I was told that these headaches put me at higher risk of having a stroke. The marching I would hear in my ears was symptomatic of rising blood pressure. That, coupled with the headaches, were warning signs. I have not had these headaches in a while. I still have garden variety headaches from time to time, but the "stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off" headaches of my past are gone. What changed? My att...