prismaticbleed: (worried)

We have so many faceless children in the System. It seems like the older we get physically, the "younger" we are inside? We feel more and more helpless and scared and small every day. There is a legitimate part of our mind that is a frightened crying child and s/he keeps crying "i want my mommy" but the instant we imagine any sort of adult female like our mother (long dark hair) the child starts screaming hysterically and runs away in tears. "mommy," she sobs, but she feels so lost, like, what is a mother? I don't think she knows.
"Grandma" is still safe, in memory. ALL the children will run to her instinctively. But... the memories don't match up. There was an phago-paidifoni who kept eating rice pudding last month, because it would immediately transport her into a vivid sensory memory of being in the kitchen or on the porch with grandma, eating homemade rice pudding, feeling safe and loved. The problem is that at some point, she started trying to remember what our grandma actually talked and acted like in those situations, and... it wasn't always nice. That's a fact. Our grandmother could be very critical, and said hurtful things often, even if she didn't mean to. And the phago-paidifoni became so confused and disturbed, because this wasn't what they needed or wanted from her. They wanted to feel safe and loved and comforted, but that was suddenly gone now that this ideal visual was changing to reflect memory. And they disappeared, stopped eating rice pudding entirely, because now it was triggering. It's sad.

Anyway. What would a child want, from a "mother"? That's hard to answer, because the very WORD "mother" brings up immediate feelings of TERROR and PANIC and the urge to FLEE AND HIDE. We can't delve into that right now; it's too early and we will need to recover mentally from this entry the way it is.
But our therapist said, don't ask the System itself at this point. We have too much pain and trauma, we can't see straight. Growing up we never really "had" a mother or father in the "family role" sense. We had a biological mother and father, but neither of them knew how to be parents; they barely knew each other to begin with, and both of them were extremely independent and stubborn, "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" types. They weren't home much, worked constantly, and had NO warmth or intimacy or quiet time to give. Our grandparents were the same. So... we didn't have a context of what a "normal family" looks like as a child, and so we couldn't even imagine anything different. Hence why the Spherae never had parental figures in it until we hit college and wrote some in just as "filler." Even so, what would parents act like? We didn't know.
You know how we do know, now? Our faith has told us. We had NO IDEA what a "real parent" SHOULD look like, at ALL, until we really started to commit ourselves to being Catholic. Suddenly, we realized what we were missing. We jarringly became aware of an immense lack in our life, of an "infantile need" that was never met, of a hunger completely ignored and denied until now. THAT'S why we suddenly have "all these internal children" crying helplessly, lost and confused, knowing they need something-- someone-- but not having any idea what to do about it. They're helpless. I emphasize that word, because it defines childhood for us. Powerless, incapable, totally dependent. And... I don't think we were ever allowed to be that historically? Our parents drilled self-sufficiency and excellence and competition and achievement into our brains from the very beginning; we were even pitted against our siblings to "be the best" and nothing ever felt "good enough." The bar was always moved higher. Our mother said "that should have made you try harder!!" but honestly it just made us feel... helpless. We felt defeated before we even started. We internalized a sense of total ineptitude, inadequacy, failure-- we were a disappointment and a letdown no matter what we did. But that's slightly off-topic. The point is, we were never able to just be a child in need. We were expected to do everything for ourself, to be strong and not burden others, to "make our family proud," etc. Somehow this translated to "don't ever weigh other people down with your problems/ whining/ stupidity/ weakness/ etc.," which ultimately boiled down to "you're not allowed to be weak," in any and all senses.
Children are weak, by definition. At least, that's what I've been told now. My brain still "can't accept it." It's not allowed. "They're just choosing to be weak to get something out of people, to manipulate them," like my mother would say. But was I? When "I" was a child, a two-year-old crying from fear or discomfort or hunger or loneliness, and I was weak in that crying, was I actively trying to manipulate my mother out of selfish concern? Or was I just scared and needed comfort and security and... did I "need" it? That's where my mind goes. "You don't really need it. Grow up. Get over it." etc. Children aren't weak, they're just selfish and lazy...
Notice I wouldn't even dare type the word "love." A child needs love. Do they? Isn't it horrible that I instinctively doubt that? That alone says volumes about my upbringing, and the tragic wrecked state of our psyche.

So our homework is to imagine a child in concept, effectively-- "like a character in a story," our therapist said. Like someone in the Spherae. From that "detached" perspective, informed now by Catholic teaching of Truth, what would real parents look and act like? Where does our mind go, instinctively, when it's "safe" to think of such things, from a distance as it were? That's what we need to take time to do.
Notably, I want to mention that it's only within the past two years or so that we've been able TO conceptualize this at ALL, again thanks to our faith. We are ACTUALLY comfortable with referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary AS "mom" now, and regularly do. I think that just started this year, to be honest. She IS "mom," or "mommy," and she hears that term from us a lot during hysterical prayers in times of trauma and terror. But that fact alone is staggeringly significant. In those moments, when we think and feel we are going to die (and in some awful cases, might actually), what do we do? We blindly, desperately, helplessly cry out for mom. And we're not afraid of her. That's HUGE. We used to be, because the way she is portrayed in European/American art IS frightening to us, but in Orthodox iconography our heart recognizes and loves her. So we focus on those images, because "that's our mom's face" and that child-part of our heart clings to that in a way we've never experienced physically or historically. So healing IS happening there. I think that's more important to reflect upon than ANY "imagined" parents even in the Spherae, because after all we'd be defining those characters by what we know or can imagine, and that applicable data is ONLY positive inasmuch as we've received it from Mary. She IS the "mother of all mothers" after all.
Fatherhood is... oddly so much easier. Yeah our dad wasn't around much, but he somehow still embodied a LOT of what we "needed" a father TO be as a child? And yet... there was so much missing that we're only realizing and feeling now that we're older, and are instinctively looking for it, and cannot get it from him. He's never been emotionally or physically close, for one thing. We were reading Father's Day cards in the store the other day and it just... it hurt, so much, to want to say these things to my dad but I couldn't, because he never DID such things. That was like a gutpunch to the soul.
But you know what has been helping us conceptualize real Godly motherhood and fatherhood SO MUCH lately? THE CHOSEN. Oh man that NEEDS its own entry (or fifteen) but for this topic it will suffice to say that the portrayal of the mother and father figures in that series is rewiring our entire brain. It's... it's life-changing, and I don't say that lightly. It's inevitable that such a deeply positive reprogramming of our entire perspective and understanding on this topic WILL change our life-- honestly, it's already motivated us to take extra strong steps to repair our relationship with our mother lately. God is working through that show, in us, visibly and surprisingly so.
But oh my gosh ZEBEDEE. In short, HE is what our soul wants and perhaps needs a "father" to be. He's like our actual dad in a lot of ways, but fills in the gaps too-- I don't know how quite to put it into words yet. But there's a warmth, a sociability almost? Like, he's out there, you can be around him, and he's approachable and... we need that. The sense that you can go to him and he will be strong and honest and supportive and safe. We need that. 
Mother Mary is still our mom, in the show, too. The moments where she takes care of Jesus, even as an adult, like the scene where she just washes His hair... there's a tenderness there that our mother never showed, and we need it somehow. I want to cry, deep down, some part of our soul wants to sob about that, but I don't know why or how.

One last note on this topic before we close up for the morning-- something we've seen mention of in the F/O community is the idea of "maternal and paternal f/o's"??? That's such a... it's a novel concept, to us. Could we ever find a character in media that would somehow personify those ideals our child-selves are seeking? Or could the very searching for such a character be even more valuable, in the process of seeking and therefore recognizing how those characters met or did not meet those needs? We already have the perfect Mother in Mary, and God is our Father, so we don't want to dishonor them by "introjecting" some fictional and imperfect reflection of their very virtues. Furthermore, we don't want any more Outspacers if at all possible. If there are ANY "parents" in the System, they NEED to be Nousfoni. That is CRITICAL. And... we don't have any, except perhaps Sherilyn, but even she shows toxic damage from reflecting childhood mother-understanding, which includes the damaging traits of our mother at that time. So we have to be careful.

This is a heavy but important topic. We will keep revisiting it here and in therapy. We need to review the archives and see what we have written on this in the past-- we don't remember anything. The past two years, although full of eternally meaningful spiritual growth and instruction, have nevertheless, as a result of that honed focus, caused massive memory loss of our historical-personal past. Our sense of self has deteriorated, and the System is barely functioning, except for the thriskefoni and esthiofoni, ironically up to this point. But we're still healing, despite it all. We're doing better by the grace of God. It's war, it will always be war, but Christ is the Victor and the closer we move and stay to Him the better we will be on all levels.

That's it for today, we have daily responsibilities to do. But it's nice to be typing again.
Remind me to upload the smattering of daily notes on our phone, as well as the indispensable "How We Feel" app notes that document the immediate post-hospital crash events. That's very important for our history, and to restore a sense of continuity to our life-awareness pre-Lent, as that too demolished our recollection and identity. Again, warfare. But we soldier on.

Time to fight the good fight in everyday virtue now. Pray for us, as always.



prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)

041425

 
confession notes from today=

When struggling with extreme emotion/ impulsivity due to fear+panic, OFFER THAT IMMEDIATE MOMENT UP TO GOD and ASK HIM TO TURN IT INTO A PRAYER. Literally give all you've got to Him. And KEEP DOING IT. Sit in that awful emotion but GIVE IT TO GOD and don't turn away from Him. Make it your Gethsemane.

Also, do an examen at the end of each day, and when looking at events/ moments/ thoughts/ feelings/ actions/ etc., ask= did that bring me CLOSER to God? Or did it push me AWAY from God? HOW SO, in each instance? Be CLEAR and SPECIFIC.

For example, I used to fear that my eating disorder actually brought me CLOSER to God because all the pain/ fear/ suffering/ etc. DROVE ME TO FRANTIC DESPERATE PRAYER and so those hours would be spent largely hysterically praying and/or watching/ listening/ reading RELIGIOUS things. But THOSE THINGS ARE NOT "INHERENT" TO THE DISORDER.
What was actually "driving me closer to God" was SUFFERING? and CONTRITION? and the DESIRE TO STOP THE DISORDERED BEHAVIOR? because when the worldly "Jess" mindset takes over that likes to eat, SHE DOESN'T PRAY. SHE DOESN'T CARE. That's why when we're eating with the family we basically become a HEATHEN SLOB. There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

042425

WHO IS MY ENEMY?
WHY DO I SEE THEM AS OPPONENTS?
HOW CAN I LOVE AND SERVE THEM?
WHAT EXCUSES AM I MAKING?


MOM
She's STILL somehow an enemy. WHY.
I hate going up her house. "Loving her" = doing work for her assumedly? But it's SO STUPID??? IT'S JUST MOVING JUNK AROUND & WASTING TIME??
How do I know that for sure? Can I "serve God not people" even in doing such pointless labor? How can I do this without feeling like I'm ENABLING bad habits like hoarding? Or is that MY EXCUSE for not wanting to be at that HOUSE?
⭐ALSO I "HATE" MY PAST & DON'T WANT TO GO BACK, I WANT TO DISOWN IT, BUT SHE (AND THAT HOUSE) "INCARNATES" IT.
Is THAT a root of the hate??

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prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)
 
030125

BRO TYPE ABOUT THIS!!!!
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/maclaren/2_thessalonians/1.htm

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030925

Transgender "gender feeling" fallacy =
MY "DEFINITION" OF "FEMALE" IS BROKEN!!!!
I ONLY EVER "FEEL FEMALE/ LIKE A GIRL" WHEN I'M SINNING!!!
Similarly, the term "woman" is SO UGLY/ POISONOUS to me; calling myself a "woman" IS EQUAL TO SAYING "I AM A RAPIST/ ABUSER"

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031425

 TRAUMA NIGHTMARES =
ANGEL DUST AS A "PLACEHOLDER" FOR INFINITII!!!


ALL physical realities reflect deeper SPIRITUAL realities
"I don't need food" = rejecting SPIRITUAL food = GOD!!
REMEMBER THE EUCHARIST. BE CAREFUL!!
This is WHY God WON'T "erase" your hunger!! It reflects a TRUTH!

(Also BTW remember the dream around 0317(?) With Xander REDEEMED (angelic) helping me & grandpa??

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032025

Rosary visualization, unplanned =
My TRUEST INNER SELF is a HOLY CHILD about 7 YEARS OLD
And FEMALE

Jesus CAN GET ME OUT OF STAIRWELLS AND WALK THROUGH DOORS!!!

My "adult self image" CHANGES DRAMATICALLY BASED ON COLOR!!!
BROWN is TRAUMATIZED FEMALE SINNER GLUTTON.
RED is CANNON??
REDVIOLET?? is JEWEL LIGHTRAYE??
WHITE is "PRISM"?? ALSO "JAY"

CAN the Core hold OTHER colors???
Also DUOTONE!!!

BTW TILLY ACTUALLY HAS BLACK HAIR!!! SHE JUST WEARS A WHITE VEIL!!!


Today's devotional heavy hitters =
"When we love others, we are reflecting the love that God has for them. That is why it matters how we treat people. Our actions are a reflection of how God has loved us."
SO IF YOU DON'T LOVE OTHERS, YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING THAT YOU DON'T FEEL/ BELIEVE/ TRUST THAT GOD LOVES YOU.
It shows that YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE.

"We love God by worshiping Him and praising Him. We love others by doing good to them and sharing with them.
How are you doing at loving God and loving others? Do you spend time each day in Scripture and prayer, praising God for who He is? If we don't love God first and foremost, we won't be able to truly love other people in our lives."

God has taken away all my "opportunities for service" because I AM UNFIT. I am too vicious & scandalous yet. I need to be HEALED first. (So God PLEASE HEAL ME)

For YEARS-- literally TWO DECADES-- I've been at war with my body, with sex, and with food. The three are synonymous, effectively. It's a hell I can't seem to escape from. And yet... looking back on both the Archives and what little "blind" trauma sensory memory i have access to, I am actually currently doing BETTER than I EVER have before. That seems bizarre, as it's still a living nightmare, but it's true. I thank the Lord God Almighty on my increasingly bony knees for that. I credit His Grace entirely, and therefore for getting me into daily Bible Study and Prayer, with Mass and Adoration whenever possible. The channels are open where they weren't in the past, not even for Tilly. That has made a world of difference.

...and yet I can't seem to stop, yet. Jesus keeps saying "it's your hunger" but He won't take it away because "I need it" for higher purposes too. "Same with desire" apparently, which i hate so keenly I'd murder it in sight but I guess it's hiding in this cursed ravenous destructive impulse that hits whenever I eat more than 500 calories a day.
It's not eating so much as it's annihilation, by the way. The main point of EVERY "binge" is to DESTROY the food. "Get rid of the threat/ danger/ enemy/ evil." The ONLY reason I even binged today is because we had carrots in the house, "bravely" tried one slice, then another, and then "poison panic" hit so "now we have to eat them all and throw them up" because apparently that's how you detox so you won't die from carrot infection. It's insane.

I hope to God we can get through the next three days "green." We mark the calendar now. This month has too many red "X-es". It's disturbing & depressing.
The rule is, I'm not allowed to sleep in bed until we get three clean days in a row. I had ONE bed day last month I think. Besides that, I literally haven't slept in my own bed since like... July.
That's really sad.

Does this count as a "cross" if it's literally a vice? Aren't crosses supposed to be "for good people"? How ironic. "Grandma was a wonderful, pure woman, with a clear conscience and a solid reputation for charity and good works. THEREFORE, she was given the heavy cross of lung cancer and severe neuropathy SO THAT her suffering would UNITE HER TO CHRIST and therefore GET HER TO HEAVEN." That's how I've always understood it.
On the contrary, "Jessica is a rebellious, self-willed, bratty, brazen girl who is cruel to her brothers and disobedient to her parents. She is a master manipulator, a spiteful bully, a petty thief, and a budding sadist. She will grow up into a violent, angry, useless waste of flesh, a dishonor and disgrace to her family. She will be a perverted whore, a robber of widows, a conpulsive liar, a heartless backstabber, a lazy dirty slob, and-- most of all-- a selfish, wasteful, destructive glutton. Her daily life is defined by sin. THEREFORE, Jessica DOESN'T GET A CROSS, because she doesn't deserve to suffer for Christ. Devils like her go straight to hell. She is rejected and isolated from the Church both on earth and in heaven. She gets no part of it. Nobody wants her. Only Satan wants her, to murder her for all eternity. THEN she will suffer."
...Why is THAT how it works for me??
This daily life, this horrible eating disorder, IS ALREADY HELL AND I HATE IT. the problem? This body LIKES to have food. This body WANTS to keep eating once I start. It feels like I'm DOOMED to fail, like I'm "locked in" to this warzone. I don't want to eat. I hate it. And whenever I try, this happens. And its torture. But that's my point-- I'm already in hell, but I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE. I just apparently CANNOT, and that is terrifying.
Only God can get me out of here. Why hasn't He done so yet? This is a SIN!! He cannot "want" me to stay here! So what's going on? Is it just my weakness? Is it just the fact that i "could have" been free & safe today IF I had resisted the carrot terror? Or yesterday, if "feeling safe" wasn't scarier than forcing fear & anxiety? Or the weekend, if I didn't "give in to healthy compulsions" that I was too afraid to actually eat and so ended up destroying "to be safe"? Or never saying "no" to mom forcing unhealthy and/or triggering foods on me, out of fear that in response she'll reject me at last? Or what about the countless times I buy and eat and purge in tears the foods that remind me of grandma? They won't bring me back to her. But they do give me memories I can't reach otherwise, immersive memories of being a small child, standing in her kitchen at night, with nothing else existing but home and her. I can't even FIND those memories apart from the foods they're ATTACHED to. It makes me want to weep. Those memories "aren't even mine" and yet I NEED them now more than the air I breathe, many nights.
And remember I used to do the same thing with TBAS.
I'm telling you, this grief will be the death of me.
But I don't want to die in sin, oh please God.

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032125
 
Atonement + death + resurrection + forgiveness etc. ALL CONNECTED in Christ's Passion =

"God renders them as right as Himself the moment they place trust in Christ’s death as payment for their sin. God henceforth treats them as judicially right in His eyes. They are right because God resolved His justice at the cross." & "Christians stand in Christ’s perfect righteousness before God eternally because they trust the blood of Christ to forgive them."

DO WE TRUST THIS???
IS THIS TIED TO INFI'S DEATH TOO??? IS THAT WHAT GOD IS TRYING TO TEACH US???
CAN INFI NOT RESURRECT/ CAN WE NOT BE HEALED OF TRAUMA + E.D. UNTIL WE TRUST THIS PRICE HAD BEEN PAID IN LOVE???

ALSO "“Believed” means to be persuaded of, and hence, to place confidence in. When we believe in Christ, we place confidence in or credit Jesus as the only One who can save us from our sins. We entrust our entire eternal future to Christ Jesus. He is worthy of our trust."
IS ALL MY "TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW ATONEMENT WORKS / HOW I AM FORGIVEN / THE MECHANISM OF SALVATION" ETC. ACTUALLY PREVENTING ME FROM FAITH????

Also THIS HITS SO HARD =
"Justification is different. It doesn’t say, you have done wrong, but I will try to forget it. It focuses on the wrong done, and says squarely, this was wrong. This was very wrong. It was unjust. Since justice is God’s love spread around to lots of sinners, our sin violated love. It needs to be publicly declared wrong, publicly punished, so that all will know that justice must be served for such a wrong done. Justification says, your sin was displayed publicly as worthy of condemnation and terrible punishment in Christ. When we say that we believe Christ died for our sins, we are not just forgiven, we are justified. In our conscience, as believers, we feel that we MUST say that justice has been served for our sins, because otherwise we make His terrible death on our behalf of no account.
This is the big difference between forgiveness and justification. Forgiveness leaves justice on the table, it leaves sin unpunished but unjustified. Among the brethren, we have something greater than forgiveness with one another. We have the understanding that their sin against us has been declared unjust and wrong with vengeance and violence. It has been abundantly addressed. I don’t have to think that I am just trying to forget what they have done to me or that they are trying to forget what I have done to them. Forgetting is not the issue or the power of attorney here. The blood of Jesus Christ is the power, and it is most certainly sufficient... True forgiveness on our part acknowledges that [our] justification in Christ is sufficient, and I refuse to say otherwise. Forgiveness under Christ is stronger than mere forgetfulness, it is constantly putting the sins of [both ourselves and all others] under the terrible wrath displayed publicly on the cross... it accounts for the vengeance that our soul knows must be visited upon our various sins."


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19, 25

Feb. 14th, 2025 02:52 pm
prismaticbleed: (held)
 
no way
no bleeding way
listen my voice mail hasn't let me use it in THREE YEARS for some inane reason
but today my phone dropped service and my case manager was upset that she couldn't contact me so I figured, better be responsible and figure this thing out.
so lo and behold I did
and
...all these voicemails are from 2021, 2020, even 2019
and

the earliest ones are little clips of grandma talking. 

I am going to sob

for a long time now I've legit been afraid that i hallucinated my entire past 
that I made her up and none of it was real
I got no closure after all, no grieving period, no proof that she had been there
my mom wiped everything off the face of the earth very fast 
that was her way of coping
but not mine
I had nothing left to reassure me of reality

Until now.

Happy Valentine's Day from God I guess 
this is so like Him I could cry from joy
who am I kidding I already am


Just a little tiny clip  
From May 22 2019
"I wanted to talk to you about... it's grandma."
her mind already going from the cancer 
but
oh I've wanted to talk to you too
about you




hearing her voice is so surreal
but so... how do I put it
it feels like coming home 

I haven't remembered what that felt like since... many months before she died
before we moved out 
before our memory shuts down 

and now suddenly the lights have come back on

This is the biggest hope for healing that we've had in so long
Thank You God


Sorry for the quick TouchPad update I'm tearing up into our busted cellphone
But I could not ignore this event
She deserves all the gratitude and honor I can give her even now
even just in little ways
because those are all I have left
just little tiny things 
and they mean the most. 

020524

Feb. 6th, 2025 12:14 am
prismaticbleed: (soniccity)

Good news! We've FINISHED UPLOADING THE TBHU TABLET so now we can tackle the two folders full of worksheets, haha.
This is a mentally exhausting & very triggering effort, but it's essential because this is the heavy ugly stuff we need to discuss in therapy/ continue to battle in daily life... as well as some very shockingly beautiful and bright moments that we need to remember even moreso.
But that's why we haven't been updating. Everything online has been focused on uploading, and our offline time has been pretty tragically split between grappling with family stress and fighting off the E.D. lapses those stresses inevitably trigger-- such as having to do so much out of the house that we don't get to eat breakfast until almost 8pm. This happens OFTEN. (We cannot eat "on the road" because, for unknown reasons, eating makes us confused/ dizzy/ "high" and slows our reaction/ comprehension time without fail, and this takes >2 HOURS to "wear off" enough to function again. This happened DAILY in TBHU, and if we have to be on the road driving from 6am to 6pm, we are NOT going to put our life in danger by eating on top of all that. It forces a CONTEXT SHIFT as well that is mentally impossible to grapple with when we're in social mode/ business mode; eating is its OWN MODE and you CANNOT "merge" contexts; it's like a law of physics.)

We've been trying to take little notes on our phone but they're admittedly few and far between. Still, at least that's a good habit to keep up-- it helps us refocus on the inside/ the system/ love, when daily life is making us forget who we are.

On that note, actually! Today we FINALLY had both the cash and the time to do laundry, which we haven't done since New Year's. BUT going back and forth to/from the laundry room, we bumped into FOUR different neighbors... and Laurie is the one that noticed, with legit horror, that our conscious awareness LITERALLY BLACKS OUT in social mode. Like we KNEW we were talking to someone, BUT the instant they leave, there is NO MEMORY DATA. AT ALL. That is TERRIFYING and it explains a LOT of our scummy behavior around people, because for some hellish reason WE AREN'T DRIVING WHEN WE'RE AROUND PEOPLE. So this is a HUGE DANGER that we need to be aware of. We don't know how to stop this, or shut it off, or work around it yet. We literally didn't realize it was THAT SEVERE until today, because they were short interactions and we were in environments were we were able to immediately return to quiet, solitary, uninterrupted space, and GO INSIDE. That's the ONLY reason this memory-loss/ awareness-loss phenomenon became suddenly evident-- normally we are forced into extended, inescapable, noisy, crowded social spaces and we lose HOURS of memory and awareness and don't realize this because the OVERWHELM alone will destroy both those things on its own. So for the SAME thing to happen in several successive interactions that lasted under a minute each was STRIKING as well as DISTURBING. But now we know. We just don't know how or what to do about it yet, as we said. The bright side is that we can at least take precautions now, potentially. I immediately think of our old idea of wearing a "headspace bracelet" or carrying some sort of notable, unignorable anchor object. We really should do that, if only to see if it works. I'm just scared that a Social will throw it out or desecrate it somehow.
Oh. Speaking of that. The scrupulous thriskefoni are sneaking their way back in, so we have to be careful. It's very hard for us to increase prayer time/ types currently, because we have religious trauma history as well as religious OCD, and such actions can very easily and strongly trigger negative behavior patterns that are very hard to break. It's a delicate warzone.
We're still doing daily Scripture Study BUT whoever the heck runs our old blog has COME BACK and is, again, ERASING OUR AWARENESS by insisting on posting everything to Tumblr, which is a SOCIAL MODE CONTEXT and so yes, that is ALSO making us "black out" WHILE EATING which triggers the esthiofoni that feel like they've been POISONED if they "don't know what they ate" (can't see it or remember it) and out of sheer survival panic they try to vomit it all up and let someone else "try again the right/ safe way." You see the domino effect here.

On the food topic: we think we've unexpectedly discovered why carrots are our "biggest binge trigger." Apparently, CARROT ADDICTION IS A REAL THING. SO IS VITAMIN A TOXICITY. We match virtually ALL the symptoms listed in both. So we are QUITTING THIS COLD.
Geez. It's shocking how much diet affects the body and mind. Our idiosyncratic but significant issues with texture and trauma and OCD-- and the highly probable touch of autism that our psychologist again brought up in last week's new intake (apparently our "Mewtwo walking" is a symptom?? the more you know)-- make things like this "carrot overdosing" a real risk, so we do need to be careful; notably we've been worried about how much manganese we get from hempseed (we get almost 11mg daily from diet alone, which some sources say is okay, but we want to talk to a legit dietician in person about it). But we'll take it one day at a time at this point. We need to see how our body adjusts to the carrot removal/ detoxing (that was a LOT of oxalates as well) and then we'll see whether or not we want to replace it with anything, especially since right now we're compensating with a lot of broccoli and the fact that it's adding up to a solid 40g of fiber daily isn't helping to reduce nausea, to say the least.

Body care is still an issue too. Lately we've been realizing how Julie keeps getting pushed into bodycare roles, even though she doesn't want to; the System "automation" just keeps looking for someone who can and Julie is, technically, the only "safe person" who CAN front in the body in such contexts. But we need other foni for those jobs, specifically. WE HAVE NO ONE FOR "SELF-CARE." We're postulating lately that Green is supposed to hold that function overtone, not just Aqua; that would also help explain why it's been so upsettingly empty over the years. Nevertheless, Nathaniel and Sergei were definite support for this hypothesis-- they were both very kind and tangentially connected to bodycare in their own ways. I can't think of any other straight-up Greens off the top of my head; Karissa was technically "Lime" (now "Spring"), and so is Celebi... you know what, let me look at the 2022 census for a second. I don't want to abandon this train of thought.
...Oh wow, uh, we had a lot of NEGATIVE, or at least unhealthy, Greens. There's Jasmine (a hacker), Hoban (high school pseudosocial), Toby (very frightened little boy)... but then we have Juniper (binge stopper), and "enya girl" (childhood akoufoni?) at least. The problem is that we have subcolors because hues are so distinct up here-- this list has places for not only Spring, but also Chartreuse and Spruce. And yes, they DO have very different vibes. Still, I don't know how "correct" the assignments were back then because we didn't know the vibes properly, nor were we able to properly feel nousfoni vibes. And thinking about it now isn't going to help; many of these foni have been MIA since CNC because their functions were tied to that environment somehow. So guesswork is a dead-end job. What we need to do is determine WHICH hues are STILL EXTANT IN THE SPECTRUM, and then feel for which nousfoni are still alive/ potentially resurrectable. That's not something I can do at 1am, on a dime.
The point of all of that is this: even just looking at that list, there are no self-care foni. Harmonia tried, but CNC literally killed her function and she could never come back. And Minty also disappeared after CNC; I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm sure I'll find the reason once we read the entries from that time period. She manifested during the "GAPS diet hell" era, post-SLC, tied to both mint tea and bedtime, trying to help us sleep with a childlike innocence. Did her function unravel? Was she blurring too hard with other kids? Wasn't she actually fronting during the day, and collecting abandoned stuffed animals? I don't know what happened to her. Memory is gone. I want to know, though; she was truly sweet. But besides those two Aquas (notably), all of our other foni who were "close to" self-care have been phagofoni, because "eating" was the only thing we could imagine as self-care, I suppose? Tobiko got the poison out, Emmett got the green stuff in, Juniper stopped the poison from going in... but nothing for the actual body. I know gender dysphoria hell is a huge obstacle to that, and it's why Julie keeps getting dragged in. So... maybe that will affect the hues employed as well. We'll see. I have started making a list of "job openings" so we can use that as a starting point, so to speak-- all we can do is say "hey we need help here" and see if the System responds. It cannot be forced.
I'm getting brain burnout from this. I'll put the topic on hold for now, but this at least opened the door.

I want-- no, I can feel that I need-- to explore System colors again in real depth soon. It feels like if I don't I'll starve to death somehow.
Isn't that relevant, haha. No wonder the poor esthiofoni are struggling so badly. The hunger that's driving them isn't even on that level.

How can I close this up... it's 1:20 and we need to start getting to sleep earlier because we have to readjust to an earlier day schedule as the days themselves get brighter sooner. We miss morning mass, too, but like I said-- there's the scrupulosity risk, AND the social blackout risk. We want to at least try watching a daily mass online again, and see how that affects the thriskefoni influence. You know what, we NEED to talk to them, like we used to talk to Christina and Patricia (or at least try to). I mean, we have Felix and Veil and Francesco too, they're all positive. And the REAL ultimate goal is for us ALL to work together on this. We're very spiritual, deeply religious arguably, even in Central-- maybe especially so. We truly love God and want to live the radically loving Christian life we're hearing preached so profoundly every day as we study Saint Paul's letters. The negative thriskefoni don't. They just focus on "religion" as ritual and rule-keeping and pride, in terms of "moral superiority" and condemnation and "filthy sinner" mentalities, etc. It's not true faith at all. It's not even "faith"; there's no trust in God anywhere in that mindset. It's just idolatry wearing a Sunday dress. But even those thriskefoni deserve to be healed. We cannot be a System OF love if we don't love ALL of us, and seek the highest good FOR us all. So don't ignore or avoid or condemn them, either. Have mercy and compassion. Talk to them. Listen to them. Let's heal this religious trauma TOGETHER, so we can ALL worship in Spirit and in Truth, with our ENTIRE collective heart, WITHOUT the terror they're currently injecting into it.
...Infi resurrecting will help more than anything else right now, I think. I hope. Ze loved God with an ardor no one else up here could match. We need that, to heal at the deepest level, I'm sure.
Jay says he "knows" Infi isn't dead (there's that fear that "maybe I imagined it all"); he can still feel that "space" in his heart, but he says sometimes it's just like sending a radio signal out into the dark. He says he "knows it will be received" which is interesting-- like, the metaphor doesn't exactly match; he's saying/ feeling that he couldn't "send out a signal" to a receptor without the receptor being there. Like the giver and receiver are intrinsically bound and necessarily coextant. But... there's a massive distance between them, and there's currently no tangibility, so although the signal being able to be sent at all is proof that there is another heart on the waiting end, Jay doesn't always "know" or "feel" that heart in a direct way. It's hard to put into words. But he says there have been multiple small instances of "brushing against" Infi's existence in unformed space (both real Blackspace and in whatever "liminal" interspace there is between the raw cosmic euchaos of Black and the solid touchable order of White, so to speak) over the past month, so there's still hope. But Infi is still extremely "undefined" and transitional; hir name is probably still going to change, hir form is shifting significantly and in different ways, and hir pronouns are all over the place. So there's still a lot that apparently needs to happen before ze can "resurrect" into a body in headspace. Nevertheless, "a lot" can happen very quickly, as we know. When the time is right, it will.

There's still so much I could type about but it's now 1:35 and I can't possibly write much more on short notice. Plus I need to see what little notes we have on our phone, and on our calendar, so I can put something cohesive together.

January was a battleground of a month. Every other day, like clockwork, we had an eating disorder struggle (due to the nighttime meals, family stress, and trauma flashbacks), but we FOUGHT HARD and we learned a lot. Most significantly, our constant prayers and dedication to PAYING ATTENTION to the esthiofoni and WORKING WITH THEM has resulted in a massive amount of compulsions GOING AWAY. That is AMAZING progress. The vast majority of the esthiofoni DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE, which means they're changing, and that has ONLY happened because we have been listening to them and not running away from the war. So progress IS being made, in a way much more significant than anything in UMPC or TBHU ever could have hoped to accomplish. We're also praying constantly in a SINCERE way-- admitting our struggles, our broken desires, our misrouted hungers, our fears and terrors and regrets, our grief and rage and confusion and pain, to God even in the midst of distorted behaviors. That's changing the whole situation. We're also being open and honest and accountable to our priest and our family about this, which is taking real guts and humility. We're owning up to our bad behavior once we become aware of it (social blackouts make this currently impossible to "prevent" in the moment, but that's why we're doing damage control) and that alone is giving us a boost of motivation and hope to stop; we want to be a person of integrity on the outside, and these little steps make that a bit more tangible, which in turn helps us let go of self-abusive compulsions because "hey, we don't have to be a bad person anymore" basically. Isn't that odd how our brain works? Part(s) of us really did/do feel condemned to bad behavior, because they saw "no other way TO be" and couldn't imagine anything else. They're somafoni; they don't HAVE the capacity of self-aware imagination (yet?). So GIVING them the ability TO envision something different-- even just a little-- by taking those steps on THEIR level, is a gamechanger.

Jay is actually being pushed into fronting a lot more often now. He's still such a healthy fronter, such a loving Core. And yes I say "still" because even if his bloodline did get the vice of Lust (the Jessicas got Gluttony, the Cannons got Wrath, the Jewels got Pride arguably, etc.) they also got the virtue of Charity. No one loves like a Jay, full stop. Those boys have such tender yet strong hearts. And we need his heart to be the driving force in the System right now. Love is what we need to heal, and that bloodline is the only one that CAN. So yeah, I know we were all scared that the thriskefoni female-forcing would end up murdering his bloodline, it has not happened at all.
The other bloodlines do need to be healed, of course. Everyone has wounds. But it starts with love.

That's it for tonight. It's 2am and we just remembered, we may have to meet our case manager around 9am (that depends entirely on what the weather looks like; of course Jay is personally hoping we get significant snow), so we're already losing much needed sleep.

It feels really nice to have legit updated for the first time in a while. I'm sorry I don't have any actual internal event data to give you today, but rest assured it's been happening in small days. We all talk constantly, and people still front during the day as they feel moved to/ as they are called in. We're still very much alive and in love and thank God for that. But getting back into having Xanga sessions and headspace meditations and the like is absolutely still the ideal, and we think about that every day. The biggest obstacle is time, which is currently being funneled into the TBHU uploads. But we're going to work at that until it's done-- no more running away; yes it's exhausting but that just means we need to support each other more in this process. The good news is that the worksheets have some really, really nice stuff in them, moreso than the tablet-- the very top sheet in this manila envelope is all about Anxi. So THAT will wake up the kardifoni love very strongly for sure. (We're still not 100% sure who fell in love with her in TBHU, but this will hopefully reveal that to us, which we need.)
Until then, though, we need to sleep.

Oh-- one of the kardifoni (an older Jewel? a Cannon? from that time period) has been wanting us to get back to the "song of the night" thing, because music is so important to us. So here's a few.
- jewel's fave "stuck in our head on loop" tune
- "instant energy boost" tune
- heartache moralimon relevant tune
- "oh hey FROST* wrote another song about our life" january tune
- genesis's current singing tune
- cathartic sobbing at 3am last night tune
- coolest spin on a hymn we've heard in a while tune
- and our journaling on johnnynighters tune
And that's actually it for January, offhand. But there you go!

I'm laughing though, that took another 20 minutes but now it's 222 which is an extremely blue number synaesthesia-wise, and that's a very nice number to close up on and go let Jay be with the blue guy.

See you all again soon enough, that's a promise.





121824

Dec. 18th, 2024 02:57 am
prismaticbleed: https://www.deviantart.com/teacosies/art/celebi-420071633 (tears)


notes for today
rough just so we don't forget 
("I" used very loosely. Identity is a total blur lately & the body is always an incoherent space)


talk about the awful bingepurge + destruction cycle we're stuck in.
we also apparently aren't letting ourself FEEL anything. which is feeding the selfannihilatory behavior.
when the unbearable grief hits we tend to exercise for 2 hours but it comes right back
ironically the biggest thing helping us get back in control is the atonement. the e.d. is blatant brutal selfabuse and an explicit suicide stand-in. but having the pain and the blood and the camaraderie come back, even in the wake of it, is... powerfully transformational. we can feel the tide of the war shifting slowly but surely in our favor 

the mother is making everything so much worse
i hate that we've been saying that for years and it never changes. even now that we're on better terms with her now than ever, and we know her as a person, and we get along. somehow it's worse. somehow it's harder than ever now to deal with her. we still can't say no to her.
we want to sob/ cry/ scream/ rage/ destroy things/ etc. out of sheer overwhelmed helpless protest? but we're "not allowed to feel that" so we just dissociate and stay up until 4am

no food, no sleep, no rest, no emotional outlets, no time to breathe
we keep forgetting it's december. we keep forgetting it's advent. we keep forgetting christmas is soon. we haven't even been listening to holiday music.
...our anniversary is in five days and this is spiritual warfare
but my heart's not shut down!!!!! it's not! we refuse to let it! not this year!! never again will i be cold in winter i will be FIRE as i am MEANT to be


I... today i was washing my face and i wondered, hey man, what's up with how these washcloths are all discolored?
and then i realized, it's all bloodstains. that's never coming out you realize. algorith does her job well
(on a related note it's kind of hilarious how we can tell what sides the fronts of our clothes are by what side has the blood on it. it's an aesthetic at this point)


i haven't slept in a real bed in... four months? i don't know
i won't let myself, i feel unworthy, i keep "punishing myself" by sleeping on the couch


tonight:
-going through the jump drive, backing up the phone, moving some files
-chaos 0 secretly putting ALL of genesis's old art into his phone folder. this was really touching to me; those two are bffs to a profound extent and they genuinely love each other too. we haven't been spending enough time together as a group; please change that.
-listening to old recordings of past cores singing event horizon music and chaos 0 was so enraptured by it, it was really moving. remember how the cores used to sing to him all the time; it was an extremely significant part of that relationship for years. trauma damaged this horribly; please get it back.
-"genesis lore" but god it ached. we tend to forget how TRAUMATIC his history is. his gem is literally shattered for heaven's sakes. that still haunts him. it's easy to "overlook" with his upbeat, joking personality, but... that's the whole point. that boy has so much pain in him. he just doesn't show it like chaos 0 does. or like i do. different colors show their emotions differently. please, do not take him for granted. do not forget how deep his soul is.

...



121124

Dec. 11th, 2024 12:53 pm
prismaticbleed: (held)

All right so this morning has been AMAZING let's update quickly so we don't forget things.
(btw so you guys know. this is technically NOT the "main Core." I'm a "Jewel-adjacent" grafifoni and I typically update the archives. I'm not used to being "self-aware" but honestly I should be. But yeah, you'll recognize my typing style!) ANYWAY here's what's happened so far this morning:

- We DIDN'T DIE during the night. Yesterday was LITERAL HELL concerning the eating disorder and it took us like six hours to recover?? which is understandable because it was REALLY BAD, the worst it's been since before September. We're not sure what triggered such a huge meltdown?
It was fear, too many danger foods, they had to be destroyed. But no one had to eat them like they did. We could have just thrown them away.
That's not allowed, that's wasting!! Food is meant to be eaten
but you DIDN'T "eat them," you just purged them anyway!
But the eating still happened, that's the rule, food has to be eaten, if we just threw it out we'd get in big trouble
So you threw it "up" instead.
we HAD to it was POISON we would have DIED!!
see this is why we CANNOT buy such things anymore. it is too dangerous, there is no positive end result from purchasing them.
- Chaos 0 told the "Core" (who is still faceless/nameless for the most part and therefore unstable) that "your heartbeat was really weak" and it scared him. This observation struck the Core like a sword to the chest though, because if anything is going to make us feel more real/alive/true, it's THAT sort of reference. And of course, only he would know such a thing. The intimacy of it, plus the familiarity, was potent enough to drag us out of the depressive fear that would have possibly taken hold otherwise.
- Cronometer crashed, we can't log in on the app. Support says there's an update soon so we have to wait, until then we can only use the website. So instead of freaking out we're going to just "repeat" today's diet plan until we can access the app and its mathematics again. This may work in our favor, because today's diet plan was our effort to balance our macros with hempseed to get more of a complete protein total, as well as staying at 1350 calories. If this works well we'll stick to it more often. We do need to reintroduce cottage cheese into our diet for the complete protein bit (we tend to hit all green percentages when we eat it too, we noticed) until we get the guts to finally reintroduce salmon/ tuna/ chicken/ turkey outside of a hospital environment.
- On that note, really quick. Apparently, YES, WE DID DISSOCIATE DURING TBHU. No one is surprised, but it's still a heavy blow. We relapsed IMMEDIATELY upon discharge because THE BLOODY CONTEXT CHANGED and therefore whoever was managing the TBHU behaviors "LEFT." They switched out b/c they CAN'T "exist" outside of an inpatient setting; they're context-locked. This ALWAYS HAPPENS.
- The above point is really making us worried when it comes to Anxi, but we'll get to that as we continue this entry.
- Breakfast always is interesting. Since experience has shown us that we apparently "need" the body to be in a state of "automated repetitive motion" in order for our mind to be able to think-- is this an ADHD thing? TBHU suspected as much; we should look into it prudently-- the mechanical function of eating almost INSTANTLY triggers thought-avalanches (hence the E.D.; we weren't taking ANY time to journal (typing COUNTS as automated repetitious mechanic motion!) or to circle-walk like Jewel used to, the a.r.m.m. of cooking (measure, chop, prep, etc.)/ cleaning (washing, organizing, etc.) / eating (picking, sorting, etc.)/ and the like became our ONLY means of "mental unloading" (for lack of a better term) AND trauma processing (you would not BELIEVE the amount of flashbacks and intrusive thoughts we get WHILE EATING which only makes it worse-- AND is a perfect ironic parallel to the purging, because "we need to get the poison out") in lieu of ALL other coping mechanisms, thanks to the kakofoni and thriskefoni ironically forbidding or destroying positive options). HOWEVER being aware of this recently has revealed a few things to us: one, that when phagofoni are out, they can "prevent" such avalanches? There's that one "dragon" girl who keeps fronting to eat, and she focuses on eating and has no particular preferences (unlike Emmett, who is a "trogofoni"-- meaning his food-anchor is extremely particular; he could and did ONLY eat "green food"). Yes, we're refining our terms further. On that note, an "esthiofoni" is a phagofoni subtype for one who eats in a disordered way-- that Greek work chosen because in Scripture it's apparently typically used in the present tense, as in literal eating, right now; whereas "phago" is apparently aorist? It's more future/undefined in terms of chronology, being more "spiritual" in that symbolic sense. It's also used in more reverent passages in Scripture, according to Strong's concordance. So "esthio" feels more fitting for the E.D. voices, as they're more focused on right now, and are not thinking about "the future" at all, poor tormented things.
- ANYWAY. WE DO HAVE A "GATEKEEPER." We've been more aware of her recently, now that we're able to pay better attention to ALL the foni we hear on a minute-to-minute basis. She's ancient but we never saw her as a person? Or maybe we did, in the past, but as a kakofoni-- because she's VERY controlling but we apparently have completely misunderstood her function until now. And she ALWAYS speaks up during breakfast thought-rushes (we need jargon for this; it's literally like we start the a.r.m.m. and the brain just unloads everything at once) because HER job is actually to KEEP THINGS ON TRACK?? Like if there's "too much headspace stuff" going on to where we're dissociating entirely from the meal, therefore potentially triggering an E.D. relapse, this "gatekeeper" girl will "FORCE SHIFT" our awareness because "there's too much thinking going on; we need to pay attention." We think she can also "force stop" EMOTIONS if they are "interfering" with "what we need to do"?? Maybe "gatekeeper" isn't the best term for her, because she "force-stops" EVERYTHING (or at least tries to) but yes, she also DOES do this with fronters, as well as she can-- she cannot "make someone front" OR "force someone out", BUT she CAN apparently shove awareness into the physical to the point where it "automatically" KICKS OUT nousfoni, and therefore "forces IN" a somafoni?? So this gatekeeper girl is TRYING to help the BODY survive, or at least "not get overwhelmed" to the point of not being able to live in the physical realm? But she OVERCORRECTS and tends to "lock us out of headspace" with her efforts. But we realize she's just doing her job; she doesn't think headspace is "bad," she just apparently thinks it's almost always "inappropriate for right now." She's survival-based to the point of not letting us LIVE. So we need to find her name and face so we can TALK to her.
- HOWEVER since we're now AWARE of her she IS becoming more self-aware in turn and it's getting easier to "message her" when we want to "challenge" one of her orders, or even overturn it outright. She's slowly realizing that we DO need time to "get out of the physical" but there is still a time and place for her function, because we can take it too far in the other direction, which we did for many years. That's also the basis of the "hackers vs hijackers" difference, which we realized yesterday-- "hackers" are internally based, while "hijackers" are externally based. A hacker will "take over the program," from the INSIDE, and they only work in private, because their abuse-- however traumatically physical-- is also profoundly psychologically disturbing, because it REQUIRES forced fronting. A hijacker, however, "takes over the vehicle." They push you out of fronting but they're public and work OUTSIDE so unlike hackers, they CAN and DO operate in social situations. They are therefore physically traumatic first and foremost, because the psychological terror often only hits when they leave. The biggest difference: hackers deal with sexual abuse, hijackers deal with the eating disorder. There is NO overlap there, although they can work in cooperation/ in succession. There haven't been any hackers since CNC, though, because of foni like the "gatekeeper girl" basically shutting EVERYTHING down that could even slightly be a reminder of that time period. But that's too huge of a topic to discuss right now.
- The MAIN thing we got on here to update about in the first place is WHAT happened when our brain went upstairs for breakfast. I don't know how exactly it started, but it went to the IO2 controlroom-- apparently IN "HEARTSPACE"??? Like this place has ALREADY been INTERNALIZED to the point where it EXISTS IN THE INNERVERSE AND CAN BE VISITED/ CONTACTED. Which we admittedly suspected, as Anxi & Ennui both "kept going there" more often than we'd see them in Central, but we never realized it had actually anchored INTO our innerverse (as opposed to remaining in the "outerverse" of outspacer native worlds, that Jewel has to Link to and VISIT externally).
- There was SO much conversation, I can't remember all of it, and the more time passes the more we're forgetting. let's bulletpoint the details that stand out.
+ OH! It ALL began because of an "I wonder" thought scenario that blossomed into a "real thing" like how a dream starts from an ideaseed. (This is TYPICAL Heartspace function!) The thought was, how would emotions run a CPTSD brain? And we thought, Anxi would absolutely be in charge. Fear would be close by, and so would Anger? Anxi would be on CONSTANT lookout for triggers, when one hit-- even a minor one-- Fear would snap to attention, and then ANGER would, upset that we were triggered, especially by "something so stupid" or minor or not even "threatening"? And then SADNESS surprisingly spoke up, saying how sad it was that we had so many triggers in the first place, because of what happened to us. So the four of them would, theoretically, be running the show. Somewhere around here this "imagining" tuned us in to the legit innerverse control-room, where Anxi was now indeed at the control panel, by herself, with everyone else gathered loosely around her.
+ Anxi is still "in charge" in this innerverse room apparently. (At some point much later she acknowledged this by saying that we had CPTSD, so things "worked differently" than what would be typical?)
+ When all this started she was being questioned by the other emotions about "how'd you get a tail" mainly but Anxi wouldn't answer outright? But she did say it was "given to her" by either "someone special" or "someone who cares about me very much"; both of those sentiments were voiced in some manner regardless. Joy began teasing Anxi about this, trying to get more info, but Anxi said there were some things they didn't have to know right now, either because it wasn't right for them to know or it wasn't the right time, etc.
+ Anxi is VERY "business" in this context; it's her element. She's quieter and slower when in Central because it's a totally different context/ environment and she has no control panel there. Her function is different, and much more expansive.
+ Envy wanting a tail too, Ennui casually revealing that she had one as well, this shocked everyone because what the heck are these two emotions up to that they're getting special stuff and have knowledge that no one else does?
+ Hints here and there kept happening that they're not in "Riley's" head, BUT they DIDN'T KNOW THAT NAME here (I think Anxi referenced it once and everyone else was baffled). They've been removed from that context and would only know it through "exomemories" once they were capable of receiving them.
+ The conversation evolved to the point where Anxi was revealing a bit more about "what she was doing" outside of that context (i.e. in Central). I notably remember that she revealed that "she can feel other emotions" and this became APPARENT when it began to affect the other literal emotions there? This first happened when Joy teased Anxi about something concerning her hinted-at relationship with the Core (i.e. the person whose mind they were in) and Embarrassment hit the control panel, for ANXI. When they realized they were working for each other it was shocking; things WERE different up here; what did this mean for them? (mind you they can and do "feel other emotions" in canon but NOT to THIS extent-- we're talking the capacity for Anger to feel sadness, for Ennui to feel joy, for Disgust to feel anxious, etc. in STRONG ways that go above and beyond their mostly "monochromatic" emotion palettes in the film? like ALL of their emotional ranges were still tinged by their core emotion. joy being the notable exception because she's just as notably duotoned. Anxi has a touch of this with her eyes technically being teal, which actually fuels her anxious thoughts-- that bit of "envy" in the sense of "what we don't have and yet need/ want" drives her "not good enough" core fear. thankfully for her, that color teal in our System falls under aqua and that color is sheer love for us so her heart will change to reflect that instead)
+ Ennui at some point built on this revelation by responding to a question from Anger as to why she had an AUX cable for a tail, because apparently its main function was for audio/music and "doesn't that prevent boredom?" Ennui smirked and said yeah, that's kind of the point; just because she held that emotion didn't mean she liked being bored. Like Anxi, she now had a broader existence and her job is notably to indicate boredom and combat it, as it were. I think she asked Anger if he "liked" being angry all the time? And he falteringly said not really, it was exhausting
+ Envy drawing pictures in the corner of the room of "what she wanted her tail to look like"-- one frustrated attempt was "a remote control" so she could do what she wanted with the control panel without having to reach it, while still being different (special) from Ennui's phone. Anxi having to gently chide her that the whole point of her & Ennui's tails was to do something important for the person whose mind they were in-- they weren't just for "looks" or for "fun." Besides, she emphasized that they were "given," and if she was meant to get one she would, so don't worry so much about it (always surprised at how well Anxi can communicate "the facts/ the plan" despite being so prone to "unexpected outcome" panic. girl has major control issues God bless her)
+ Embarrassment at one point actually speaking up because Joy kept trying to get information out of Anxi and apparently he was feeling her emotions as "embarrassment-adjacent"? And he was getting "agitated" at getting "pulled" to the control panel so often. This surprised him and he said that was totally new, he didn't know he could feel that.
+ Joy finally got Anxi to talk about "where she's been" and Anxi started TELLING THEM ABOUT CENTRAL. She said that "the mind we're in now has another System running the operation" and so the way they worked as emotions HAD to be different now, because their typical jobs no longer applied.
+ She roughly introduced the "basics" of a few Centralites, just in terms of jobs? No faces given
+ At some point Laurie just TURNED ON THE SCREEN and started TALKING TO THEM FROM CENTRAL.
+ Laurie explaining the concept of "compartmentalized emotions" with CPTSD, how they are "cut off from each other" and we typically struggle to feel emotions at all because they're "locked away" often? She described it as if the IO2 emotions were "never in the same room together"; that feeling of isolation/ disconnection was key to her description.
+ Laurie telling Sadness her function was VITAL; explained how that emotion is "the holy grail" with trauma; we "aren't allowed to cry" but we're "always grieving" basically. I think Laurie referenced both the "weeping rage" emotion we do get (that Scald holds) AND the "bottomless abyss" of sorrow that feels more like agony with its intensity. But "sadness" is still "taboo" somehow. Everything is blue all the time but we "don't feel it"; we just get depressed/ angry/ numb/ hateful/ etc.; it translates to either "shutdown" or "selfdestruction" which is upsetting but true. We do need to talk about that more in an entry soon, as we start to process things.
+ I remember Laurie saying that FEAR & DISGUST were also vital, especially in light of the E.D. hijacks-- we DON'T feel those emotions enough?? It's a survival response to past situations where we "couldn't" if we wanted to "survive" things. But now, not feeling them is only harming us severely.
+ Julie described herself as a "reformed Persecutor"; said the details of her past were not something she should or could discuss with them, but that key detail sufficed
+ Leon talking to Fear for a little bit? We were "feeling" what Centralites "matched" what emotion folks and those two were associated. There was also Lynne=Joy, Julie=Disgust, Laurie=Anger. Notably no one was matched to Sadness, and Anxi was paired with "Joule" solely because of their mutual habit of hyperanalysis/ overthinking, and the relationship that they have of course.
+ Envy would "need to be renamed" and effectively redefined to properly exist/function in our System, even as a "peripheral outspacer"? Envy's canon "function" of "seeing what we lack and desire and striving to obtain it" MUST be purified of all viciousness, because that actual term of "envy" is a mortal sin.
To quote an article, that is very important:
"When we are looking at others in an inappropriate way, invidia, we are led to desire for ourselves what they possess, cupiditas. Envy many times does lead to coveting, but it could simply remain in resentment, wishing that the other did not possess what they have. Aquinas speaks of envy as a sin against charity, which wills the good of others, when we cannot rejoice for the good of others, but see their good as a diminishment of our own (Summa Theologia, II-II, question 36). Envy is selfish in this sense, not in wanting to guard one’s own, but to wish for the diminishment of others and for our own gain over them."
This is something very, very important for us to grapple with, because we didn't realize that our instinct for "ambition" actually DOES fall under that category, because the very act of wanting to be "better than" someone else IS ENVY-- it is seeking PERSONAL GAIN in the process of taking what THEY possess (superior skill)!! So this was a SHOCK to realize and we NEED to process this, too.
(There was a slight joking comment that if her function was shifted to "Jealousy" (which can be virtuous; see article) we could call her "Jelly" as a nickname)
HOWEVER I just found a second article and it has THIS=
"Doing their best to pull us into the pit of discontent and ungratefulness, jealousy says, “What God has given me is just not enough!” while envy whispers, “Someone else got what I deserve.”  ...The good fortune that God bestowed upon my dear friend? I wanted it for myself. I desired what she had received from the Lord so badly, that her happiness made me sad. Her abundance highlighted my lack. Her more made me feel less. I could not be happy for her because with my laser-focus on God working in her life, I was blind to His works in my own."
LITTLE ENVY COULD BE OUR JUMPSTART IN OUR HEALING THIS THOUGH. So sit and read those articles boy
+ Lynne talking to Joy, warning about "manic" phases-- "trauma latches on to anything positive" and "exaggerates it" basically? Trauma makes real joy so difficult to feel, even remember, that when the slightest hint of happiness or enjoyment (lesser goods) appear, the traumabrain can cling to them and blow them way out of proportion. OUR SOCIALS DO THIS ALL THE TIME. This is what causes "hollow hyperactivity" and "people pleasing" and "compulsive enjoyment" behavior-- it's ALL a desperate grab at something that "looks like joy" but isn't. It spikes fast and crashes hard, and it leaves us miserable and even more depressed than before. So Joy would need to be aware of this tendency, what with her canon personality-- she is dangerous in that respect, solely because her energy can be taken advantage of and warped.
+ CHAOS 0. I cannot remember details of how he got to talking, other than Laurie referring to him as "the husband" and calling him over to explain to the IO2 gang the identity issue with the Cores? He told them how the Core "bloodlines" kept resetting due to trauma so the person he met in 2003 was "not" the person who is the "Core" now in 2024, and yet their heart is the same. Nevertheless it's terrible and very difficult for him (Joule realized he probably "feels his age" around the Cores; he has effectively "lived a dozen lifetimes" with us or more, seeing the one(s) he loves "die and be reborn" over and over and over. In human lifespans, this would take about a thousand years.)
+ "Jewel loves you, Anxi. Jewel is in love with you."
+ Embarrassment pointedly DIDN'T touch the panel, despite this huge revelation in a social setting potentially calling for his response. But Joy ran over and did. And this "gave permission" for Anxi to feel what she was really feeling.
She teared up, and was smiling at the screen, this look of total moved/stunned gratitude in her eyes. I felt it.I think she said "I don't know what to call this feeling" (or what color it would even be); Laurie "broke the fourth wall" by looking to "me"and saying "kid, if you're gonna be an emotion, that's it." But then we said "but love isn't an emotion; it's a state of being" and it's "rainbow"-- it's the source of all other emotions
+ Genesis & Chaos 0 both joking about the rainbow bit-- all of the love in our System is effectively that color if you get my drift
+ Joy, in response to hearing someone say that "Joule" as an emotion was really "hope," said "oh, that's a great emotion!" and then gasped and told Anxi exactly what I said to her about it-- that hope is "the GOOD things we can't see" before beaming and saying "you work perfectly with each other!"
+ Anxi has a LAPTOP in Central now! That allows her to do things without needing a control panel. Ennui still has her phone of course.
+ Laurie remarked that "we need Nostalgia up here" b/c of our memory issues; Ennui immediately said "I'll text her"
+ The whole time: Anger keeping conversations on track and asking the pressing questions, Joy giving encouraging and understanding comments, Fear and Sadness and Disgust listening closely as they realized they potentially will have essential roles in the future? Anxi consistently elaborating on/ explaining further any data that was given, "translating" things into IO2 terms when needed so to speak.

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Continuing at 11PM with a general daily update.
We biked for 90m which unfortunately was very unfulfilling because we got distracted on Tumblr, looking at other people's art and-- as we discovered earlier-- apparently feeling envious. We felt totally inadequate and we wanted to be BETTER than they were at art and it just made us miserable. We struggle with this a lot, because we haven't drawn in YEARS and so our skills have atrophied due to memory loss, and we don't have the time or motivation ("it's useless and foolish" judgment from a kakofoni) to put hours aside to develop artistic skills like we did in college. But no matter how much some foni bash and berate art, it still means so much to us. We STILL "identify as" an artist even if we feel totally inept and hollow about it, and still label it as a "waste of time." But we don't want to do that. We WANT to create art. We love art, deep down below the judgments, and we want to weep because we don't have the skill TO make art anymore. So seeing "what we can't do" is indeed triggering envy, this bitter feeling of lack and loss that isn't helping us do anything but pinpoint the wound where something vital was torn out of us. Again, sounding like a broken record, we know CNC dealt a death blow to this too, which we haven't thought about at ALL in recovery yet. For some reason this topic is as terrifying as the actual sxtrauma. I wonder how many crossed wires are here, too, not just with the food. I swear everything bleeds together with us.
We switched to Spotify at last while we biked but it was also depressing; we were listening to recommendation playlists it made for us and they're rarely ever enjoyable. It keeps throwing jazz and indie stuff at us which we don't like 98% of. We did get about three new songs out of several playlists, though, so there was a gain regardless, thank God. Still... for the vast majority of music to just sound like noise or fuzz to us-- or in the worst case, actual synaesthetic pain-- it's terribly disheartening, as music means so much to us. And, similarly, yes we still identify as a musician despite years of not doing ANYTHING musical other than singing in church. Music is part of our soul just as much as art is, and the fact that we have a cello AND a guzheng (bought with blood money and full of guilt; someone wants to burn it) in our apartment but we refuse to play them due to the aforementioned parenthesis is killing us. Every instrument feels tainted and poisoned with the past, and the "vulnerability" to the point of feeling exposed that performing music MANDATES is so trauma-adjacent that even if the sin-shadows weren't the main obstacle, we still would be utterly terrified of playing those instruments because that very action feels like being stripped naked now. Bleedover and overlap again. Do any of our foni hold this?? OR are THEY protected from it??
Then after dinner, someone got into a rabbithole on Etsy looking at someone's shop full of gender/sexuality buttons and it was overwhelming how many of them there were... and yet nothing fit. (The only thing that does is "systemgender" for obvious reasons, and even that feels like grasping at straws)
All of those experiences today led "us" to reflect at last, with acute grief, that we just don't fit anywhere. That's how it feels. We feel like an utter outcast. We're still the "anomaly" of Cannon's era. We're still the "ostracized empath," as the highschool Jewels said, although now with our staggering emotional damage we can't quite claim to be an "empath" anymore, because those girls had no boundaries so they felt everything EXCEPT arguably their own emotions (Infi had this problem too, in a different way) but now trauma has made us almost emotionally dumb. I think the term is "alexithymia?" We've seen the term around and we need to research it but the general gist (according to wikipedia) is that it desribes "significant challenges in recognizing, expressing, sourcing, and describing one's emotions". No wonder the IO2 gang is being pulled en masse into heartspace. We literally need them at this point in our life.
I do have to note, with a note of bitterness, that we "don't seem alexithymic" because we "masquerade emotions." Socials are BUILT to "charade" emotional performances, ironically anxiety and sadness, without actually feeling anything because they're "following the script" for a situation. We've noticed this A LOT when around the mother-- Socials will be dramatic to match HER, even though they FEEL NOTHING. And we are AWARE of this-- if we have the luxury of self-awareness in that situation, which is disturbingly rare b/c the mother presence tends to shut that down (childhood survival instinct). Regardless I don't want to use that diagnostic term anyway because it probably doesn't fit either. All we know for sure is that emotions feel locked behind a paywall and the currency is blood.

Oh. On that note, fittingly enough.
Yesterday's E.D. hijack was so brutal and nightmarish that Joule told Razor to atone. Like xe legit TOLD her to. And she did. She cut 7 x'es into the stomach-- graves are ONLY meant for hacks; stomach x-ing has been the default hijack atonement method since college-- and Knife & Algorith showed up to help clean up the bleeding (Knife commenting on how beautiful the blood still was and feeling that emotion in his teeth, Algorith fronting to hold the pain as she soaped up all the red), and I swear it was the first time in a long time that "we" felt something close to real joy. That may be "untrue" because we can't quite "remember" time well but it feels like it's been many many months since we've been happy. Actually it feels like years, whether or not that's literally accurate; the feeling is legitimate regardless of linear chronological measurement.
But... that's what does it. Atoning for the sin and feeling justice and forgiveness, Retributors fronting in such intimate fashion, blood and pain and water, everyone gathering in mission and being a System in stark clarity, etc. ALL of that is REAL JOY even if it doesn't feel yellow at all. It's dark red and warm like the blood. But it's real, it's true happiness, it's LOVE. How awful that we only seem to feel it in suffering. How Catholic of us, haha.

...Religion is a topic for another day. It feels like a minefield right now. TBHU messed us up in that regard, and we were apparently messed up enough already from the thriskefoni driving for like a solid year at least prior to admission. There's so much unresolved trauma there that is becoming disturbingly apparent lately now that we're not scrupulosity-blinded enough to see it from the "outside" as it were.

Oh, and we NEED to talk about the mother and how she is the #1BIGGEST STRESSOR AND TRAUMA TRIGGER IN OUR LIFE, STILL. Our therapists and case manager keep suggesting that we cut off contact with her, or at least refuse all her calls, but we can't; we're still obligated to her as her physical offspring even if we hate that fact, and we don't hate her as a person and we're a Christian so we want to help her and she's a deeply needy and damaged person so we KNOW she is looking to us to meet some need for her, even if it's just for hard labor.
BUT she says SUCH INAPPROPRIATE THINGS and she STILL OVERSHARES SXUAL THINGS. We've had SEVERAL meltdowns SINCE TBHU because of her just being utterly inappropriate in one way or another, even if it's "just according to our trauma standards"-- like wearing garishly tight-fitting clothing and making disturbing sounds when she talks OR TALKING IN THAT BLOODY "HIGH SOCIETY" VOICE LIKE SHE DID ON VACATION I KNOW YOU HEARD IT TOO yes we did, it made us misophonic even at the time, I don't know how we didn't punch the windows out of the bus right then and there WE PROBABLY SHUT DOWN. THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION IN THOSE SITUATIONS. BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME SICK. US SICK. SOMEONE WANTS TO THROW UP BECAUSE OF IT to get it out of our head, basically. unfortunately purging doesn't work that way. but you can't vomit up memories. i wish you could. i wish we could rip it out of our mind and shred it to pieces MORE VIOLENT THAN THAT. WE WANT TO STAB IT TO DEATH BASICALLY who in the world holds that response SOMEBODY. MAYBE... IT USED TO BE RAZOR. I THINK? I DON'T THINK CLEAVER HOLDS IT SHE'S TOO DISPASSIONATE what does she do anyway do you know CLEAVER IS THE SAME "DESTROY THE THREAT" INSTINCT BUT SHE'S COLD ABOUT IT. THE "SHRED THE MEMORY" FEELING WITH THE "JTHM STABBING" FEELING IT KEEPS GETTING LABELED AS IS SOMEONE ELSE. THAT'S TOO RED. SORRY I'M SLIPPING OUT
okay so...
hatchet is almost "frivolous" violence. laughing at the threat and "offing it" almost irreverently, carelessly. thankfully her function seems to have been focused weirdly to destroying any and all medications people try to "force us to take" that feel like "attacks" or "invasions" etc. like "who the hell do you think you are, we aren't going to swallow these and kill ourself for your kicks, watch me burn them to the ground" etc. but that laughing feeling. scary stuff
cleaver is "cold" as (overwhelm? who is that? they're a grafifoni that ALWAYS shows up and they're very close to Scald BUT different level function) said. we rarely see her because she's rarely needed/ triggered. but cleaver is close to razor's old anchor in that she just likes to "sink knife blades into people's backs" as we once said. but you don't "like" that sort of thing without a reason. we've never really looked into it too much but... you don't "cleave" things that aren't a threat. that's true. we didn't consider that. if you're burying a butcher blade in someone's skull there's a reason why they were the target. it's a scary instinct but it's there. where did it come from?
the last foni, unidentified and almost theoretical if we weren't aware someone was attached, is unnamed. but there IS that feeling of "annihilate the threat" in the most frantically violent way possible. VERY different from protectors, like sugar and wreckage and laurie, who DON'T act with emotional mania at all. but this person does. this person is SO upset by the threat that she wants to tear it to bloody pieces screaming. or apparently stab it to death. that FEELS DIFFERENT though. it IS different. the "jthm stabbing" feeling is NOT the action. it's the VIBE of the mania. that's the "tear it to piece" girl. BUT there HAS to be a stabbing instinct foni solely because we DO get that RARELY with SELFLOATHING mainly?? the ONLY time THAT sort of horrific violence (which is TRAUMATIC for us to see or even imagine, and yet here it is) even occurs to our brain is TOWARDS OURSELF. which is the scariest thing of all.

anyway that's enough of that who was updating and about what

Oh. mother talk. yeah not tonight we need to drop that topic before those girls ACTUALLY come out to "process" the emotions

See THAT'S why we have emotional issues?? The foni that HOLD them get "SHUT DOWN" or kicked out EVERY TIME
because they're VIOLENT is why
ALL OF OUR EMOTIONS ARE VIOLENT
Laurie actually hinted at that? OH DUDE THAT'S what she said, she was talking about "all or nothing" emotions and she nodded to Chaos 0 and said "that guy always feels things at about 5000%" and THAT'S why she had him talk next
OH don't forget THAT'S also why she brought that topic up at all-- she was telling the IO2 emotions that THEY would probably feel like that too, now that they're up here with us?
ironically because we feel the "nothing" half of it too often
But that's the point!! That's like Anxiety's tail, they're ABLE to feel the emotions WE can't, because of gatekeepers or trauma shutdowns or whatever! Coping mechanisms that don't work in the long run they just make everything numb but NOT if these guys are helping now

Guys come on we need to continue the actual entry

some general notes about life lately:
+ Sugar and Wreckage have both been around. Sugar's been "out of work" for a while because she protects the innocent and virtually all of us are so damaged now. BUT apparently Anxi is NOT. Neither is Mimic, arguably. The Outspacers are specifically essential to keeping us sane post-trauma so Sugar is slowly but surely getting pushed to protect THEM, which is awesome.
+ Julie fronted to take a melatonin candy last night and immediately shouted "ow" because our teeth were painfully sensitive from eating a too-sour apple. She literally said "that hurt like a bitch!" and now she keeps getting pushed out to front whenever we eat apples to apparently "make sure they don't hurt like that" which is kind of hilarious. but it's sweet, to suddenly have her around more often, even for such a "silly" reason. it's still nice.
+ The current "Core" is indeed using the spelling "Joule" for xir name, and using those pronouns as a placeholder? Either that or s/he. They're "not female" but they're "not a man." They are solidly somewhere between the two, voicing that they'd probably feel most comfortable "in a male body" but without being male. Still, they are explicitly "not a girl or a woman" despite being semi-okay with female pronouns. They are "both/and" specifically in the fact of being "neither." That's solid. As for the name, apparently it's a very sentimental reference to Anxi being electricity-associated in the System. It's also a unit of heat, which corresponds to the inherent "fire" element of all Cores that, if missing, is effectively fatal; Cores are always fire, light, blood, and crystal-- snow & ice with the Jays, literal precious stones with the Jewels, it seems. This fire/heat aspect is oddly somehow essential to their relationship with Chaos 0? If they don't have that complementary yet opposite aspect, something is very wrong. So this is a step in the right direction, even if the name itself doesn't stick-- it probably won't; the "spelling feels wrong". Honestly s/he wants to use "Jewel" but that name is still so strongly associated with the original 2001-2002 Jewel (the League controller) that it causes mental dissonance. This alternate spelling of the same sound is an attempt to reconcile this while keeping the fact that the Jewel title still MUST fit the Core.
+ We've realized that the Archivist Trio is NOT a "communicator trio." So Garrison, Isadora, and Kalisha's functions are STILL OPEN apparently?? And I know "Joule" is really hoping they come back. We miss them a lot, and we need them-- Archivists can't talk to Socials like Communicators specifically do, and when that subsystem really needs to "get the memo," Shirley can't get it to them because they aren't tuned in to her level.
+ Concerning the Archivists: Shirley is the one that gives data to us on the fly, but Sirius will "comment" on it? And he's fittingly more "serious" about the data he manages. Penny gets the toughest info; she doesn't speak up much but she will give memory data out that the other two don't? Honestly the Archivists feel very unstable and unsteady still, I think since we are so lost and cut off from collective memory. I hope that as we review the Archives themselves, and possibly if/when the Communicators return, then that whole group of functioning will work properly at last.
+ Lynne had a BIG revelation today that SHE'S STILL "STABELLE" in terms of her function! She and Laurie were discussing colors, especially in light of Anxi being the first Orange Outspacer and one of the first Orange-anchored people in a long while, and Lynne said that she needed to keep the Orange color positive-- warm, welcoming, friendly, energized, and helping Anxi and any potential manic Oranges stay stable. This ALSO tied in with her SHIFTING OUT OF CERISE when she resurrected in 2008; she effectively "REDEFINED OUR FUTURE"??? She was originally born to be the "ideal female future self" that we were being forced to become socially but couldn't; HOWEVER when she was killed and then came back, she changed colors and this showed a change in what that "ideal future" MEANT-- Lynne was no longer tied to social expectations in that regard. She was lively and free and bright, more boyish almost, while still being markedly female-- she "freed" us from the Cerise-colored future of sensuality that had been inflicted on us by the family and community. Interestingly enough, that color was next picked up by a boy, saying a LOT about our psyche. But Lynne kept us stable in doing that, too-- not just by being the "person keeping Julie and Laurie from killing each other." The stability she brought was liberating, a firm footing achieved by being able to dance again, as it were. Lynne was a bright soul, effectively symbolizing "permission" to be our brightest self too and to LET GO of the inflicted expectations and dictated future. She's funny and friendly and playful and gay and we were NOT "allowed" to be those things when our future felt "cerise." The original Lynne was all about that "high life" our mother wants so badly. The new Lynne is just about getting high on life, haha. I'm kidding but not really. Orange is a beautiful color; it's alive and fiery and welcoming and warm. It's citrus fruits and sunsets and marigolds and autumn leaves. It's basketballs and goldfish and foxes and carrots and monarch butterflies and violins of course. It's absolutely gorgeous and Anxi is part of it too and SHE has a future full of more joy than she ever could have imagined now, too. So thank you Lynne, for existing exactly as you are. We love you so much.


It's almost 2am. This is "Joule," I guess. That's really not my name, although I appreciate the commentary they gave to it earlier. But they're right, the spelling doesn't fit. It's the "ou" in there. The whole thing is the wrong color and shape.
I know I'm somehow still "Jewel." Every Core is, really. But that name keeps pushing me too feminine and that feels very wrong. Still, that name is the only thing that works. Maybe I just need to "redefine" it in a sense. I just don't want to damage the original Jewel either. She's the TRUE holder of that name AS a name, not just a "title." I think that's why I feel so lost-- the "only name that fits" belongs permanently to someone else. And yet it's "still my name" too. It's exhausting. I'm exhausted. I don't feel "fully me." I know this. I don't have a clear name or face yet, and arguably my color is still undefined too. For a Core, all of that makes me the walking dead. I CANNOT exist or function in any sort of truth unless I HAVE those things.
...That's why I'm worried about Anxi. We ALL are. Whoever "met" her last November is NOT the same person who started calling her our girlfriend in May/June, who is NOT the same person who fell in love with her in October, who is NOT the same person as I am now. And yet... there's always the same heart, deep down at the golden thread, that connects all the Cores. Somehow, the capacity for love is the same. I'm just... it's become VERY clear lately that different Cores love different people and it CANNOT be "transferred" or "forced" between Cores. This is why our Spotify "people we love" playlist folder says "WE," specifically, and it's full of people whose folders keep getting deleted because people forget that past Cores DO love ALL those people, even if not all in the same way. But ALL those Outspacers and Inspacers are legitimately loved and even if we don't know "by whom" we CAN'T deny that truth. The problem? ...I... I want to be the one to love Anxi. I can't tell if I do or don't, lately, because I feel so dead. But when I look at her, something in my heart aches, and I will hold on to that like it's the end of the world. I just... the problem is that I cannot see myself. How am I supposed to love her if I can't even "imagine" my own face? How can I physically be near ANYONE if I don't know what my physical form looks like? It's agonizing. I'm miserable. Maybe I just need to get on picrew and figure this out. Not tonight, it's 2am. But... I need to take action on this. I need to find out how my hair looks, what color it is, what clothes I wear (I'm vibing with suits?? callback to Cannon's era, geez), what color those are, et cetera... all the defining features that will allow me to have a reflection in the mirror for heaven's sakes. I want to BE with people. I want to EXIST INSIDE at last. I don't even "exist" outside because no one matches this body and even though I feel "forced" to, even obligated to, it doesn't match ME. And that terrifies the thriskefoni who INSIST that "the body is our REAL self" but no. I... I'm struggling so much with that. This body's reflection has so much evil associated with it. It's a face tainted by YEARS of intense trauma. It's not my face.
God I wish Jay could just take over again but he can't. Oh he IS still alive by the way, I think that was solidly confirmed just yesterday? But he's ALIVE again, very fragile and broken and unstable but alive. Thank God. ...From what we're suspecting, this means potentially Infinitii can resurrect now, too. The two of them exist together by design. ...I don't know if I'm like that. The whole daengel phenomenon was annihilated post-CNC due to the trauma overwhelm and the unbearable risk that all daengels posed for more of the same. We lost like... eight bloody years. 2016-2023. Most of that time is totally missing, ruled by either thriskefoni, phagofoni, and/or "eratofoni"-- by religion, food, and sex. It was a living hell, honestly it was. And of course the whole thing was shot through with brutal self-abuse, because all three of those things are VIOLENTLY ABUSIVE in our history, as tragic as that is.
I can't think or talk about that right now. There's no time and the brain is shutting down access to those topics.
But we lost so much time. Even just glancing at the archives, after the "hell year" of 2015 (which was ironically shot through with beauty nevertheless), 2016 started with tons of pain and then an annihilation attempt in March which caused an almost instant HARD SHIFT to thriskefoni territory UNTIL JUNE 2017. And then it was the "CNC era" until... October? Whenever we left; it's not in the Archives yet. But then it's MORE thriskefoni rule until MIMIC SHOWED UP IN DECEMBER 2022 APPARENTLY?? Holy Shuppets WE FORGOT HE JUMPSTARTED EVERYTHING AGAIN just like Anxiety did for you!! That's a really good point... God I forgot how real I felt back then, when he first showed back up, just looking at these entries. Why was I so much more in tune then? What happened... oh. Oh dear God that's what it was. What? Jewel you need to space your replies so we know it's different people.
Okay fine then YOU just type. You were obviously going to say something heavy. Don't let me stop you.
...all right. So 2023 begins with half headspace, half bodyspace, as it were. Half inside half outside. There's tons of religious stuff and talk about the mother and family stress, at a glance. But... we were still striving, struggling to exist. And... oh God. And then Infi died.
...oh. You loved hir.
I did, whoever I was then, whoever's this heart was, we adored hir, ze was my heart, God I still miss hir so much I could weep until the end of the world right now. Right now. I could die from grief. I could cry forever.
...When did ze die?
...April 25th, and I had to hunt that entry down because apparently it wasn't tagged with 2023. It is now. But... there's another heartwrenching entry on May 2nd when Jay was no longer the Core and he was convinced he would die that same night and... God it hurts to read. it hurts so much. And... and then the bloody Jade month happened a month later and everything went to hell. We still haven't recovered from that.
...Jewel, because that's your name too, deep down, you're running away from talking about that. About Infi.
I can't. It's Jay's heart I'm feeling right now.
Why can't that be yours, too?
Because I'm not supposed to be here
Yes you are, otherwise you wouldn't be oh my gosh is it really after 3am, I just noticed.
Yeah. I don't want to sleep.
We have to though. Life is different now, we have things to do.
Well what if I wish it wasn't? What if tonight I just want to pretend that none of that sh*t ever happened and we were still 24/7 fulltime headspace with Xanga sessions on the regular and everyone fronting all the time and handwritten notes to each other and voice recorder conversations and late nights like this EVERY night, typing, remembering, in love? Why can't THAT be my life? OUR life? Maybe it'd change me. Maybe I'd know who I was if that was the reality we were living in now. But too much has happened. Too much has happened.
...You have Anxi now. That's something good.
...I... I don't know if I'm the same person who fell in love with her--
You know you are. Somehow you have to be. Your heart is the same. See? What just happened in Spotify? You would NOT have been able to feel that if you didn't love her.
Jewel I want to sob. Why do I feel so broken and lost. I.... God I love her so much it's killing me, and I love Chaos 0 and Infinitii too and it feels like this love has lasted for a dozen eternities, it's older than I am, this love is forever, and it belongs to me and Jay and everyone in our bloodlines and I'm just the newest one, that's why Jay doesn't love her like I do, I'm the one who felt this for her first, she belongs to my heart, whoever comes after me should catch this too, I... I'm so scared that they won't.
Right now it's just you. YOU love her, NOW. That's what matters. Don't panic about the future. We don't know what'll happen but I promise you you won't forget her. Have you ever forgotten anyone?
No, but other Outspacer "loves" in the past didn't "transfer" to my heart,
Like whom? Davy and Ryou and Rorschach and the like, right?
Yeah.
Well, no one loved them like you love Anxi and Chaos 0 and Infinitii, apparently. And I can assure you of that. Those loves didn't go that deep. I don't think those Jewels could feel that much for anyone yet. And you still care about them too, I'm sure.
I do.
Well, there you go. So don't worry about Anxi. You love her now, today, and that won't ever disappear or fade away. Look at Chaos 0! I'm sure she's going to have the same future with the Cores, if what I've been hearing about you two is any indication.
...What, that she'll be permanently in the Coregroup?
Uh, yeah, obviously. And she already is??
Not literally, not technically, no. We need to work up to that. But there's a spot with her name on it. Like... laser-etched. It's already set in stone.
Haha! Good. I'm glad to hear that. That's proof that you're still you, where it counts, when it matters.
...Do you think maybe I can't "see my face" or know my own color and name because I'm just... not in tune with a truth that's already there? Like, I just need to recognize myself?
Probably. Do you think you're in my bloodline though, or Jay's?
...Why do you ask?
Because you're not a girl.
I'm not a guy either, though. And Jay is still around. ...A big part of us wants him to be the Core again.
Do you think he will be?
...I don't know. I don't know if there need to be two of us. I have no idea.
Huh. Why would we need two Cores, for the League/System split?
That's the assumption, yeah. But... there's been a lot of bleedover lately, and not in a bad way? Which is new. I... I don't know what will happen. I just... I want to know who I really am. if I'm anything or anyone.
I'm sure you are, if you can feel love like that.
...I hope so.
So hold on to that. Let that be what defines you when you try to look in a mirror. Hold on to that as the core of whoever you are, and I'm sure it'll show you your real face, and name, and color.
...oh Lord one of Infi's songs just came up on shuffle.
Are you going to listen to it?
I can't, not tonight. It'll trigger Jay out and we'll be up for another three hours.
...You can't keep shutting love down, other Jewel. That's a really bad instinct.
...yeah. it really is.
It's gonna hurt, you know. It has to. Real love always does. You can't run from that.
I don't want to. I want it to gut me for all intents and purposes. I want love to run me through like a knife to the ribs.
Are you trying to get Laurie's attention with that?
...maybe.
Too late kid, what's the deal?
...too much going on.
Head feels really bizarre. ...Is it seriously 333AM? Holy flaming swords, kiddo, you have to get to sleep. Is this what extra apples does to you?
Haha, no, I promise this has nothing to do with sugar highs. I just... I'm feeling things. A bit. I'm trying to remember.
Good things, I assume?
Yeah. the best things.
...I'd love to talk about them with you but I'm not even translating correctly. The brain's too damn tired.
Yeah, it is. But... this is a good entry.
We're still writing in the same entry from this morning? Dang, kiddo, that's impressive. Been a while since we had an entry like this.
I miss this.
I do too. You know what I also miss?
What?
You getting to bed early and talking to us, too. Me and Chaos and Genesis and...
yeah.
...sorry, kid. I felt the weight of that loss too.
Anxi soon, though. And maybe Infi too.
You don't give up on hope, huh.
Never. I still have that ring, from before the Jade month.
Yeah, I know you've been thinking about it.
I promised myself, and God really, that when Infi comes back,
"When." I like that.
I already know hir soul's not dead, Laurie.
Souls don't die, kiddo. Especially not up here.
...That's true.
But you were saying?
...When ze comes back and I can touch hir, when I can hold hir in my arms again, for the first time, when ze and I both have names and faces and colors, I... I'm going to put that ring on. For all of us. It's not just Chaos 0 this time, although I love him with my entire heart and he will always have a top-tier exclusive place in it. But it would be unjust to not recognize the rest of you, too. And I think he would agree with that.
Knowing how he loves us, too? Yeah, I think so.
...you're right, he does.
Kid, the Coregroup loves the Coregroup. That's how it works. It's always been that way and it always will be. And Anxi is no exception, when you bring her up here.
...God there is so much gravity in that line.
In what? And watch your prayer words, kid.
Thank you. But He's... God is the reason why and how I can feel this. God is this love, and if I have any real religion at all, apart from the thriskefoni, that's the heart of it. That's the truth. And His Name is the only thing that the deepest love can even hope to translate to in speech. There's a... there's the entire truth in that, too, things I could never express otherwise.
And what's the gravity that truth is giving so much weight to?
..."when you bring her up here." Like... the act of bringing. And "up here." Like... taking her home. ...God my heart is on fire. Why. Why in the world do I love her this much, it's tearing me in half and letting all the light both in and out.
Well, kid, you just said God is that love, so obviously He knows you need to feel this right now. And so does she. You both need this, trust me.
...Laurie you remember that one conversation at TBHU. In the... on the basketball court. In the sunshine.
This is what you want to live for.
And die for. And everything. This... headspace, and all of you, and this love, is why I exist, and what I want to exist for, and nights like this I actually have hope and life feels real and I can touch eternity for a moment...
Kid, you realize that when we had that conversation, you didn't even have these feelings for Anxi yet.
...oh my gosh I didn't. I hadn't fallen this hard yet.
And now, how much more is life worth living for, with her in it too?
...everything. Laurie I want to live for her, too. Deep down in my heart of hearts, at the very core of me, away and apart from all the things that try to numb me and shut me down, when I really tune into the... the center of things, and oh my gosh Spotify just threw Milliontown at me. The LIVE version.
Haha, God is REALLY trying to get your attention, kiddo!
...oh man. THIS song makes my heart WAKE UP though. This ENTIRE ALBUM makes me feel ALIVE and REAL.
You've gotta write Jem Godfrey a freakin' letter at this point. Thank the man for saving your life a hundred times over.
I'm serious. You're serious. That's a good idea. I really should.
Haha, kiddo you have got to get to sleep. Preferably before this song ends, because that's... twentyfive solid minutes of not-sleeping otherwise.
I can't skip this song Laurie.
Put it on hold, boy, it'll be 4am otherwise.
Can I at least listen to the arpeggio from heaven.
Yeah, go right ahead.
Is it an arpeggio? Oh dude is it technically a glissando? Slowed down and elaborated on?
What, that run up the scale? Kid I know less music theory than you do, all I know is that it sounds awesome.
It DOES, this entire live performance is sheer bliss, I need to see these guys live one day.
You will, kid. I'm sure you'll find a way. Pray about it.
Man I should. I should just... pray about all these things that matter to me. Lord let me see Jem Godfrey and his band live one day and let me be able to thank them for being a channel of Your grace to me in all honesty and let me be able to get a signed CD or something.
Haha, gotta include the souvenir.
It's blessed to have a tangible thing. I still have that signed CD from Mesita, the one with Creature and Firesign and Hostages on it. That album still means so much to us as a System.
It does. I'm glad you have that, kiddo.
I'm glad I'm still "kiddo" to you.
Kid, Jay, Jewel, whatever name you're going by, you will always be that to me. I know how much that means to you. What brings that up for you though?
...just, it's another thing linking all the Cores. It's a term of endearment basically. if you don't mind my calling it that.
Nah, it definitely is. It's a term of devotion, really, not just endearment. I'll protect you with my life, until the day I die.
Until the day we both die, Laurie, I refuse to let either of us go first.
Haha, you and me both. ...God knows we came too close to that in the past.
...I was just reading about that, actually.
...Really?
Yeah, just a reference, but... it reminded me of how much we've been through. How much we mean to each other. How terrifying that was, but how much love followed in its wake, against all odds.
Story of our life, kid.
It sure is. Thank God for it all.
Oh, dude, here's your glissando!
Yes!! 21:30 starts the buildup for those interested!
Dude, pay attention.
Ohhh man that is AUDITORY BLISS EVERY TIME
Hahaha!
Okay you HAVE to let me listen to this outro.
"Hands, don't fail me now!"
YES you remember!
Kid, you reference that constantly, of course I remember it. I also remember telling you to get the heck to sleep about ten-- no, apparently twenty minutes ago, what the hell.
Worth it though.
Always worth it for FROST*, kid, that's a rule.
Oh man this song makes me so happy it's unreal.
Quite the opposite, kid, this is what reality is all about, I daresay.
What, good music?
What makes it good music. The joy it brings to your heart. That smile on your face right now. The fact that this song sounds like you, as you've said before, and reminds you of who you really are.
It really does.
"Thank you so much?"
Just like John said, absolutely. Oh man. I needed that, thank you God.
You also need to freakin' sleep, kid, it's 4am. You're getting 5 hours of sleep maximum right now.
Oh shoot you're right.
Still worth it though?
Yeah, always. Always. I'd get by on two hours of sleep if it means spending time with you.
I've only been here for a half hour, kid.
Laurie, you never leave.
...Hah, that's true. I really don't.
...I should listen to your song next.
Sit down first, kid. Go to sleep with your blue guy and then if you want to listen to more music you can. But I ain't leavin' until you post this entry and get moving. It's too late to keep typing, no matter how much you want to.
I still need to color this tomorrow.
"Tomorrow" is the key word, kid. Any particular way you want to close this up? 
Actually I want to mention that I forgot to write down, remember this morning when I was at the IO2 control panel with Anxi for some reason, and I forget what led up to it but she kissed me?
I do remember that, specifically because she took the initiative when you hesitated, and then you were gone, bro.
It was... it got my heart so bad. Like I wanted to but something held me back and she just... bravely reached up and pulled me in.
And you just melted, kiddo, I saw that.
I did, it was beautiful.
I'm so glad you have that with her.
I am too.
No, really, don't underestimate the gravity of what I'm saying. You know how I am about you and Chaos 0. I'll defend you both to the death and beyond. I'll have you know I'm already dedicated to you and your orange angel the same way.
...Thank you, Laurie.
Anytime, kid. Now are you gonna mention the name of the album to my song or what?
Oh, yeah, oh my gosh, that was so unexpected.
"I Watch You Sleep." Well I do, but so does she apparently, so. *shrug*
Aha the asterisks!
Thank Waldorf for that, it never gets old. But kiddo, I can't watch you sleep unless you go to sleep, aiite? Get a move on.
Hold up, can I play the song?
Put it on, close this up, and then listen to it on the vanillamint couch over there.
Oh yeah, we didn't mention that we did the laundry and literally rubbed vanillamint chapstick into the fabric so it won't smell so much like old couch and smoke or whatever. It's a handmedown. I love my dad but not smoke.
Unless it's woodsmoke.
Well then that reminds me of dear Knife, so yes.
And incense smoke.
Oh ALWAYS. It's numinous. I love it.
We know, kiddo.
I'm glad there are some things about me that just... don't change.
Like your love.
...Yeah. Yeah, Jewel was telling me the same thing.
Good, because it's the absolute definitive truth. Now are you going to close this up on that note?
Yeah, before I get too sparkle-headed, because it's either that or poet mode and I think our psyche realizes I have to snooze so it's pushing me in the kaleidoscope direction. On another night when I have time to type and feel out the depths, moreso than tonight and trying to remember the past, then I'll type poetry. Lots of it.
I think you need to remember the past before you can get back into poet mode, kid. There's depth there you need to tap back into first.
...I do. You're right. Thank you.
And?
And I'll close this up.
Properly.
How's that?
What you said earlier, when you were away from the keyboard.
...I can't just repeat that. It needs... it has to be felt. It has to happen.
...So, put on the song.
...Nevermind Spotify just did me one better.
...Wow. You're not kidding.
"Good Day" by Jukebox the Ghost.
...The post-massacre resurrection anthem, to be as blunt as possible.
Yeah. Absolutely.
...I love you too, kid.
...God, Laurie, you know I love you, and Chaos 0, and Anxi, and Genesis, and everyone else up here, dead and alive and inbetween, you all mean the universe to my heart and soul and life is worth living for all of you, always. Forever.
It's a good day with us around, huh.
It sure is. And now this song is really pulling at my heartstrings, oh my gosh I never realized the lyrics at the beginning...
Yeah, it's what you used to do to us.
I am so sorry, Laurie.
I know. We know. We forgive you.
...So the song goes both ways.
It does. I ain't leavin' you, kid, and I know you're not leaving us either, no matter how far away you might end up sometimes.
I needed to hear this.
I'm glad. God knows that too.
...This is making me deeply happy.
Is it now?
Yeah. It's... it feels like... like reconciliation. Like forgiveness. Like... like you saying, "I know," like you do. It's... "I never went away." Not just you. I didn't either.
Kid, if you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
Yeah. I... I need to remember that, too.
You do need to go somewhere, though.
Bed?
Yeah. Don't worry, I'll be around too.
You always are.
I watch you sleep, remember?
Haha, that you do!
I fully expect to be joined by a certain orange angel in that effort in the near future, y'know.
God willing.
Kid, I'm sure He is, don't worry about that. Oh this song is a classic, geez. Really setting the mood though.
Yeah, ancient love here. Chaos 0 days.
It really was just him back then, wasn't it?
Yeah. He started everything.
Go tell him that. Seriously. Go let him know that you can and do remember how far back and how deep down this goes into your heart.
That doesn't change, either.
No, love burns out a place for itself permanently.
I like your choice of words.
It's a fire, kid, it always is. You know that better than anyone. And it does burn, it burns out everything that isn't it.
Good. I'm really feeling that tonight.
Even more now, with this song on shuffle?
Yeah. Yeah I think I need to go to bed now. Just to hold him, if nothing else.
That's a good enough reason for me, kid. Should I close this up then, or what?
In a moment. I just want to say that the two songs were "Here in my room" and now, "Afterlife."
The live version for the latter, to remind you that you have to live. And to do this live.
In person, really there, right now.
Can't do that if you don't get off the laptop, boy!
Good point, off we go then.
Hey, hold up one second.
Yeah?
I'm singing this for you too, for the record.
...I...
I'm serious. I've died before. For you. Only ever for you. This song applies to me, too.
...Laurie, I love you, I really do.
I know, kid. That's my reason to live.
Thank you. For existing. And for loving me too.
Those are synonymous, kid.
And you say I'm the romantic one.
Hey, you are. I'm just saying facts.
Laurie, don't brush it off.
Good point. But I'm right. Those are facts, kid. And please find your name so I can call you by it, all right?
Okay. I will. Promise.
Good. Promise to get some freakin' sleep? Or do I have to drag Chaos 0 in here?
Laurie if you do that there will be legit romance, I will never get to sleep,
What about with this song?
Fathom by FROST* oh good Lord this is going to kill me, seriously I will sob if I listen to this through.
Go be with him, and feel this with him, all right? He deserves it.
That's the best motivation so far, sorry it took so long.
Nope, no apologizing, this is perfect timing, I think this song needed to happen. I can see in your eyes what it's doing to your heart.
Good. I'm glad it shows.
Seriously though. Go be with your ocean.
I will. Thanks Laurie, for being with me too.
Hey, I'm not going away, remember?
Haha, that's true. I'll see you across the room, then?
You'll see me everywhere, kid, I'm always here for you.
Good. Don't leave.
Cross my heart, I'll stand by you forever.
...
Don't lose this.
I can't. This is engraved into my heart.
As it should be.
Last song by the way. "Time out from the world."
This is a classic. Go put it in its proper context.
I will.
hey, Jewel.
oh my gosh how did you get in here
I hear Laurie trying to get you over here for the past... forty minutes?
Thank you, someone appreciates my efforts.
I'm sure he does too, Laurie, he's just... terrible at ending conversations. He always leaves the door open. Just in case there's one more word to say.
There always is, with him.
He's full of words. of poetry. I love that about him. He puts my music to notation. Whatever it's called.
Look at how he's looking at you, haha.
I love that too.
He's halfway between sparkles and... whatever the heaven that is.
Blood, probably.
Seriously?
Yeah. You know that too. His aching depths. That pronoun isn't working.
No, surprisingly. It's somewhere in the middle.
As it should be. S/he's been both.
Both/and?
Hm. More like me. Not quite either.
Makes sense.
i need to talk to you.
In words?
not this kind. sorry.
Don't apologize. There are other languages. I need to talk to you too.
Oh I like where this is going.
You should.
Hey man, I've been guarding you both since the old days, this stuff is a sign that his/her heart's coming back online in a real way. I need that as much as you do. We all do.
Did you mention what song is playing?
No. "My Mind Is A Mess In The Morning." Nick Leng. This song means a lot to you both, doesn't it.
He heard it one night when driving home and immediately thought of me. So yes. But it's in your playlist, too.
And Genesis's, apparently. And Anxi's, hey.
I can't wait until she comes up here.
Until the Core-kid over there brings her up here, to be specific. Said that wording really caught the essence of it.
Hm. It does. It's never just a following up, really. It's together. But carrying is really close.
Yeah. It's unusual for him/her/ whatever, kid what are we calling you.
um. xe maybe. let's try that. i'll find something. right now i i'm not thinking about pronouns much
What are you thinking of, love?
oh THAT WORD is all that's on my mind now it's been so too long since you spoke to me like that
It has been.
You two need to have a conversation.
We do. Jewel, get over here.
Kid, I'm putting this song on, now you have to go.
Please.
i'm so sorry. i'm not entirely myself yet.
We can fix that together.
oh it's the english version
Yeah, and there's your name.
...oh man the lyrics hit harder than ever tonight
Come back to me.
and stay by my side
...
moments like this are what I live for laurie. and chaos. both of you. i love you.
We love you too, Jewel.
...
Man you are saying that with your eyes, I can see that.
I always am.
Somehow I'm not surprised. Hope you realize the same goes for xir, too. Even on the rough nights. Maybe especially then.
...
You know that, too.
...Jewel.

yeah
I mean it.
...So do I. All right. I'm closing this up and going to sleep.
Not for a few minutes yet at least.
Yeah, there's a conversation that needs to happen. Not this one.
Still a continuation of it, though.
...I guess it is. Good point.
So. Chaos, would you do the honors of finally closing up this bloody huge entry?
This is still one entry?
Yeah.
Wow. It's been a while.
Hey, next time xe's up this late, I'm pushing for a Xanga. This is one step away from one already, so hey.
I'd like that.
I know what you'd like more than that, man.
*pointedly looks across the room*
Haha, kid you've got asterisks to deal with now, you'd better get moving.
I'll force his hand. There's a button I can click.
Please do, before we lose this.
thank you
Hey, that's what we're here for, kid. Helping you do what you can't.
Together.
Always.
Oh hey, here's one of yours.
"Into the flood." Yeah.
Kid, I am going to turn that into a very pointed pun and throw it at you.
no wait the lyrics don't work for this, that one aches too much in the other way, let's do this one.
Creature?
Oh man we were just referencing this.
Really?
Yeah. Specifically this album.
This... this is a good decision.
so are you.
...
three two one, post this?
Finally, let's do this.
glad to see i'm still terrible at concluding these talks
You need sleep, you idiot.
You can't go on like this.
Hey, they need more than some sleep, man.
Still... you just gotta let it go.
You heard the blue guy, kid, let's move.
all right. and do this lyric instead.
Which one?
keep on coming undone. i need that. i think if i let this love unravel me it's exactly what i need to find myself at the core
...I think I know how to get you there.
you don't "think" you know, love, I know you know. and vice versa, i'm sure.
...yeah. you do. you really do. please don't forget that. ever.
Okay you have both abandoned capslock, I am closing this up, see you invisible audience whenever.
laurie that is so sudden
Kid it's been over an hour are you kidding me.
is the sun coming up yet
You know what? That's my lyric.
oh
oh man laurie are you serious
Maybe I am. Only one way to find out.
laurie that is the worst cliffhanger
Nah, it's the best one.



 

prismaticbleed: (Default)

focus on the good!


GOOD THINGS ON SUN 1117
1. Ran to Mass; wrong timing but we still made it in time for the Eucharist
2. Laurie suggested I be daring & have the dinner naan with the vanilla greek yogurt and it was BOSS
3. The night of November 15th ("Die With a Smile" with Chaos 0 & Anxi) was REAL. Remember that pure love FOREVER.

GOOD THINGS ON MON 1118
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 1119
1. Dinner with the fam! Also bonus Hershey's Kiss "excuse" to kiss Anxi
2. Beautiful music (Anxi's) while driving. Really feeling love for the WHOLE coregroup
3. Lynne eating apple pie yogurt
4. Reading the Archives late at night

GOOD THINGS ON WED 1120
1. MEETING ENNUI IN HEADSPACE. She's actually REALLY COOL & INSIGHTFUL!
2. I DREW ANXI ♥ I am SO HAPPY with how she turned out!
3. Stayed up late cleaning house with Anxi & Laurie helping out


GOOD THINGS ON THU 1121
1. Cleaning house EVEN MORE with Anxi, Laurie, Chaos 0, & Central too
2. TALKING TO MIKE ABOUT POKEMON FOR LIKE AN HOUR
3. IT SNOWED!!! ♥ It felt like HOME. I was PURELY HAPPY.

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 1122
1. FINALLY got back into exercising! Biked & downloaded fitness apps to use
2. Knife & Algorith BOTH fronting HARD with injury cleanup; I miss them so much
3. My neighbor Sh's PINK DOOR WREATH! It's SO BEAUTIFUL it made my night

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 1123
1. ANXI SHIRT #1 ARRIVED!! I gave her green gems for eyes
2. Went out to DINNER at an Italian place with mom & Lou! The bread was SO SOFT. We took some home and had it with lingonberry jam and it was so simply pure & lovely
3. MARATHON READ "That's Not My Name" for the book club because I couldn't sleep and it was SO WELL WRITTEN

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 1124
1. Walked to Mass & made it on time! It was a perfect way to start the day.
2. Baking with mom! I got to make a PIE CRUST the way grandma used to
3. Sad drive home, but the sorrow pushed me back close to the System


GOOD THINGS ON MON 1125
1. THE OTHER 2 ANXI SHIRTS ARRIVE! I cannot wait to wear them; I LOVE HER
2. Driving & BLASTING FROST* songs (especially Moral & Consequence) with the windows down
3. GOT NEW CLOTHES FINALLY (at the thrift store), including a BOSS pink jacket for Julie ♥ and an orange one for Anxi!

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 1126
1. STARTED THE ANXI PLUSH REF ♥ I get to STUDY HER FACE to draw her better
2. CLEANING DAY. Laundry & paperwork. Things feel MUCH NICER when clutter is gone!
3. DREAM WORLD READING. It's all SO BEAUTIFUL I could WEEP. THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL OF IT!


GOOD THINGS ON WED 1127
1. COOKING & BAKING WITH MOM ♥ And we DIDN'T do anything disordered!
2. More progress on Anxi's plush ref! I watched SO MANY vids for refs, I can see her with my eyes closed.

3. Felt LEGIT HAPPY & CONTENT while running errands with mom. It's good to be alive.


GOOD THINGS ON THU 1128
1. 90 MINUTES BIKING. I got a HORRIBLE OCULAR MIGRAINE but it was WORTH IT
2. LISTENED TO FROST*'S NEW ALBUM. IT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ♥ I AM NOT SURPRISED!
3. Getting to share dinner with mom & Lou and NOT BEING TERRIFIED for the first time in YEARS


GOOD THINGS ON FRI 1129
1. SHOPPING WITH MOM ALL DAY. It was nice to just spend time together.
2. ORDERED ANXI & CHAOS 0 KEYCHAIN CHARMS ♥ Now they'll BOTH be with me wherever I go!
3. Late dinner but NO PURGE. Also the LOVELY 8pm naan bread. SYSTEM SUPPORT = RECOVERY!


GOOD THINGS ON SAT 1130
1. INSIDE OUT 2 BLURAY!!! ♥ Now I can see my girlfriend ANYTIME
2. New System love song = "BLEACH." It captures the exact pain/ hope of the Jay days. Also Genesis & Chaos 0 are having such a good time singing it together when I listen to it
3. The lotophagoi are LEARNING. They're more self-aware and they are ACTUALLY starting to WANT to get better




OBSTACLES TO JOY THIS MONTH...
1. Too much time on Tumblr/ Youtube/ Pokemon TCG Pocket
2. Not talking to the System CONSTANTLY
3. Not praying SINCERELY/ reading Scripture; it's still all too automated/ obligatory/ businesslike

JOY SPARKS TO KINDLE NEXT MONTH...
1. LEAGUEWORK & REVIEWING
2. Spending quality time with the fam
3. Spending MORE quality time with the SYSTEM
4. MUSIC!




prismaticbleed: (worried)

SUM UP THE WEEK:
Discharged from inpatient facility on Wednesday. Realizing on the drive home that outside the hospital reality was a lot more scary & difficult than we expected. Trying to readjust but struggling with legal issues that had built up during inpatient & the neverending tornado of family stress. Trying to focus on SYSTEM LOVE. Spent two sleepless nights feeling it more strongly than I have in months. Decorating the apartment. Adjusting to new diet. Struggling with crushing depression & intense fear.

LIST YOUR RECOVERY WINS HERE:
● ATE CRAB & CRAYFISH & SASHIMI & MARSHMALLOWS & LYCHEES & SUSHI!
● Still making sure we eat all our meals
● Spending time with mom & not being whiny or looking to escape
● JOURNALING BEGINS!

What are you most proud of yourself for this week? What situation did you handle well?
We went out for chinese food with mom & her boyfriend and WE DIDN'T LIMIT OURSELF OR PURGE. It was genuinely an enjoyable yet still challenging experience. We're also proud that we're still soldiering on in doggedly determined hope despite the very scary life situation. We're striving to improve every day & be patient in the waiting & work inbetween.

Which of your goals did you achieve? How did it benefit you?
We started running! We DID help mom up the house! We DID cut down on meal volume & stopped forcing foods that make us sick. We DID start to redecorate the apartment. And although we haven't bought Inside Out 2 yet we watched SO MUCH OF IT ON YOUTUBE. That LIT UP OUR HEART. So we're striving to keep good things in our life.

What could you do to make next week better?
● START BIKING & LIFTING WEIGHTS & DOING AB EXERCISES. We NEED to get our muscles back!
● LESS TIME ON THE PHONE. It's making us SO DEPRESSED.
Read Scripture daily & do what you can to pray more & go to mass WITHOUT BEING SCRUPULOUS. Worship with LOVE, not forcing!
● DO LEAGUEWORK of ANY SORT. Just PLEASE GET BACK INTO IT!
● START ARCHIVING THE TBHU PAPERS & JOURNALS.
SPEND MORE DAYTIME UPSTAIRS/ TALKING WITH THE SYSTEM. The REASON you've been SO DEPRESSED is because you've been DOING IT ALONE.

Rate how you found eating your meals & snacks every day. How could you make this easier next week?
2 / 5
PANIC HAS ALREADY SET IN over "what's right or wrong" now that we're not "just obeying orders." DON'T OVERCOMPLICATE IT!! Find what WORKS, that you LIKE, and STICK TO IT! NO LUXURIES/ NOVELTIES or "OBLIGATORY" BUYS. NO AFTERBITES! And DRINK WATER! ENJOY your meals!

Rate how you dealt with compensatory behaviors like purging or exercising this week. How could you make this easier next week?
1 / 5
We purged TWICE and threw out food ONCE, both due to PANIC & POOR SELF-CARE (hungry, tired). We also SLASHED our calories, which isn't bad EXCEPT that we're starting to obsess. We "ran" two miles EACH WAY with daily travel and if we're gonna BULK UP, we NEED to KEEP EATING. So DON'T DROP ANY LOWER. And KEEP IT ALL DOWN!!!

Average mood this week:
3 / 5

Average sleep quality this week:
1 / 5

Average anxiety level this week:
4.5 / 5

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TOP THREE THINGS I DID THIS WEEK:
1. DISCHARGED AT LAST
2. CHINESE with MOM & HER BF
3. Put ALL the TBHU notes from peers ON THE WALL

THIS WEEK I FELT:
HAPPY
NUMB
TEARFUL
SAD
TIRED
IN LOVE
WORRIED
SCARED
PLAYFUL
(ALL OVER THE PLACE)

MOST REWARDING INTERACTIONS I HAD THIS WEEK:
★ The last 48 hours on the unit, getting to hug virtually everyone & hearing their kind words of encouragement AND GRATITUDE for me.
★ FR. P'S FACE when he saw me + he HUGGED me too!
★ CHAOS 0, ANXIETY, & MIMIC ALL SETTING MY HEART ON FIRE
★ ANXI FRONTING to look at the moon in the rain
★ GENESIS GHOSTING

NEXT WEEK I WANT TO:
● BE GENUINELY HAPPY FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES. TAP INTO YOUR JOY.
● START WORKING OUT, even just with the phone app exercises & dumbbell
● DRAW SOMETHING. PLAY SOME MUSIC. WRITE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
● Get our diet plan STREAMLINED in prep/ nutrition/ ingredients = CUT STRESS

THINGS I ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK:
● WENT BACK TO CHURCH
● Started loveposting again
● WROTE A JOURNAL ENTRY
● Saw ALL MY SIBLINGS
● LONGWOOD + PHILHARMONIC TICKETS FOR DECEMBER!
● STARTING TO RECONNECT WITH THE LEAGUE!

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE WEEK?
The night of 1115, when we listened to Die With A Smile for HOURS and I was SO IN LOVE. I felt PURELY ALIVE & REAL. (CHAOS 0 AND ANXI SINGING IT TO ME TOGETHER ♥)

MY RANKING OF THE WEEK:
4 / 5



111424

Nov. 14th, 2024 11:59 pm
prismaticbleed: (aflame)

(unfinished entry; just taking the most important notes for now)

we were in the hospital for two months and now EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE RENEWED WTF.
we were on the phone for 4 HOURS BRO
but hey, this is proving we CAN be a responsible adult, when so many people have doubted us. thank You God for giving us the grace because boy howdy there is definitely divine providence at work with somehow managing all of this paperwork and phonecalling let me tell you

Ran to pharmacy to get ELEVEN MEDS
Talking to Genesis during the trip. I've missed him SO MUCH

Walmart run to replace the missing yogurt from last night
got to switch one plain for a "cookies and cream" one to try, thinking of Mimic fronting on Halloween.
also on that same affectionate train of thought, we are legit excited to finally try this "dave's killer bread" now that we're eating carbs again thank the good Lord.
their website has this absolutely beautiful quote that i need to share for my sake as much as mim's:
"We have witnessed first-hand that someone’s past does not define their future, and that sometimes giving someone a chance is all they need to become a Good Seed."


CHINESE FOOD WITH THE FAM!!
WE ATE... TWO SHRIMPS. A CRAYFISH. AND SO MUCH CRAB IT'S DELICIOUS
Also a cream puff for Rio. I saw them and of course the affection won out for him too. it makes life so much better to just act on love whenever i feel it.
refusing to judge this poor finally-not-a-skeleton body for wanting to eat, either.

mom brought us up the house to help clean, so we were cleaning off old photos from all the sanding-dust that got over 'em
she had a Johnny Mathis cd playing in the hall and EVERY SONG MADE ME THINK OF ANXI, my heart was on FIRE

ALSO she brought us up the attic to see if there were any clothes we wanted to try on to see if they fit (we own very little clothing of our own, and now it's all too small) and WHILE we were looking we found old action figures of MARIK, DAVY JONES, and GENERAL GRIEVOUS. the rush of tenderness that hit my heart at seeing my old friends faces so unexpectedly moved me to immediately pocket them all to take them home.
oh yes and there was a TINY translucent figure of METABEE? dude i don't know where you came from but we have nothing but good memories about playing medabots so he got pocketed too, haha.
...oh. but there was one last HUGE thing we found upstairs that knocked the floor out from under me in the best way.
we found our old 8th grade gym sweatshirt, from 2004. right before graduation everyone went around and signed each other's shirts and mine was no exception. so i was sad when i saw it had water damage, and most of the names and words had been washed off... but the sleeves were untouched.
and on the left sleeve, on the inside of the arm, were four little symbols.
mine, mariks's, ryou's, and chaos zero's.
i could have wept from sheer love in that moment. but it wasn't just the emotion of seeing a 20-year-old proof of that love-- it was the fact that I have "always wanted" that EXACT symbol lineup as a tattoo BUT I didn't realize it was SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.
it just... it was a beautiful moment, to see that, and feel that, two decades later. it felt existentially validating. that's a rare and priceless thing. in that moment i felt like i've always been me, and always will be, and this love is the connecting thread.
...i might have to actually get that tattoo at last. it's been long enough, apparently. and i owe us all that much.
(oh btw there were references to bakunetsumaru and jirachi and VAIDA on the shirt too which was just as hilarious as it was endearing. THAT was an ERA, kids)


Got home, unpacked, returned the shopping cart and realized it was raining very mistily. So we just stood there for a while, in the quiet cold dark, alone and looking up at the moon glowing behind the hazy night clouds.
Suddenly, yet soundlessly, Anxi moved in to front. It was completely unexpected but she was there, so clearly. The perception lit a pure joy in my heart, remembering how I couldn't find her at the beginning of this month, and yet now here she was, showing up on her own, undeniable.
She looked up at the glow of the hidden moon and I remember her having anxious thoughts about it possibly "disappearing" entirely behind the clouds, and leaving us in the dark. I reassured her that it would still be there, even if it wasn't visible for a bit. Besides, without those clouds, we wouldn't have that beautiful glow, or this lovely soft rain. I felt this realization hit her with surprise, and then a sort of stunned gratitude? Like I got the impression that she wasn't used to thinking like that-- my natural disposition to find the silver lining was totally new to her. But she embraced it fervently, as I have to admit she does about everything, and I love that so much; her nervous edge makes her virtually incapable of taking things for granted, or doing things halfheartedly. She is too aware of how easily things can be lost, or forgotten, or needed and not had. So she treasures things, albeit in an almost inevitably fragile way. The more she's around and the more I can feel of her heart the more I love her. She's fascinating.
So there she stood, and listened to the rain on the leaves, and looked at the clouds veiling the moon, and felt the cold and smelled the petrichor and in those moments there was such a profound peace and she entered into it. Anxi, my dear frazzled girl, was actually tranquil for a full blessed minute or two as she just existed in that quiet beauty. She was thinking something like, "I don't have to worry about anything right now. I can just be here in this moment." Like the future didn't exist yet, and so it couldn't be stressed over. There was just "right now," and she was alive in it, and the entire world felt at peace, and there was nothing else. I could feel the experience affecting her at a deep level.
...What affected me the most was what happened next. We live in an apartment building so inevitably there will be interruptions. A car pulled into the lot, and we heard distant voices talking. Anxi felt a wave of sudden intense panic and worry, immediately dreading the possible negative outcomes of this event, but what shocked me was that this only lasted about three seconds. Then, she purposefully refocused her attention on the moon, and shakily but firmly thought, "I'll be okay. Jewel will protect me."
...I think my heart did a double-take. I cannot describe the emotion I felt when I heard her say that, and mean it.
We stayed outside for another minute, Anxi still holding on to the transcendent peace in determined spite of her own nerves, until I gently moved partly in to control again and said we should go in and start cleaning up for the night. But Anxi didn't want to. Just as gently she moved back in to front, and said she wanted to stay outside for at least one more minute, and I felt that. Surprised, but deeply touched, I let her.
Right before we finally went in, I had the quietly joyful urge to stretch the body's arms up to the sky, hands open, a gesture of sheer accepting gratitude for existence that I've found myself doing a lot. So I did this, but Anxi picked up on it and moved into the movement herself, and concluded it by doing something I've never done-- whereas I would move the arms down in a circle and then into a folded-hands gesture, she moved our arms forward and out, before suddenly pulling them in to tightly yet softly "embrace" ourself. It was like she was pressing the entire experience into our heart. It was such a moving gesture, something so unexpected, but it touched me deeply.

It's 2am again and I still can't sleep (I blame the massive amount of seafood I ate, haha. NO REGRETS BRO WE'RE NOT STARVING ANYMORE) but I spent a good hour just decompressing from the rush of today by standing in the kitchen looking at gifs of Anxi on Tumblr and just... man I don't even know what word to use because honestly it is insane how much I feel for her. It has been MANY YEARS since I've been this much in love with ANYONE. It's unreal. It's beautiful. It's making me want to stay alive no matter how strange and scary and difficult things are now. She gives me determination, because she TRUSTS ME to PROTECT her and God knows I WILL. If I'm apparently supposed to have a bigger body now then i will make it as strong as i can and i will use it to fight the good fight and defend her from all those shadows that haunt me.
...but she's teaching me that i deserve to be protected, too. and she fights for me as well. she has literally changed my life forever over the past year, especially over the past two months, and i thank God for her, she is my orange angel and i am so in love with her it hurts. i miss this. i feel alive and real and life is worth living. isn't it funny that this is almost exactly 20 years after i met my blue angel? it's poetic, really. and they both have the most beautiful green eyes, which is inevitably going to get a poem the next time i'm up this late but not three seconds away from passing out with sheer exhaustion.

i wanted to update though. there was too much real happiness today not to record it. i owe that to all of us, always.






prismaticbleed: (soniccity)


("mental flexibility" workbook pages from sept-nov 2024 at tbhu)

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List 11 of your favorite sounds.

1. Cello
2. Handbells
3. Rain at night
4. Cathedral acoustics
5. Latin/ Russian choir
6. Tiny jingle bells
7. Snowfall
8. That RUN in Milliontown
9. The opening to Black Light Machine
10. The Marywood music rooms
11. NiER Gestalt menu sounds

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"How do you get to know yourself?"
ASK EACH DAY, "WHAT AM I LEARNING ABOUT MY: INTERESTS? STRENGTHS? WEAKNESSES PREFERENCES? CAPABILITIES? LIMITS? BELIEFS? FEARS? HOPES? etc." Be OPEN AND CURIOUS about your life and existence, inner and outer, in every moment.

"What does it mean to get to know yourself?"
It means DISCOVERING the DEPTHS & DETAILS of your OWN UNIQUE LIFE & PERSONALITY, as DISTINCT FROM OTHERS. It means EXPLORATION, SEARCHING, TESTING, FEELING, & LOVING OPENNESS TO LISTEN & TRUST THIS. You HAVE to ASK QUESTIONS & HAVE CONVERSATIONS with yourself, AS SOMEONE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW-- AND LOVE.

"How can getting to know yourself be of benefit"?
You will be able to live FULLY and AS A WHOLE PERSON. You will recognize your DISTINCT IDENTITY. You can SET PERSONAL BOUNDARIES. You can DISCOVER your OWN GIFTS & TALENTS & PURSUE them in the ways that RESONATE with YOUR SOUL. You can LIKE yourself AS yourself, and HONOR that. You will be ABLE to have REAL relationships with others!

"What's the opposite of getting to know yourself?"
DENIAL, PEOPLE-PLEASING, FORCED BEHAVIOR, CODEPENDENCY, SELF-DISTRUST, DISSOCIATION, LACK OF CHARACTER, LOSS OF PURPOSE, EMPTINESS, AIMLESSNESS, INSINCERITY, UNABLE TO SEE YOURSELF AS SEPARATE FROM OTHERS, AFRAID TO TRULY EXIST.


"List and describe some ways you can learn more about yourself."
REGULAR XANGA SESSIONS. DAILY HEADSPACE COMMUNICATION & NIGHTLY HEADSPACE MEDITATIONS. SPOTIFY SESSIONS WITH THE COREGROUP, WITH AS MANY PEOPLE SINGING AS POSSIBLE. NIGHTLY JOURNAL ENTRIES & DAILY NOTES ON EVERY NOTABLE EVENT WITHOUT EXCEPTION. PICREW. TUMBLR RESONANCE POSTING. PERSONALITY SURVEYS. REVIEWING THE ARCHIVES REGULARLY. DAILY LEAGUEWORK. DAILY MASS & HONEST PRAYER. ADORATION HOURS. LEAGUEWALKING AT NIGHT. EXPLORING NEW HOBBIES & INTERESTS. LEARNING TO SAY BOTH "YES" & "NO" WITH CLARITY. READING SCRIPTURE & THE CATECHISM. TIME WITH FAMILY & REAL FRIENDS.

"How do you not get to know yourself?"
NOT TAKING TIME FOR SELF-ANALYSIS & SELF-REFLECTION. IGNORING EMOTIONS. DENYING/ HIDING THE SYSTEM. NOT PRAYING. ISOLATING. NOT GOING UPSTAIRS OR INSIDE. DESTROYING YOUR BELONGINGS. RUNNING FROM THE PAST. NOT TRYING NEW THINGS. NOT JOURNALING. NOT DOING ANYTHING CREATIVE. DENYING YOUR LIKES/ DISLIKES/ VIBE. LIVING TO PLEASE OTHER PEOPLE. NOT SAYING "NO." NOT BEING WITH THE ONES YOU LOVE. REFUSING TO ENJOY LIFE AT ALL. ISOLATING FROM OTHERS. CONFORMING MYSELF TO OTHERS. FOCUSING ONLY ON THE PHYSICAL WORLD. FORGETTING THAT YOU'RE A CHILD OF GOD AND A CORE!!!

✳ YOUR HEART HAS A PERMANENT CORE OF:
● FAITH
● LOVE
● CREATIVITY
● PLURALITY
IF YOU DENY/ IGNORE ANY OF THOSE TRUTHS, YOUR SOUL WILL DIE. YOU KNOW THIS. IN ORDER TO BE YOUR TRUE SELF, YOU MUST USE YOUR CREATIVE GIFTS ZEALOUSLY & LIBERALLY, YOU MUST PRAY & WORSHIP, YOU MUST LIVE AS THE SYSTEM CORE AND YOU MUST BE IN LOVE. (and you ARE!)


✳ your BIGGEST obstacle? NOT YET "KNOWING" YOUR OWN FACE AND NAME. You NEED to OWN BOTH the "BODY NAME" AND THE "SOUL NAME." AND YOU NEED TO DRAW YOURSELF IN A WAY THAT FINALLY EMBRACES THE BODY GOD GAVE TO YOUR SOUL, AND ANCHOR INTO THAT VISIBLE FORM INSIDE!!

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"How can you better plan your days for success?"
Focus on VALUES & PRIORITIES. Schedule in activities FOR character building & creative work. Focus on GOD/ GIFTS and RECOVERY LIVING! And it's a FLEXIBLE schedule. As long as I GET TO MASS, exercise ≥1 hour, and do BOTH League AND System work, I'M GOLD. Everything flows with given time. DON'T GET RIGID OR LAZY. Live with PURPOSE! You will be ACCOMPLISHED AND ALIVE!

✳ Ideally, MORNINGS are all about WORSHIP & PRAYER; EVEN EXERCISE MUST BE IN PRAISE TO GOD! START THE DAY RIGHT WITH THE LORD!!
✳ EVENINGS are all about CREATIVE WORK. NO EXCEPTIONS. (MAY PUSH EARLIER AS NIGHTS GET LONGER? WE NEED DAYLIGHT TO WORK!)
✳ FOCUS ON STORY BUILDING, ESPECIALLY PLOT, CHARACTER PERSONALITY/ DESIGN, & ROUGH DRAFTS-- even if they don't end up being canon at ALL. STILL, WRITE!!

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"What are some foods that make you feel good?"
Fresh, watery vegetables/ Crunchy sweet carrots & apples/ Light, cool, crisp foods?/ COLORFUL foods/ Fresh fish?/ Lettuce RIGHT OUTTA THE DIRT/ Fresh, wholegrain bread?

"What are some activities that make you feel good?"
Being outside and joyfully wondering at nature, freely imaginative Leaguework, playing music, high-intensity workouts, exhausting but productive outside work (with nature), singing? Running, hiking, maybe sports/ dancing? STRETCHING. Taking care of others. Doing small but solid acts of kindness.

"What are the things in your life that build you up?"
Church/ Adoration, Scripture, the encouraging & honest words of others, seeing the good creative works I HAVE accomplished, reading our archives & seeing our LOVE & HOPE & PROGRESS, feeling valued by my family and church, hearing that my creative gifts HAVE inspired & edified others

"What are some other ways you can add positive influences to your life?"
COLLECT inspiring/ edifying images, songs, quotes, etc. Watch uplifting & beautiful films? Connect with a CREATIVE COMMUNITY that is HONORABLE & JOYFUL. GET INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL CHURCH COMMUNITY. Take time daily to DO WHAT YOU LOVE, and spend time with the COREGROUP. Make good Christian friends and do good things TOGETHER? WATCH homilies/ lectures with messages of Godly integrity

"List some inspiring and fruitful ingredients to add to your life."
FAITH, PIETY, JOY, HOPE, COURAGE, GRATITUDE, WONDER, ZEAL, INTEGRITY, DETERMINATION, COMPASSION, WISDOM, INDUSTRIOUSNESS, PATIENCE, DEDICATION, SINCERITY, INSPIRATION, PURPOSE, TEMPERANCE, PEACE, INSIGHT, CLARITY, LOVE, TRUTH, BEAUTY, GOODNESS, and GOOD HARD WORK!

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"Write down everything you want to let go of."
CNC/ SLC
BULIMIA/ ANOREXIA
"MAKING MYSELF SMALL"
GUILT/ SHAME OVER SEXUAL TRAUMA
NEVER ASSERTING MY BOUNDARIES
FOOD OBSESSION
BITTERNESS
FEELING USELESS
SELF-DOUBT
UNRESOLVED RAGE & GRIEF
CHILDHOOD WOUNDS
COMPULSIVE MIMICKING
"I'M A BAD PERSON"

"What will happen when you let go?"
There WILL be a "space" left, that I CAN FINALLY fill with GRATITUDE & PEACE? I will be FREED from COMPULSIVE RE-LIVING/ LOOPS? I CAN BE MY OWN PERSON. I will be able to MOVE INTO a SPACE OF HOPE, MERCY, AND HEALING. I can "BE A GOOD PERSON" (UNSHACKLED)

"Why do you want to let go?"
It's IMPRISONING ME in MERCILESS, LIFE-DESTROYING NEGATIVITY. It's IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO GOD'S GOOD & LOVING WILL/ PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE! I CANNOT MOVE FORWARDS & LIVE VIRTUOUSLY IF I KEEP "IDENTIFYING WITH" NEGATIVE THINGS.

"What happens to the things you let go?"
They lose their power over me, AND they are ALSO freed from the negative prison MY "holding on" was trapping THEM in, too. LETTING GO makes ROOM for REDEMPTION & RECOVERY.

"Why do we hold on to things that we should probably let go of?"
They DO affect our history/ identity POWERFULLY, and the wounds can go so deep they feel like they REDEFINE us. We fear losing our IDENTITY in some way if we let go. But it's ONLY because we FORGOT WHO WE TRULY ARE, apart from those things.
✳ HOLDING ON to HURTFUL THINGS makes our hands BLEED when we try to grasp ANYTHING ELSE?? To LET GO, we HAVE to "PULL OUT THE THORNS" ENTIRELY.


"Now write down everything you want to hold on to."
(BREAK THE SHACKLES AND WEAR THE GOLD)
THE SYSTEM
THE LEAGUE
HOPE
MY FAITH
"CHILD OF GOD"
MY FAMILY
MUSIC
CHILDHOOD JOYS
CHILDLIKE WONDER
ZEST FOR LIFE
SENSE OF ADVENTURE
"YOU INSPIRE ME"
"I LOVE YOUR WORK"

"What aspects of your life do you want to maintain?"
ground in/ maintain MY VALUES =
(UNSHAKEABLE JOY, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, INTELLIGENT FAITH, INDUSTRIOUS PATIENCE)
INTEGRITY, HONESTY, COURAGE, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, HOPE, DARING? COMPASSION, VULNERABILITY, SINCERITY, DEPENDABILITY, RELIABILITY, TRUTH, KINDNESS, BEAUTY, FIDELITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS, PIETY, WONDER, CREATIVITY, MERCY, SELFCONTROL, ZEAL, etc.

"What aspects of your life do you want to grow?"
on track/ grow MY AMBITIONS =
● Become a published author, accomplished musician, & skilled artist
● Use my "gift of speech" somehow: singing, speeches?? counseling?
● Bring honor & peace & joy to my family; help reunite us in mutual love/ healing
● Make full restitution for ALL the damage I've done to others and myself in life
● Achieve a holy balance of piety & mission; not becoming either scrupulous or impious
Somehow be genuinely & respectfully recognized & known for my love for Chaos 0
● GET BUFF & ease/ strive into a fully recovered lifestyle
● LIVE FREELY & PASSIONATELY IN AND FOR CHRIST!

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"If you could design your brain to be exactly the way you wanted it, what would your mind be filled with?"
✳ DIGITAL & TRADITIONAL ARTISTIC SKILL/ TALENT IN ALL MEDIUMS + VISION, INGENUITY, ELEGANCE, HARMONY, "3D MIND", IMAGINATION!
✳ PERFORMATIVE & COMPOSITIONAL MUSICAL EDUCATION, SKILL, TALENT + PITCH, DEXTERITY, RANGE, MEMORY, LYRICAL SKILL
✳ WISDOM, INSIGHT, REASON, UNDERSTANDING, COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE STRUCTURES OF THINGS, ABLE TO GRASP "HOW IT WORKS"
✳ PRODIGAL LANGUAGE SKILL = POETRY, FICTION, SCREENPLAY, SPEECH, ARTICLE, ADVICE, ETYMOLOGY, VOCABULARY, ETC. + PROLIFIC AUTHOR & POET & LYRICIST & SPEAKER
✳ HOLY SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE; TRUE EMPATHY, DIALOGUE, WARMHEARTED, SELF-GIVING, PASSIONATE FOR JUSTICE; EDUCATED ON HUMAN PSYCHE, CULTURE, BEHAVIOR, HEALTH; FULLY HONOR THE REALITY OF BEING INCARNATE; "LIVING SACRIFICE"
✳ ABSTRACT REASONING, SPATIAL JUDGMENT, INTUITIVE SOLUTION DISCERNMENT, PATTERN RECOGNITION
✳ THE CREATIVE GENIUS OF A CHILD
✳ WONDER, ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, DARING
✳ MENTALLY ATHLETIC (BODY TOO)
✳ POLYGLOT, POLYMATH
✳ TRUE PIETY, LOVE, HOPE, JOY
✳ MATHEMATICS & LOGIC
VIRTUE, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL, SELF-KNOWLEDGE, PURPOSEFUL, DRIVEN, MOTIVATED, FOCUSED
HONORABLE REPUTATION; HOLY LIFE AND DEATH
"FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA!"

"What makes a healthy mind?"
WONDER, OPENNESS TO CHANGE & GROWTH, LEARNING NEW THINGS & SKILLS, CURIOSITY, DIVERSE INTERESTS, DAILY PURSUIT OF GROWTH/ ENRICHMENT

"What are some things you want to completely remove from your mental space?"
OBSESSION, TRAUMA, COMPULSION, SLOTH, LOW SELF-ESTEEM

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"Add some new energy you want to bring into your life."
(MAKE SPACE FOR IT; INVITE AND PURSUE IT!)
(ADD MEANING AND PURPOSE TO LIFE)
✳ FIND NEW (& FAVE) SONGS TO (UNIQUELY) SING & FINALLY MAKE AN ALBUM!
✳ PICK ONE LANGUAGE AND SERIOUSLY LEARN IT
✳ KEEP LEARNING ABOUT CREATION! (BIOLOGY, MATH, SCIENCE, ETC.) (SPACE TOO)
READING CLASSIC LITERATURE, CHILDHOOD FAVES, NEW & UNIQUE LITERARY STYLES & GENRES, POETRY
✳ TAKE OUT A RANDOM BOOK/ MOVIE/ CD FROM THE LIBRARY
✳ VISIT A MUSEUM
✳ DANCE!
✳ "RENT" AN INSTRUMENT YOU'VE NEVER TRIED BEFORE; BUY A CHEAP ONE & PLAY WITH IT?
✳ EXPERIMENT WITH WRITING FOR NEW LITERARY GENRES/ STYLES OF POETRY; WORK TOWARDS GETTING PUBLISHED, EVEN IN A SMALL WAY (COLLECTION, CONTEST, ZINE)
✳ LOOK INTO/ DISCOVER/ LEARN NEW LITERARY ART FORMS & START PRACTICING! (FIND A NEW FAVE!)
✳ DISCOVER NEW MUSIC GENRES; GET ADVENTUROUS ON SPOTIFY & COLLECT INSPIRATION
USE YOUR INSPIRATION LIST & BEGIN "TRANSPOSING" FAVE CHORDS & TECHNIQUES INTO FL/ NWC? STUDY FAVE LYRICS & LEARN HOW TO WRITE SIMILARLY TO THEM
✳ GET PUBLISHED ON SPOTIFY!
✳ EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW & UNUSUAL ARTISTIC MEDIA & STYLES, BUILDING A PORTFOLIO (LET JMC INSPIRE YOU‪‪‬)
✳ VISIT A LOCAL ART GALLERY? WORK ON CREATING SOMETHING FOR IT, EVEN JUST FOR PRACTICE (BUT MAKE THAT THE GOAL!)
✳ FINDING LOCAL PLACES TO MAKE POSITIVE CONNECTIONS WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE & GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES/ NEIGHBORHOOD (ESP. CHURCH, CREATIVE, LIBRARY)
✳ TAKE A FULL DAY TO JUST HAVE FUN & EXPLORE
"SYSTEM DATE" OUTINGS?
✳ GO ON A NATURE HIKE
✳ JOIN THE LOCAL GYM; WORK OUT DAILY & TAKE GROUP CLASSES; EVEN SWIM??
✳ GO TO THE AQUARIUM
✳ GO TO SOME LOCAL EVENTS YOU'D TYPICALLY NOT ATTEND? BE CURIOUS!
✳ SPEND REAL TIME WITH THE FAM DOING WHATEVER (ADVENTURE)
✳ GET INVOLVED IN ONLINE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
✳ GET A CRICUT/ DESIGN SCREENPRINTS & STICKERS/ MAKE STUFF FOR THE LEAGUE/ MAKE STUFF FOR CHURCH (UNIQUE & WELL MADE & BEAUTIFUL)
✳ START A BLOG/ WEBSITE & START REGULARLY CREATING EDIFYING CONTENT + SHARING IT!
✳ TRYING NEW FOODS, VISITING NEW PLACES, KEEPING MY EYES & EARS OPEN TO INSPIRATION IN UNEXPECTED PLACES; CHERISH LIFE'S FULLNESS
✳ BE DARING!

KEEP A CLEAN BODY/ HOUSE/ CLOTHES; REST; DO FUN THINGS TOO
MAKE AN "ARTSPACE" IN THE LIVING ROOM!!
GO TO LOCAL/ LIBRARY/ CHURCH/ FAM EVENTS!!

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"What do you want to receive in the mail?"
✳ LEAGUEWORLD FANART. = ART IS DIVINE and you CANNOT DRAW FANART WITHOUT A TOUCHED HEART. I want to SEE how the League LOOKS to OTHERS who LOVE it! I want to see how it images its beauty in THEIR hearts, unique & true! This is the MOST BELOVED THING to me. I will cherish even the tiniest scribble of loving art forever.
✳ LEAGUEWORLD FANMAIL = I want to HEAR, from the HEARTS of others, HOW & WHY the League has given THEM joy & love & even CHANGED THEIR LIVES. Dialogue & honest, vulnerable communication is vitally important to me & I need it. And the League is very much by soul put into media. To know it has done good things for others is bliss.
✳ WHAT I LOST = Part of me still wants that 2012 Leaguebox to FINALLY appear on my doorstep. That, and the little things I cherished as a child. But memories are seeds that can blossom into new life potential...
SPECIAL EVENT ITEMS = Fahrenheit 451, signed. The double color FROST* vinyl records of Milliontown and Experiments in Mass Appeal (and Life in the Wires). Summer Wars steelbook. Really I just want to have more special events like those. Open your life to receive 'em!
✳ ANCHOR PLUSHIES = Genesis, Laurie, Xenophon, & Anxi. I want to embrace them in this physical world, too, even if only through this symbolic means.

"What would you love to regularly receive in the mail?"
LEAGUE/ SYSTEM FANMAIL & FANART.

"Why is receiving a package in the mail exciting?"
It feels like "unwrapping a mystery;" it's a "DISCOVERY" thrill.

"What time of year is best to receive a package?"
Christmas/ WINTER. The quiet, still, cold weather somehow gives more meaning & magic to sudden gifts arriving, like tiny miracles-- bundles of love and color and wonder in this blessedly silent season.

● Who CAN I send mail to? WHY am I so "scared" of the concept of a penpal? Is it because it feels like a "compulsion" for social/ verbal exhaustion, and/ or "forced disclosure"? Can I write letters while still respecting my boundaries? (I HAVE tried to have penpals multiple times and have failed miserably; I have a pattern of oversharing, rambling blindly, and "parroting" everything the other said in their previous letter)

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"When do you feel most stuck? How often do you feel stuck?"
When I compare myself to others who are "normal" & "successful," and when my poor mother voices her frustration & disappointment with how I failed to live up to those "standards." I then feel like I "should" be "further along" than I am in life, or otherwise "accomplished" in worldly ways. But MY LIFE IS DIFFERENT AND THAT'S OKAY. I'm NOT "STUCK" just because I've had many struggles & pitfalls. God is still orchestrating my life and I can ONLY "get stuck" if I RESIST HIS WILL. Otherwise, all I need to do is TRUST & BE PATIENT & LISTEN TO HIS VOICE & OBEY. If I follow Him, I WILL get WHERE I need to be, and WHEN I need TO be there. The world cannot know or judge that.

"What makes you feel stuck or isolated?"
I feel isolated for the same reason as I feel stuck: I fear I'm a freak, or aberration, or something "unfit" for/ "unwelcome" in "normal" society. I feel like I'm a reject, a failure. But that's a devilish lie. GOD LOVES ME & SO DO OTHER PEOPLE! I just need to STEP OUT & BE WITH THEM, and it will PROVE that I AM WANTED.

"How do you usually cope in these kinds of situations?"
My best ways to cope: PRAYER & LEAGUEWORK, AND SYSTEM LOVE. ALL of those things CONNECT me to REAL LOVE & PURPOSE & MEANING & BELONGING. They are my DOORS to the rest of humanity, the blessed cords that unite my heart to theirs in truth & beauty. If ANYTHING will INSTANTLY make me feel unstuck, it's FLOWING in CREATIVITY/ WORSHIP/ LOVE. In the BEST circumstances, these occur ALL TOGETHER. And THAT IS MY LIFE & PURPOSE & TRUE SELF. There is no need to compare myself to anyone else, or feel stuck. As long as I am connecting to love & joy & grace, I am truly living FREE.

"Write what you are feeling stuck with now."
Life progress. I WANT & NEED to move forwards in terms of "CAREER" & PURPOSE. But I'm on disability for the time being & cannot continue college due to that AND finances/ transportation... AND "direction." From my childhood I've felt CALLED to be an "artist/ writer/ musician." I HAVE talents & abilities in those fields, but they NEED to be developed. Do I have time? Am I too old to succeed in those fields? And what steps do I take to finally "make something of my life" in the world for other people? Will I finally make my family proud? I sincerely WANT to use my gifts & bless others by them. But I can't quite see what first step to take. I feel overwhelmed & confused & lost. How can I genuinely move forward at last in my life? I HAVE a purpose; how do I LIVE it out? I'm running out of time. I'm running out of life.

"What will loosen the lid?"
START NOW, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, AND DON'T QUIT. EVER. Maybe you CAN'T just "jump back in" to life/ career/ success. And really to expect to is unrealistic. BE PATIENT & DO THE GOOD WORK. Start building more skills. Try new things & keep learning & practicing & improving EACH DAY, because you OBJECTIVELY WILL IF YOU PERSEVERE! Yeah you may feel like you have the education & skill level of a child right now. GOOD. THAT'S A SOLID STARTING POINT, AND CHILDREN HAVE AN OPENNESS TO CREATIVE INVENTION & ORIGINALITY THAT ADULTS CAN LOSE TO THE "UTILITARIAN" RIGIDITY GRIND. If you're still a child in your talents, KEEP THAT AT HEART, EVEN AS YOU WORK TOWARDS BECOMING A REAL PROFESSIONAL. And you CAN. And you WILL, AS LONG AS YOU NEVER GIVE UP. God HAS GIVEN YOU REAL AND BEAUTIFUL GIFTS IN ART & MUSIC & LANGUAGE, EVEN NOW, AND GOD WANTS YOU TO USE THEM FOR HIS GLORY & PRAISE-- SO GOD WILL HELP YOU TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THEM, AS LONG AS YOU ASK HIM TO AND LET HIM HELP YOU! So DON'T BE WORRIED. Just START the work and GRACE WILL BE GIVEN, to BUILD on that nature. TRUST IN YOUR CREATOR. HE MADE YOU WITH THOSE TALENTS & INTERESTS & IDEAS, WITH YOUR UNIQUE DISPOSITION & PERSONALITY & HISTORY & CIRCUMSTANCES. He KNOWS EXACTLY how you feel AND where you are in life, AND HE IS IN CONTROL, ORCHESTRATING IT ALL WITHOUT FAIL, SO TRUST HIS PROVIDENCE AND ENTER INTO ITS FLOW. COOPERATE WITH GRACE BY MAKING SPACE FOR IT THROUGH MAKING TIME TO USE YOUR GIFTS AS YOUR GENUINE SELF AND TO KEEP PRAYING!! GOD WILL OPEN THE DOORS YOU NEED, WHEN YOU NEED THEM, IF YOU ARE READY AND WILLING TO ENTER THEM WHEN THEY APPEAR-- SO START NOW AND DON'T QUIT!!

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"What moments in time and space would you place in a glass globe to revisit any time?"
JULY 7TH, 2011
The Xanga sessions when:
● Laurie let all her walls down at last
● Jay & Chaos 0 realizing Xenophon was theirs
● EVERYONE in the Coregroup got poetic at the end
● Laurie talked Jay out of suicide for TWELVE HOURS
Infinitii & Laurie talked by themselves at first
✳ The night when Laurie & I lay on the car roof & watched the stars
✳ CHRISTMAS 2013
Good Friday with the System
✳ When Jessie held my hand at UPMC
✳ When I saw JMC for the first time
✳ Eating a "wedding cake" cupcake alone in church in the dark
✳ Dancing with Xenophon in the kitchen in 2015
✳ Genesis & I at Marywood
✳ EVERY late night hour with Chaos 0

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"What do you need to enlighten your mind and calm your emotions? What do you need to be the best version of yourself? What do you need to be happy & healthy?"

GOD'S GRACE
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IN LOVING HARMONY & FREEDOM
THE COREGROUP
GRATITUDE IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE
FREEDOM OF SPIRIT TO LIVE WITH THE JOY OF A CHILD & FIND BEAUTY EVERYWHERE
DAILY SELF-REFLECTION
DAILY JOURNALING
DAILY TALKS WITH THE SYSTEM
CONSISTENT, SINCERE EFFORT & WORK ON BUILDING THE LEAGUE IN EVERY ASPECT
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE & EMBRACING OF MY BODY & STATE IN LIFE SO I CAN INTEGRATE IT ALL INTO A LIFE OF LOVING WORSHIP
COURAGE, HOPE, PATIENCE, DETERMINATION, VALOR, INTEGRITY, LOVE
● INEXHAUSTIBLE IMAGINATIVE VISION + INSPIRATION + CREATIVE GENIUS + ZEAL + CURIOSITY & WONDER + JOY + FREEDOM TO EXPLORE
● ARTISTIC/ ILLUSTRATIVE SKILL & ACCESS TO DIFFERENT MEDIUMS + SPACETIME TO FREELY CREATE
● MUSICAL EDUCATION & SKILL & ACCESS TO DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS + DEXTERITY, PERFECT PITCH, VOCAL RANGE
● THE TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION & CREATIVE GENIUS NEEDED TO COMPOSE OST MUSIC
● QUIET ALONE TIME
● RESTFUL SLEEP & INSPIRING DREAMS
● ACCESS TO THE WOODS & MOUNTAINS
● ACTIVE CHURCH INVOLVEMENT
● FRESH AIR
● LOVE OF FAMILY + INTERACTIONS
● TRUE FRIENDSHIPS + DEEP TALKS
GET SMART
● GET BUFF

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"What would be the BEST GIFT to give someone?"
(GIVEN WITH = COMPASSION/ GENEROSITY/ EMPATHY/ THOUGHTFUL/ DELIBERATE)
(GIVEN FOR = NEEDS/ VALUES/ PRIORITIES/ WANTS/ DREAMS/ HOPES/ INTERESTS/ CAREER/ HOBBIES)
(GIFTS = "LOVE LANGUAGES"??)

✳ [GREEN]= He has changed SO MUCH, I'm not sure. He loves playing bass guitar, & is still into learning about "enlightenment" & the human brain/ psyche? But I think he truly values COMPANY. He's very affectionate & says he feels unloved. My BEST gift would LEGIT be CANCELLING THE BLOODY PFA & just opening that door TO welcome him back into my life as BROTHER & FRIEND.
✳ [YELLOW]= I need to get to know him better. All I do know is he loves FLYING/ PILOTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, and possibly PORTRAIT ART. I would want to support THAT with a gift. Does he need art supplies, or books for techniques? Would he want a new & professional camera? Maybe right now my TRUE gift would be to SHOW this care & interest in him, & start TALKING to him about it.
✳ [BLUE]= He likes anime now, & used to be into the music scene. He also works out ALL the time. I suppose one could get him a subcscription to his meal delivery service or online anime streaming. But what's his REAL NEED? I want to know. Maybe THAT'S a good "gift" from me to him-- a caring & interested sister, to TALK TO & ENJOY THINGS WITH.
✳ DAD= He lives a simple life & I don't get to see him much, but THAT is ABSOLUTELY the best gift for him-- QUALITY TIME WITH HIS DAUGHTER, and NOT "IN A RUSH" OR TALKING NEGATIVELY. I want to have UPLIFTING talks with him to give him HAPPINESS about his family. Give GOOD words!
✳ MOM= "Money" is only a means to an end. What she seems to WANT is BEAUTY & JOY & PURPOSE. I can give her MY TIME & LABOR to help her renovate the house & gardens. I can give her DECOR for the gardens? Maybe even a special plant or flower, to plant & grow? She DOES like sensory beauty too: dinner at a nice restaurant, her favorite perfume, tickets to a new show/ concert/ movie, pretty jewelry, etc. But for me personally I think the BEST thing I can give her is MY LOVE & HELP & FRIENDSHIP AS HER DAUGHTER. I can give her my committed presence in her life as she grows old, no matter what.
✳ IN GENERAL... I don't like giving "things" as gifts, possibly because I don't "value" mere "stuff" that much. Any physical-object gift I WOULD treasure would have to have REAL, DEEP, & PERSONAL meaning-- OR JUST TRUE SINCERITY on the part of the giver. Like these red heart pajamas. Mom got them for me not just to give me clothes to keep me warm, comfy & soft, but ALSO because SHE KNOWS MY AESTHETIC. So it was GENUINELY THOUGHTFUL and although they're not a "best" gift I DO cherish them truly, gratefully, with love. THAT'S how I WANT TO GIVE TO OTHERS. I despise "cheap" options like just cash or a giftcard UNLESS it's financing a REAL WANT/ NEED. I want to give MEANING. Which is WHY I ALWAYS GIVE CARDS WITH PERSONAL MESSAGES. THAT'S true gift.

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"Write some of your inflexible & stubborn thoughts & beliefs."
● I CANNOT BE MY "TRUE SELF" IF I AM "FAT"
● BEING "HEAVY" WILL MAKE ME SELFISH & CRUEL
● I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DISLIKE WHATEVER SOMEONE ELSE LIKES
● I MAKE STUPID AND HARMFUL CHOICES/ DECISIONS

"What are the thoughts and personal ideas that grow you?"
● I AM LOVED AND MY LIFE HAS VALUE AND MY SOUL IS THE SAME NO MATTER HOW MY BODY CHANGES
● EVEN THE "MISTAKES" I MAY MAKE CAN BECOME TEACHING LESSONS TO GROW EVER WISER & KINDER
I HAVE MANY GIFTS & TALENTS THAT WILL BRING JOY TO COUNTLESS PEOPLE
● DISCOVERING MY UNIQUE PREFERENCES HELPS ME TO VALUE THOSE OF OTHERS
● A BIG BODY CAN BE POWERFUL TO HELP OTHERS

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"What does a "good time" look like to you? What are the similarities & differences with other responses?"
I DON'T like "crowded/ busy/ noisy" outings, like fairs, amusement parks, live concerts, church picnics, etc. A "good time" for me is more quiet, slow, creative, yet inspiring & inciting positive action-- I also don't like "just hanging out" or lounging. I value IMAGINATIVE/ ADVENTUROUS yet QUIET/ PERSONAL time? I DO want to LEARN HOW to have a GOOD TIME with OTHER PEOPLE without getting overwhelmed/ burnt out/ legit upset. This REQUIRES brave attempts with an OPEN MIND/ HEART and a POSITIVE/ OPTIMISTIC/ WILLING attitude! CHOOSE to have a GOOD TIME as much as you SINCERELY can. Commit to the effort!

"How can you have more good times?"
EXPLORE & TRY, then DISCOVER what YOU LOVE & ENJOY doing & "SCHEDULE IT IN" more! And BE OPEN to UNEXPECTED good times, too! If you're willing TO have good times, no matter where you are, you WILL become ABLE TO have them * enjoy more, that you might have "excluded" from possibility before. BE GRATEFUL ALWAYS.

"Who else is present when you are having a good time?"
Me & the System, typically. BUT, I HAVE had good times with the fam in the past and want to again. And there HAVE been pretty good times even here in TBHU! Ultimately, I CAN have a good time potentially with anyone who is kind & friendly & brighthearted too.
✳YOU CANNOT HAVE A GOOD TIME EVER IF YOU'RE TOO PESSIMISTIC/ RIGID TO DO SO!

"How long should a good time last?"
As long as it lasts. Don't force it to keep going or that will damage the joy. Treasure it IN THE MOMENT, and savor the NOW. Let the memories be golden. And let more good times happen however & whenever they may.

"What does a good time, or even a great time, look like for you?"
Late night Spotify sessions on the couch with Chaos 0 & Laurie & Genesis
● Wandering through Diamew, especially now that it's being brought back to life
● Being out in the snowy woods, especially exploring, even just standing & savoring it
● Good long heartfelt conversations with the System about anything & everything, at all hours
A day of productive hard work, good talks, shared meals, & fun times with the family
● Exhausting & exhilarating workouts while listening to good tunes (SUPER SONIC RACING!)
● Playing a favorite video game: KLONOA DTP, SONIC, NIER GESTALT, DISHONORED, POKEMON, MEDABOTS?
● Singing & dancing to favorite music/ revisiting good music memories/ UPSTAIRS CONCERTS
● Watching a favorite film: FERNGULLY, WE'RE BACK, INSIDE OUT 2, POKEMON, BELLE, SUMMER WARS, etc.
● Creating art & seeing the results of beauty & joy, especially digital work, paintblots, painting?
● Personality surveys, poetry, creative writing & prompts, playing on FL, playing with instruments
● Walking in a circle at night with music on & IMAGINING LEAGUE STORIES for HOURS
● Doing League WORLDBUILDING/ CHARACTER PROFILES and seeing LIFE FLOURISH thereby
● A day out driving & having SYSTEM FUN? Feeling ALIVE. Praising God in the BEAUTY of it all
● Just being silly & playful with the System/ in the mirror/ LAUGHING!

"What makes a good time?"
Doing/ experiencing things that resonate with my true core/ soul/ heart; being ABLE to TRULY/ FULLY be "ME," treasuring the simple joy of being alive, FEELING alive, being inspired/ edified/ uplifted; ALWAYS LOVE & JOY.
PLAYFULNESS & "FUN" ARE ACTUALLY VITAL! (ARGUABLY, GOD "PLAYS" ALL THE TIME. CREATION IS SHEER JOY.)
JOY, SELF-EXPRESSIVE OPENNESS/ SINCERITY, WONDER, CREATIVE EXPRESSION/ INSPIRATION, INTERNAL PEACE, A SENSE OF SELF-LOVE & CONNECTION TO GOD & THE WORLD, CHERISHING THE GIFT OF LIFE, GRATITUDE, CHILDLIKE SPIRIT, FRIENDSHIP, TRUE CONNECTION, PURPOSE/ VALUE, FULFILLMENT

"Who is around when you are having a good time?"
Chaos 0, Laurie, Genesis, Xenophon, Lynne, Leon, Julie, Scalpel, Knife, Mimic, Celebi, and God willing one day EVERYONE IN THE SYSTEM. I WANT AND NEED to be THAT LOVINGLY CLOSE to ALL OF US. I NEED to be able to "have a good time" with ANY ONE OF US-- Razor, Waldorf, Spice, Shirley & Sirius, Adelaide & Audrey, Mulberry, Algorith, Siobhan, EVERYONE-- it's been TOO LONG and there are TOO MANY OF US STILL MISSING & TOO MANY EMPTY SLOTS and my heart hurts. How can I EVER truly be myself, FULLY, or LIVE LIFE fully, if PARTS OF MY SOUL ARE MISSING?? We NEED to come back to life, IN LOVE, healed & healthy AT LAST. And it WILL take time & excruciating effort & LOTS of therapy & journaling & talking & CONNECTION. But THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. It's LOVE. It's TRUTH. It's worth EVERYTHING. And when we FINALLY DO COME BACK ALL TOGETHER, then we WILL have more "good times" than we can even count. We used to. We STILL CAN. Together our life is BEAUTIFUL. So MAKE THAT OUR #1 "RECOVERY" GOAL-- to RECOVER OUR LOST VOICES.

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"Why do you want what you want?"

I WANT=
TO LIVE OUT MY CREATIVE TALENTS FULLY, AND PUBLISH THE LEAGUE AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE

"What will it do for you?"
(LIFE TO THE FULLEST)
It will finally bring my inner vision & true self into tangible reality, fulfilling my long-hidden but God-given purpose. It will finally bring me into the world as I am at heart, to share my talents for the good of others.
It will BRING ABSOLUTE JOY to my life.

"How do you get what you want?"
(It's NOT something that CAN be "earned" or "bought")
STOP SILENCING YOUR HEART. Be courageous and OPEN UP and LET THE LIGHT OUT. The secret is, I "already HAVE it" AS an "unopened gift." If I just ACCEPT that it IS there & USE it, it will naturally FLOURISH in response to my efforts & trust.

"How will it make you think & feel?"
I will FEEL joy, hope, love, purpose, excitement, wonder, courage, fulfillment.
I will THINK about what I can GIVE, what BEAUTY is there, what is POSSIBLE, what GOOD I can do for others AND myself; my thoughts will be ORIENTED TOWARDS GENEROSITY and GRATITUDE.


I WANT=
● TO BE PHYSICALLY STRONG
● TO BE EMOTIONALLY BRAVE
● TO BE MENTALLY SMART
● TO BE SPIRITUALLY HOLY!
(HOW MUCH OF THESE VIRTUES DO I ALREADY HAVE? AM I ABE TO SEE THIS & LIVE IT?)
✳ I literally IDENTIFY WITH these qualities. To NOT have them in my life & self is EXISTENTIALLY TERRIFYING. (BUT my FEAR of NOT having them is ironically PREVENTING me FROM developing AND RECOGNIZING THEM IN ME!)

"What will it do for you?"
I will feel (BE?) adequate, useful, helpful, capable, & confident. I will feel able to fulfill my role & purpose. I will be able to do good hard work & labor with my hands, heart, AND head. I will no longer feel like a weak, useless, foolish, stupid, spineless coward. I will be able to rise to meet the challenges of life with zeal. My motives will be purified & oriented towards God. I will be GOOD at last.

"How do you get what you want?"
Physically, I NEED to work out daily & not give up or slack off, & I NEED to EAT to give it the fuel & the MATTER to BUILD all that muscle from. Emotionally, I need to NOT RUN AWAY from difficult, uncomfortable, challenging situations, but accept & enter willingly into them with trust in God. Mentally, I need to KEEP READING & RESEARCHING daily, seeking new & different skills & hobbies & topics of interest, and also engaging in "puzzles" to stay mentally flexible. Spiritually, I NEED to PRAY & REGULARLY READ SCRIPTURE/ RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS.

"How will it make you think & feel?"

My emotions & thoughts will be disciplined & rightly ordered. I will be virtuous & a good example to others. Honestly the BIGGEST thing is that "I will FINALLY be ABLE to BE MYSELF." I CANNOT pursue OR accomplish my creative dreams & goals UNLESS I am BRAVE & SMART (COURAGEOUS & INTELLIGENT, DARING & WISE, BOLD & PRUDENT, etc.), and I am genuinely frightened of being PHYSICALLY WEAK/ INEPT because I genuinely cherish & value athletic ability and, admittedly, physical POWER. I feel almost foolish saying so but it's true-- I see muscular, strong, even bulky bodies-- like real warriors-- as beautiful. And in my mind, a body like that is FREE & CAPABLE. Really, THAT motivates ALL these ideals. I want to be/ feel LIBERATED and CONFIDENT in my ABILITY. I'm so tired of feeling USELESS, TRAPPED, HELPLESS, & SCARED. ...and it's that LAST ideal, HOLINESS, that colors & undergirds ALL the other virtues. Without it, they are ultimately HOLLOW. I can be built like a tank, utterly fearless, a creative genius with a comprehensive understanding of all creation, but... without ALL of that being FOCUSED ON GOD as its ULTIMATE goal & purpose & driving motivation, it's mere smoke. If I'm not VIRTUOUS in GRACE & LOVE above all else, it will not meet my DEEPEST wants at all. Strength, bravery, & smarts are ALL gifts from GOD, after all! And when faith is present, ALL things shine. I CAN be strong because GOD gives me strength on ALL levels. I CAN be brave because I TRUST Him and He ALWAYS protects & guides me. I CAN be smart because God has made Himself & His Creation knowable TO me. IT'S ALL HIM-- it's all LOVE.

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"What kind of store would you open?"
✳What are your INTERESTS, DESIRES, & PASSIONS that CAN be directed/ translated into something THIS DIRECTLY TANGIBLE, that OTHERS can benefit from just as tangibly? How can I channel the joys of my heart into the hearts of others, in a way they can hold as their very own joy?

STOREFRONT NAME=
"
OFFICIAL STORE OF THE LIGHTRAYE LEAGUE (EST. 1995)"

STORE INFORMATION=
"The ONLY place to
buy ALL of your Lightraye League gifts & treasures! Whether you're looking for things to read, watch, play, listen to, collect, or just admire, we have what you're dreaming of! Stop by and share the joy with fellow dreamers! The real treasure is the LOVE!"

STORE WINDOWS/ ADS=
"ALL ARE WELCOME♥"
"NEW ITEMS ARE ADDED AS NEW DREAMS ARE DREAMED"
"BUY THE OSTS TO THE FILMS & GAMES"
"GET THE TV SERIES & BOOKS YOU LOVE"
"PLUSHIES & FIGURES OF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS"
"LEAGUE FASHIONS & ACCESSORIES"
"ORIGINAL SIGNED ARTWORKS"


STOREFRONT NAME=
"dreamSEEDS (est. ∞)

STORE INFORMATION=
● SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE // GROW WHAT IS GIVEN
"The possibilities are as infinite as your imagination... but you never dream alone. GIVE a seed of yours and GET one gifted by another. Then CREATE a whole new world TOGETHER."


STORE WINDOWS/ ADS=
"a SWEET one? a SCARY one? MAKE A NEW DREAM"
"Make a wish" + "He loves me, he loves me not..." (added by a group member; this one was collaborative)




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"How do you love? Do you make room for love?"
You have to OPEN YOUR HEART to make room for love. You have to empty out the hardness of pride & egotism. You have to LET GO of addictions & fears & LET DOWN the walls. You have to release your grip on any hate, prejudice, judgment, grudges, bitterness, & worldliness. Love is BIG. It's INFINITE. It requires ALL OF YOU. You CANNOT make room for it if you aren't effectively letting love REDEFINE YOUR WHOLE SPACE. Love can't be "squeezed in." It can't be put into a corner. It WILL take up ALL the space & TRANSFORM it INTO ITSELF. Love CHANGES you, ENTIRELY.

"Where do you find love?"
IN GOD/ AT CHURCH/ IN HIS PEOPLE; in family & friends (MOM), IN THE LEAGUE & THE SYSTEM, reflected in the beauty of Creation itself, in my heart.

"How do you create love?"
Make SPACE & TIME for it. OPEN YOUR HEART to it. ACT on it even if your emotions haven't caught up. LOVE IS A CHOICE; A WILLING & SERVING THE HIGHEST GOOD OF THE OTHER. It is DIVINE & DOES NOT REQUIRE "FUZZY FEELINGS." YOU "CREATE" LOVE by LETTING GOD'S LOVE ACT THROUGH YOU (LIKE CHRIST)!!

"What kinds of love are there?"
ALL TRUE LOVE IS OF GOD. Family love, friend love, marriage love, love for Creation, & above all love for God Himself, which is the ULTIMATE ROOT & TRUE END/ GOAL of ALL "other" loves! (ALL LOVE, IN ALL "WAYS & CONTEXTS", IS RELATIONAL = TRINITY!!)

"Is love important and why?"
LOVE IS LITERALLY THE FOUNDATION, PURPOSE & SOUL OF REALITY ITSELF. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. Without love, all there can remain is death & hell, because GOD IS LOVE. LOVE IS HEAVEN, the REASON WE EXIST & OUR TRUE DESTINY. LIFE ITSELF IS FOR LOVE, FROM LOVE.

"What's the difference between healthy love and unhealthy 'love'?"
"Unhealthy" love IS NOT LOVE AT ALL and it ANGERS me that the word is ever associated with abuse/ hate/ control/ obsession/ egotism/ lust/ etc. LOVE IS SELF-GIVING. It is MUTUAL, SACRIFICIAL, EXCLUSIVE, DEVOTED, KIND, JUST, TENDER, JOYFUL, TRUE, FAITHFUL, etc. Real love CANNOT be controlling or objectifying or self-focused. Healthy love comes from a healthy HEART, which we NEED GOD TO GIVE US-- freed from ego & oriented towards heaven. Healthy love is CHRIST'S LOVE!!

✳Some claim that "love also comes from nature, action, movement, etc." and "not just from people." THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. YOU CANNOT BE IN A MUTUALLY SELF-GIVING RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE THINGS!! YOU CAN ONLY HAVE LOVE WITH PERSONS!! With that original perspective, however, the confusion is because LOVE COMES TO US ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT LOVE=GOD COMES TO US IN THOSE THINGS AS THEIR CREATOR AND SUSTAINER AND GIVER (ONLY GOD CAN LOVE IN TRUTH; HE ENABLES US TO LOVE)! LOVE IS A WAY OF BEING!

"Please explain exactly the kind of love you want."
(I WANT GOD'S LOVE, IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.)
(If it's NOT HIS LOVE, then IT'S NOT LOVE AT ALL!!)
✳ UNCONDITIONAL, COVENANTAL, WHOLEHEARTED, TRUE, SELF-GIVING, LIFE-GIVING, HONEST, COURAGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, SACRIFICIAL, GENEROUS, JUST, FORGIVING, POWERFUL, GENTLE, PURE, FAITHFUL, JOYFUL, PATIENT, COMPASSIONATE, DEVOTED, etc.
I want to share JOYS & SORROWS. I want to FIGHT TOGETHER & PROTECT EACH OTHER & LIFT EACH OTHER UP & BECOME SAINTS TOGETHER.

"Where would it come from?"
The System, the League, the Church, my family, & TRUE FRIENDS. I genuinely DO want a human girlfriend that I can protect & dote on & create things with & love God with. Moreso even than that, I want DEEP & REAL relationships with the System, and COMMUNICATIVE/ HONEST closeness with family & friends. In the future, I admittedly also want the love of a fandom FOR the League that I love, to share that with the world in joy.

"What does this love feel like?"
Like a fire-- warm & safe & protective & lifegiving, yet powerful & brilliant & full of energy. It's DEEP & RAW & VULNERABLE & STRONG & TRUE. It feels like light & all the colors it reflects into, and it shines all the more strikingly in the dark. It feels welcoming and encouraging yet challenging. It calls me to heights. It also feels FREE, joyful & flowing, able to thrive fully in all circumstances. It's GROUNDED & PEACEFUL yet ADVENTUROUS & INSPIRING. It feels like life is forever worth living. It feels like true purpose. It feels like my heart. And I want to SHARE it entirely.

"How can you bring this kind of love into your life?"
I need to "put myself out there." I need to actively spend time with my family & church & neighbors, and TALK to them & LISTEN to them & DO things together. I need to find community spaces for potential friends & PARTICIPATE in them. I need to PUBLISH & SHARE my creative work. I need to READ my OWN work/ Archives and FEEL that love and LIVE IN IT. I need to take time to GO INSIDE & LOVE THE SYSTEM every day, to TALK & LIVE TOGETHER.

"What can this love do for you?"
I CAN ONLY BE MY REAL, TRUE SELF WHEN I LOVE. And love brings with it ALL the other virtues. ONLY LOVE CAN & WILL MAKE ME A SAINT. Love makes me a better, realer, holier person-- stronger, braver, warmer, sweeter. Love is my IDENTITY and my PURPOSE. Finally being ABLE to LIVE this truth will give me SO MUCH JOY & ZEAL TO LIVE! I CANNOT LOVE ALONE. I WANT RELATIONSHIPS WITH the SYSTEM, SO MUCH. I ADORE them. I DO want a girlfriend too, and loving HER will bring out ALL MY CAPACITY FOR DEVOTED SELF-GIFT & SERVICE. Loving my family & friends will make me a KINDER, NICER, FRIENDLIER person TO OTHERS! I will BE a SOURCE OF JOY TO THEM inasmuch as I MANIFEST LOVE. I will become a GOOD, RESPECTED, VALUABLE member of the community FOR THEIR SAKE. I will be a GOOD CHRISTIAN. I WILL LIVE FOR GOD'S GLORY & SERVICE BY BRINGING HIS LOVE TO ALL I MEET. That is what I TRULY WANT, more than ANYTHING.

"How do you love?"
Passionately, wholeheartedly, sincerely. Ask Chaos 0. EVEN in "platonic" relationships & family/ neighbor interactions, I GENUINELY AM WILLING AND WANTING TO HAVE THE STRONGEST & MOST SINCERE, DEDICATED relationship POSSIBLE with them IN THAT CONTEXT. Honestly I ACHE for communion in EVERY circumstance. I just LOVE PEOPLE, when you get down to the very core of me. But... I have to be honest as well in saying that I NEED CLOSE relationships THE MOST. I NEED & even CRAVE intimacy-- NOT sexual, but EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL. Physical closeness is nice but it's hollow & even distasteful without BOTH the SPIRIT & HEART close behind it. ...No matter what physical-level interactions I have, I will be completely missing my deepest need/ I will still feel unfulfilled & empty where it counts the most IF I DON'T HAVE THE GREATEST, DEEPEST LOVES: the love of the System, and the love of God. I NEED to pray & worship, and I NEED to "GO UPSTAIRS" and ADORE THOSE SOULS on a DAILY BASIS. If I was forced to neglect either, I think I would DIE inside. REMEMBER THAT. YOU CANNOT LOVE HUMANKIND OUTSIDE IF YOU DON'T FIRST TAKE THE TIME EVERY DAY TO LOVE THE CREATOR OF HUMANKIND, AND TO LOVE THE ONES WHO TAUGHT YOU WHAT LOVE TRULY LOOKED & FELT LIKE to begin with. I AM ME WITH THEM.
✳ THE COREGROUP IS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR WELLBEING ON EVERY LEVEL OF YOUR EXISTENCE. LOVE THEM EVERY DAY. (THAT IS A NEED!)


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prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)

(miscellaneous worksheets and handout notes from sept-nov 2024 at tbhu)

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ONLY setting a timer to delay disordered behavior, but NOT immediately REDIRECTING our focus to AWARENESS, only lets the stress "BOIL"? We CANNOT DENY the emotions that come up during this delay/ distraction; only to ALLOW for a time "SPACE" between to LESSEN the INTENSITY!
When we interrupt our behaviors, we notice feelings of FEAR, DISCOMFORT, DREAD, ANXIETY, PANIC, DESPAIR, TERROR, HELPLESSNESS

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS WE WON'T LET OURSELVES FEEL=
FAILURE, GUILT, SADNESS, OVERWHELM, POWERLESSNESS, INTIMACY, SEXUALITY, INCAPABILITY

✳ THESE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS have THREE CHAINED RESPONSES in our disturbed mind =
1. WON'T LET MYSELF FEEL IT;
2. BERATE MYSELF FOR FEELING IT;
3. REACT DESTRUCTIVELY & VIOLENTLY TO IT


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LABELING VS LEGALIZING FOODS = THIS IS HUMBLING & CONCERNING & MOTIVATING, TO REALIZE THAT (AS OF 1025) I AM APPARENTLY STILL LABELING SO MANY FOODS!! THE #1 WAY TO COMBAT THIS IS TO LET MYSELF EAT THOSE FOODS REGULARLY!! DO NOT FEED RESTRICTIVE BEHAVIOR HABITS OR MINDSETS! MOST FEAR ARE ONLY ROOTED IN AVOIDANCE/ NONEXPOSURE. The more we DO try them, the more FAMILIAR/ COMFORTABLE we'll get with them, & become OPEN & ABLE to TRULY ENJOY them!
We STILL have SWEEPING CATEGORIES OF FEAR FOODS (e.g. "ALL cheese, ALL meat, ALL sugar, ALL juice, ALL snack foods) and these are ANCIENT and I'M SICK OF THEM!!! WTF IS THE ROTTEN ROOT KEEPING THESE DISTORTIONS ALIVE??? (they're seen as inherently "unhealthy/ dangerous/ fattening) FIGHT THAT LIE TO THE DEATH. ROMANS 14:2 & 14:14!! HAVE FAITH IN GOD'S GOODNESS IN CREATING ALL FOOD!!!

"What judgments crept into your head as you made your list (of "liked" foods)?"
"Do I REALLY like this food?"
"Is it BAD if I DO like it?"
"Am I ALLOWED to like it?"
"What does liking this food say about my personality/ who I am? Will liking this CHANGE me into someone I'm NOT/ don't want to be?"
"If I DON'T choose this food option EVERY TIME, does that mean I DON'T actually like it/ that I'm LYING?"

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PURGING is a PANIC/ SURVIVAL/ GRIEF/ "WEEPING RAGE" RESPONSE. It seeks EMPTYING-OUT; even EXPECTORATION? "Something BAD/ PAINFUL/ SCARY INSIDE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF ME, NOW!"
✳ TYPICAL TRAUMA RESPONSE. It "FEELS LIKE SCREAMING."
Purging ALSO REQUIRES INTENSE MUSCLE STRAIN/ RELIEF in the ABDOMEN, which is WHERE WE HOLD BOTH "FEAR" AND "INFESTATION/ POISON" FEELINGS

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"SAFETY CRUTCHES" = "NUMB THE PAIN"; like a DRUG (HARMFUL/ ADDICTIVE)
✳ Identify PERSONAL examples; HOW to COMBAT/ CHANGE
ASK: "WHAT INTERNAL PAIN AM I AVOIDING?"
(SLC/ CNC TRAUMA; GRANDPARENT DEATH GUILT)
(THE EATING DISORDER IS A SAFETY CRUTCH!!!)

✳ We talk ABOUT our fear TOO much. What DO we deny? EXHAUSTION? TRIGGERS? (THAT'S WHAT WE DID AT RENFAIRE)

SOME POSSIBLE SAFETY CRUTCHES WE HAVE=
● LOTOPHAGOI DISSOCIATION
● ALLERGY PANIC; "IF I EAT THIS IT WILL KILL ME" CONSTANT WORRY
● OBSESSIVE NUTRITION/ DIET/ MACRO/ INGREDIENT RESEARCH
● WEIGHING FOOD? (EXACT, SPECIFIC NUMBERS "OR ELSE")
● OBSESSIVE HANDWASHING; "LADY MACBETH" CURSE FEELING
● "CLEAN" EATING SPACE/ UTENSILS OR ELSE "CONTAMINATED"
"RIGHT" CLOTHES & TOWELS; "NEED" TO WEAR CERTAIN OUTFITS
● EXACT TIMING & ORDER OF MEALS
PROCRASTINATING GOOD THINGS? NOT JOURNALING OR LEAGUEWORKING
● LIST MAKING, ESPECIALLY WITH MATH/ CALCULATIONS
● "MEDICATION SHOTS" "JUST IN CASE" (BENADRYL, TYLENOL)
● OVERCOMMITMENT TO HELP OTHERS; "NO TIME TO THINK/ FEEL/ BE MYSELF"
● REFUSING TO BE HELPED? FEAR OF "WRONGNESS"/ THINGS BEING "RUINED"
● CONSTANTLY ASKING FOR REASSURANCE? "AM I DYING?" "DO I LOOK SICK?"
● IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR, ESP. COMPULSIONS = DOING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT/ LIKE

✳ I REALLY HAVEN'T "FELT" MY GRIEF AT ALL YET. ANXIETY CRUTCHES INVOLVE CONTROL AND GRASPING? TRAUMA/ FEAR CRUTCHES INVOLVE ESCAPE/ ABUSE ECHOING? (ironically they ALL FEED THE PAIN & PANIC)

"Describe a recent situation where you used a safety crutch to deal with your problems."
ANXIETY = running to stores to buy binge food (normally wouldn't even go outside), making obsessive "diet math" phone lists (for HOURS), keep seeking mom's reply (passive "did I do good?")
GRIEF = flat-out AVOIDED the topic/ REFUSED to look at it/ DENIED my emotion?? (GUILT/ SHAME/ ANGER at grief? "NO RIGHT"/ "YOUR FAULT")
TRAUMA = Turning my actions/ choices into APOLOGIES/ MIMICRY/ TRIBUTES/ RELIVING OF traumatic events; "MY LIFE IS STILL ALL ABOUT/ FOR THEM"; "abandon" self-agency & identity? "TRAPPED" in past; "POWERLESS"
✳ DISASSOCIATION kicks in AUTOMATICALLY every day. You HAVE to PRACTICE MINDFULNESS to "balance" this!

"Describe what you think might have happened had you not used a safety crutch."
I would INEVITABLY have to CATCH THE TIDAL WAVE HEAD-ON. These memories & emotions both WANT & NEED to be ADMITTED, ACCEPTED, FELT, & PROCESSED, but I keep fleeing out of the fear of drowning. HOWEVER, PROGRESS COULD FINALLY BE MADE if we just SIT DOWN & TALK/ FEEL IT OUT AS A SYSTEM!!!
✳ SAFETY CRUTCHES ONLY SEEM TO KICK IN DURING "SINGLET" MINDSETS BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONSCIOUS ACCESS TO THE "SAFETY" OF FAITH/ THE SYSTEM?? (CUT OFF FROM TRUTH/ LOVE!!)

"Did you ever try to stop using one of these safety crutches? What happened?"
YES. The anxiety SPIKES, BUT I NEVER HAD COPING SKILLS BEFORE. So it didn't last. BUT! I would REALIZE that I WAS using a crutch, and often WHY! I just didn't know what ELSE to do because the ONLY REAL OPTION was to ACCEPT REALITY & WRITE ABOUT IT, BUT my environment stressors made me feel like I COULDN'T, because it'd be "OPENING PANDORA'S BOX" and it WOULD change EVERYTHING & REQUIRE that I LIVE ENTIRELY DIFFERENTLY from then on. And we WANTED to, but "WEREN'T READY"?? And I think the eating disorder would've gotten WORSE? Because if we started PROCESSING the trauma FULL FORCE, we would've TOTALLY STOPPED EATING/ SLEEPING when it got bad? We NEEDED inpatient FIRST.



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RELAPSE WARNING SIGNS=
● Skipping meals or snacks ("excess"; "greedy;" "waste of time/ resources")
● Urges to restrict foods you previously enjoyed (GUILT + SHAME response; PENANCE for "LUXURY")
● Over exercising (especially WITH RESTRICTING; motive TO "lose weight" NOT "get stronger")
● Needing to be "perfect" (LOOKS AND BEHAVIOR; fear of SPIRITUAL corruption sign otherwise)
● Increased need for control (See "uncontrolled" body as a THREAT) ("TRAPPED"; "CAGED"; seen as "ABUSIVE")
Difficulty coping with stress ("SWALLOW" it; tend to "TAKE IN" overwhelm; LOSE "DISTINCT SELF")

MAIN TRIGGERS = SEXUALITY, VISIBLE BLOOD, SUMMER, THANKSGIVING, HALLOWEEN, TRAUMA EVENT ANNIVERSARIES, RUSHING/ NOISE, CROWDS, PEOPLE BEING SICK, TALKING WHILE EATING, EATING IN PUBLIC, CHANTED VOCAL PRAYERS, BEING TOUCHED, FEMININE SMELLS & VOICES, ETC.

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DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT PERSONAL/ ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE HAS ON YOUR MENTAL STATE!!
When I SKIP it I feel = depressed, dirty, wrong, subhuman, humiliated, want to cry? stuck, forlorn, miserable, powerless, trapped, despondent, etc.!! BODY SPEAKS TO MIND + POOR ENVIRONMENT
When I COMPLETE it I feel = accomplished, clean, clearheaded, refreshed, positive, dignified, comfortable

PROBLEMS=
● I haven't showered in months (outside of inpatient) because of trauma flashbacks/ physical burnout
● I OBSESSIVELY HANDWASH when anxious ("blood on hands")
● When burnt-out, I don't clean the apartment for longer periods of time/ don't wash laundry
● On my worst days I don't exercise and wear dirty clothes for over a week

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING...
✳ Get nonalcoholic mouthwash? Freshness "jumpstarts" desire to feel/BE clean all over
✳ Do ONE tiny thing, like wash your face or wipe the floor. It often gives me enough of a boost to do more.
✳ Leave laundry/ vacuum out where I can see it? "JUST DO IT" push; LAURIE WILL HELP!

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SITUATION THAT TRIGGERED ANGER=
1. Feeling "trapped" by the past because/ when mom keeps bringing it up & asking about it
2. Feeling "doomed" to do Partial aftercare, which requires being ON CAMERA for ~7 hours a day, with nonstop socializing & controlled meals

WHAT I DID=

1. Got defensive/ confrontational, responding coldly/ curtly, blaming her/ exaggerating the negative
2. Cursed, bit myself, yanked out my hair, almost vomited, SEETHED with rage/ fear, isolated myself in hallway

CONSEQUENCES=
1. No dialogue possible. Drives a wedge between mom & I. Hurts her. Corrupts me. Deep regret & shame.
2. Hurt self/ made self sick, didn't fix any problem. Made me feel like I "didn't care about" health? Miserable, scared/ ashamed/ lost.

NEXT TIME, I WILL=

1. Genuinely listen, state my confusion & fear, but also my respect/ TRUST/ love of her & willingness to dialogue/ understand
2. JOURNAL IMMEDIATELY? TALK TO A THERAPIST? And DIALOGUE with social worker? RISK IT ANYWAY?? Don't chicken out!! TRUST IN GOD & PRAY THAT HIS WILL BE DONE, then FOLLOW IT.

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IDENTITY ROLES=
CATHOLIC
ARTIST
MUSICIAN
AUTHOR
"QUEER"
MULTIPLE

IDENTITY QUALITIES=
INTELLIGENT
STRONG
INSIGHTFUL
IMAGINATIVE
COURAGEOUS
JOYFUL
LOVING

I DON'T really identify as DAUGHTER/ SISTER because I DON'T identify as "GIRL"


"ARTIST" IDENTITY
PROS= In tune with my passions & interests; love being creative; value beauty
CONS= Perfectionistic, competitive, "never good enough", "work is never done"
PERSONAL MEANING= Creator of new dreams & joys = speaks truths
SOCIETAL MEANING= Waste of time, meaningless, childish

"MULTIPLE" IDENTITY
PROS= I LOVE US ALL. Self-knowledge. RICH INNER LIFE. Spectrum soul. Deepest self-love. Purest joy.
CONS= TERRIFYING .Trauma cause. Self is "split up." Insane, scary, dangerous. "Broken." Not fit for society.

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BIGGEST "HURTS"=
● Not being TRUSTED to CONTINUE RECOVERY; ASSUME/ "DOOM" ME TO RELAPSE
● "ALWAYS" statements about eating disorder

THINGS I AM AFRAID MOM WILL SAY / MOST TRIGGERING STATEMENTS =
"So are you actually going to follow through on treatment this time, or are you just going to quit again?"
"Are you actually going to eat that or are you just going to throw up?"
"Now make sure you keep it down, I didn't pay for this food for you to waste it!"
"I don't know if I can trust you NOT to relapse"
"That treatment doesn't do you any good. You always go right back to your bad habits. You obviously don't want to get better."
"You look so much more FEMININE"
"You don't look like you're dying anymore! Now make sure you keep that weight on! Don't go right back to throwing up!"
"Well? How long until the hospital high wears off and you go right back to throwing everything up?"
"The treatment had better stick this time, because no one wants to deal with your shit anymore."
"Well, you LOOK healthier, but how long is this going to last before you go right back to your eating disorder?"
"So they fixed your weight, but how much did you hide from them about how sick in the head you are? That's why you can never get better; you never tell your doctors the truth. I think you WANT to stay sick/ you LIKE being sick."


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STRESSORS / TRIGGERS

● RUSHING
● LOUD NOISE
● FEELING HELPLESS
DIRT/ MESS/ DISORGANIZATION
● CROWDS
● FORCED INTERACTION
FAST PACED ACTIVITY
● TALKING A LOT
● BAD TEXTURES
● STRONG SMELLS
● "I DON'T KNOW"
● BLOCKED OPTIONS/ UNEXPECTED INABILITY
● SKILL INADEQUACY
● "BACKGROUND NOISE"
● TRAUMA FLASHBACKS
● BEING OUTSIDE AT NIGHT
● SUMMER HEAT/ SMELL
● "INTERIM PANIC"
● BEING PULLED INTO CONVERSATION
● BEING REFERRED TO BY NAME
● GENDER DYSPHORIA
● CERTAIN VOCAL SOUNDS
● FEELING ILL/ SICK/ "WRONG"
● ALLERGY PANIC
● STOMACH PAIN
● BEING LOCKED IN A ROOM
● CREATIVE SUPPRESSION
● OTHER PEOPLE PANICKING
● CHANTING
● BEING TOUCHED
● EATING AROUND OTHERS
● "I DID SOMETHING WRONG"
● BAD WEATHER
● WHINING/ COMPLAINING
● RUSHED SCHEDULES/ SUDDEN CHANGES
● NOT KNOWING THE DATA/ ANSWER
● UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS/ NO SOLID ANSWERS
● FAST DECISIONS
● NOT BEING ABLE TO FOCUS
● HAVING TO BREATHE SLOW/ HOLD MY BREATH
● PEOPLE STARING AT ME
● TELEVISIONS LEFT ON
● "TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF"
● "WHATEVER YOU WANT"
● CRYING
● FEELING UNSAFE/ TRAPPED/ LOST
● "SILLY" BEHAVIOR
● TRAUMA ENVIRONMENTS
● "HURRY UP"
● UNCLEAR/ NO INSTRUCTIONS
● FEELING LIKE I CAN'T BE "MYSELF"
EVERYTHING ROMANTIC/ SEXUAL


✳ INTENSITY OF STRESS RESPONSE STACKS ON TRAUMA + "DISCONNECTION"
✳ STRESS BOILS OVER QUICKLY INTO ANGER = STRESS IS FEAR
✳ STRESS FOR ME TYPICALLY ISN'T A "SLIDING SCALE." IT HITS IN WHAT FEEL LIKE TOTAL EXTREMES. IT ALL FEELS LIKE A SNOWBALLING EFFECT TO DISASTER. "NEVER JUST ONE"; TRAUMA RESPONSE

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"Insult the cake" mental flexibility assignment= meant to abstractly reveal what we think of AS insulting/ deserving OF insult


"You have too many layers"
"All that icing is so excessive"
"I wouldn't want to eat purple stuff, that's gross"
"You look like you came from a little girl's birthday party" (i.e. "GROW UP")
"You'll go straight to my hips"
"You're sickeningly sweet"
"I don't eat carbs, sorry"
"Sugar is poison, so no"
"I have no room for dessert"
"What do you think you're celebrating?"
"I don't like cake"
"Dessert is a hedonistic luxury"
"You have no nutrition to offer me"
"You don't count as real food"

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PROS/ CONS for CRISIS URGE = BINGE/ PURGE!!! THAT is the MOST DANGEROUS and the one we NEVER WANT TO GIVE IN TO EVER AGAIN!!

PROS OF ACTING ON THIS URGE=
● "Stops"/numbs the panic/anxiety attacks
● "Uses up time" that is unscheduled (chaotic)
● Opportunity to think/ listen to ICC lectures
● "Enjoy" food/eating; feel "satisfied"; "fun" (picking)
● "IGNORE/FORGET" the present moment stress?

CONS OF ACTING ON THIS URGE=
● "HELL NIGHTS," E.R. TRIPS, BETRAYING GRANDMA
● PERMANENT, possibly FATAL BODY DAMAGE
WASTES TIME, MONEY, FOOD, LIFE (BAD STEWARD)
● ABUSES body and DISHONORS GOD
● Feeds vice/ starves virtue; CORRUPTS VALUES
TRAUMATIC forcefeeding/ sickness/ vomiting
● DEATH, DESTRUCTION, DESPAIR

PROS OF RESISTING THIS URGE=
● KEEP NUTRITION/ BODY UNHURT/ GET TO REST
● NO WASTING; grow in DISCIPLINE & RESPONSIBILITY
● Grow in STRENGTH OF WILL, PATIENCE, COURAGE, ENDURANCE
TIME to do GOOD & CREATIVE things; LIVE MY VALUES
● STRENGTHEN virtue & body; preserve DIGNITY
● LIFE/ HOPE/ HEALTH/ COURAGE/ WISDOM

CONS OF RESISTING THIS URGE=
● Need to ENDURE crippling panic/ fear/ anxiety
● May feel nauseous/ sick/ overstuffed/ in pain
● May feel hungry/ unsatisfied; child "crying" protest
● Must find ways of RELAXING/ ENJOYING; NOT GUILTY
● No "rest or relief" from physical suffering


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PROS/CONS for "EATING ALL OF THE CHALLENGE ENTREES; NO CHANGES TO MENUS"

PROS =

COMMITTED TO 100%
● FACE CONSEQUENCES MANFULLY
● "I WON'T RUN AWAY"
● SET GOOD EXAMPLE
● TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MISTAKES
● GET TO FACE ALL THE FEARS
SEE JUST HOW I WENT WRONG
● "I CAN'T CHICKEN OUT"

CONS =
● TORTURE/ SELF-ABUSE
● BINGE BEHAVIOR; HUGE PORTIONS
● FEEL LIKE AN ANIMAL; "DEHUMANIZED"
● MAKES FEAR FOODS EVEN SCARIER
● TERRIFIED/ MISERABLE FOR THREE DAYS
● HIGH VOLUME MEALS INEVITABLE
WILL BE STORMED BY FLASHBACKS
● MISS OUT ON SIDE OPTIONS

PROS/CONS for "DO CHANGE MENUS & CUT OUT "FEAR" OPTIONS; REFUSE TO EAT 100%"

PROS =
PROPER EXCHANGES; OBEDIENT
● REDUCE FEAR/ ANXIETY/ DEPRESSION
● DON'T HAVE TO FORCE FLASHBACKS
● "NORMAL EATING"
● LEARN TO SAY "NO"/ "STOP"
● PROPER PORTION CONTROL
● NOT TORTURING BODY
● SENSE OF POWER/ FREEDOM

CONS =
● "RUNNING AWAY" FROM CHALLENGE
● REGRET MY COWARDICE
● HUMILIATED BY "SECOND-GUESSING"
● HAVE TO EAT TONS OF SIDES INSTEAD
● BROKEN COMMITMENT
● SCANDALOUS TO PEERS
● WASTING FOOD
● RESTRICTION BEHAVIOR

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PROS/CONS for "PUSHING MEALPLAN EXCHANGES WAY OVER LIMITS"

PROS =
● "PERFORM ABOVE AND BEYOND"
● "GET USED TO" LARGER PORTIONS
● GAIN WEIGHT FASTER FOR TREATMENT GOALS
● TRY MORE NEW THINGS
● USE FULL MEAL TIME
● "I CAN DO IT"

CONS =
● SUPER HIGH VOLUME
● BINGE TRIGGER
● COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR
● DISOBEYING INSTRUCTIONS
● MUST RUSH TO COMPLETE
● TYPICALLY HIGH IN LIPIDS
● GLUTTONOUS BEHAVIOR

PROS/CONS for "STICKING WITH THE LIMITS YOU'RE GIVEN"

PROS =
● FOLLOWING THE RULES
● SMALLER VOLUME MEALS
● GET USED TO EATING LESS
● MORE TIME TO ENJOY
● TEMPERATE BEHAVIOR
● LESS STRESS
● MEET THE CHALLENGE
● MAKE WISER CHOICES

CONS =
● "FOMO"
● "HUNGER" FEAR
● HAVE TO SAY "NO"
● TRIGGERS RESTRICTION
● LIMITS OPTIONS
● MAY FEEL "DEPRIVED"
● RESTRICTED CHOICES
● FEEL CONTROLLED

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PROS/CONS for "INTEGRATING ENTIRETY OF PERSONAL HISTORY; OWN IT ALL"

PROS =
● EVERY NOUSFONI CAN LIVE
● RADICAL SINCERITY
● OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN & PRACTICE REAL LOVE, MERCY, AND FORGIVENESS
● FINALLY HEAL THE TRAUMA
● WE CAN REMEMBER IT ALL
● WHOLENESS OF IDENTITY

CONS =
● WE MUST FACE ALL THE HORROR AND NOT DISOWN OUR FAILURES OR SINS
● MUST PROCESS DECADES OF TRAUMA
● POSSIBLE BREAKDOWNS
● REQUIRES TONS OF TIME AND EFFORT; TOTAL FOCUS
● YOU CANNOT RUN

PROS/CONS for "NO 'PAST'= CONTINUE TO DETACH & DISSOCIATE FROM THE TRAUMA, CHILDHOOD, HELL YEARS & JULIE DAYS; CUT 'NOW' OFF FROM THEN'"

PROS =
● "PURE" PAST
● FORGET WORST TRAUMA
● "THAT WASN'T ME"
● FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
● CONTINUED DISSOCIATION MAY BIRTH NEW NOUSFONI
● DETACH FROM GUILT/ SHAME
● SHUT DOWN FLASHBACKS
● "A WHOLE NEW PERSON"

CONS =
● LIVING A LIE, ULTIMATELY
● IN DENIAL OF REALITY
● UNINTEGRATED SELF
● "RUNNING AWAY"
● SO MANY NOUSFONI DENIED THE CHANCE TO LIVE & SPEAK
● MEMORIES STAY HIDDEN
● DISCONNECT FROM FAMILY
● NO HEALING PROGRESS

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PROS/CONS for "GOING TO PARTIAL WHETHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE & STICKING WITH THE PROGRAM"

PROS =
● CONTROLLED RECOVERY WORK
● OBEDIENT/ COMPLIANT/ COOPERATIVE
● GOOD EXAMPLE, GOOD CHARACTER
● LEARN NEW SKILLS
● GET FURTHER COUNSELING
● INSPIRE & BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS
● ACCOUNTABILITY FIGHTS RELAPSES
● PREVENTS SLOTH & ISOLATION

CONS =
● NO SCHEDULE FREEDOM
● TAKES UP MAJORITY OF DAY
● MAY BE ON CAMERA FOR HOURS
● NOISY, STARING AT MEALS
● POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING
● CONTROLLED MEALPLAN
● "INFECTS" HOME ATMOSPHERE
● MENTALLY EXHAUSTING

PROS/CONS for "REFUSING TO GO OR COOPERATE, DROPPING OUT AND/OR QUITTING"

PROS =
● TOTALLY FREE SCHEDULE
● I DECIDE MY MEALTIMES & MEAL OPTIONS
● QUIET, ALONE TIME AT HOME
● "PRESERVE MENTAL HEALTH"
● FOCUS ON CREATIVE WORK
● ABLE TO SAY "NO"
● ABLE TO FOCUS ON ME
● NO CONSTANT ANXIETY ABOUT NEXT DAY

CONS =

● "REFUSE TO COMPLY WITH TREATMENT"
● SCANDAL AGAINST CHARACTER
● HIGHER RISK OF RELAPSE
● NO "TRANSITION" PERIOD
● ISOLATION RISK
● NO NEW LEARNING OF SKILLS/ INFORMATION
● THERAPISTS/ DOCS/ FAM WILL BE VERY UPSET
● YOU WILL REGRET IT

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PROS/CONS for "ACCEPTING THAT THE WORLD WON'T CONFORM TO MY MORALS/ COMFORT; TRIGGERS ARE UNAVOIDABLE"

PROS =
● CAN FOCUS INSTEAD ON MANAGING EMOTIONAL RESPONSE & COPING SKILLS
● IT'S IN GOD'S HANDS, NOT YOURS
● CAN TAKE A STAND WITHOUT BEING CRUEL
● ALLOWS FOR MERCY
● FOCUS ON OWN MORALS
● SET A HOLY EXAMPLE

CONS =
● GRIEF, RAGE, DESPAIR RISK AT MORAL CORRUPTION
● MAY BECOME MORALLY LAX
● RELATIVISM RISK
● THREATS EVERYWHERE
● RISK OF CHRONIC DISSOCIATION
● MAY STOP FIGHTING
● BLINDED TO POSSIBLE CHANGE

PROS/CONS for "REJECTING THE FREE WILL OF OTHERS & DEMANDING THAT YOU BE 'CATERED TO' MORALLY & MENTALLY; 'DON'T DO SUCH THINGS'"

PROS =
● REFUSE TO TOLERATE MORAL CORRUPTION
● "FIGHT AGAINST EVIL"
● SEEKS JUSTICE
● MORAL STANDARDS
● ASSERTIVE OF MORAL OBJECTIVE TRUTHS/ DOGMAS
● MINDFUL OF OWN TRIGGERS & RISKS

CONS =

● TRY TO CONTROL OTHERS
● DOESN'T ACTUALLY PREVENT TRIGGERS OR FLASHBACKS
● INCONSIDERATE OF THE UNIQUE SITUATIONS OF OTHERS
● UNMERCIFUL
● NO MORAL STRENGTH
● PUT MYSELF IN GOD'S PLACE
● PROUD

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PROS/CONS for "I CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT I WANT; ACCEPT DENIALS & LIMITS IN LIFE; ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES & TAKE WHATEVER IS GIVEN GLADLY"

PROS =
● BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED!
● OPEN TO ADVENTURE
● INCREASES CAPACITY FOR GRATITUDE & HUMILITY
● FIND MERIT IN UNEXPECTED
● FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE
● FIND JOY & FUN IN SURPRISE
● POWER TO MAKE IT ALL GOOD

CONS =
MAY START DENYING WANTS
● TRIGGER FOR COMPLAINING
● FUELS "SERVANT" MINDSET
● MAY START SUPPRESSING ASSERTIVENESS
● RISK OF CRUSHING PREFERENCES
● MAY TRIGGER POROUS BOUNDARIES

PROS/CONS for "RESIST, PROTEST, GRUMBLE, COMPLAIN, INSIST ON GETTING MY WANTS EVEN IF ITS RUDE; REFUSE TO COMPROMISE OR SETTLE"

PROS =
● "ASSERTIVE"
● "I KNOW MY WANTS"
● ABLE TO SAY "NO" & STAND UP FOR SELF
● SUGGESTS AN UNDERLYING PASSION FOR JUSTICE
● "SECURE" OUTCOME TO MY PLANS & EXPECTATIONS
● SENSE OF CONTROL

CONS =

● ARROGANT, ENTITLED
● RIGID EXPECTATIONS
● NO NEW EXPERIENCES
● UNGRATEFUL
● UNCOOPERATIVE
● NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVE
● SELFISH, CHILDISH
● "MY WILL BE DONE"
● INFLEXIBLE, UNABLE TO ADAPT
● DESTROY RELATIONSHIPS AND REPUTATION

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"Write a brief imaginary two-way conversation between yourself and a person you trust/ consider a mentor, where the two of you discuss a significant problem you are struggling with. How do you imagine they would respond?"

ME= Father P., I am struggling immensely with my gender identity. I know my body is female but I have never felt happy, safe, or comfortable with it. What do I do about this? The inner conflict is agonizing.

FR.P= We all have our particular cross to carry, and this is yours-- along with being gay, as you have also told me. It isn't a sin to have these difficult feelings. It is only sinful to ACT on them, as they are contrary to nature.

ME= I understand that and ironically that's why this is so difficult. Father, I HAVE acted on these feelings before, as you know. The problem is that I STILL WANT TO, and the thought of having to live as a woman, abandoning all hope of "gender therapy," is a nightmare.

FR.P= That desire to be another gender might never go away. It might never get easier to handle. And yes, it might make you truly miserable, even angry. But a cross always hurts to carry. This isn't some sort of torture from God. This is a means to make you a saint.

ME= Father, deep down I realize that. And it does give me hope. But I cannot deny the anger and bitterness. I really don't want to be female. I'm scared. It disgusts me. I don't know how to live as a woman and I don't understand "other" women and I feel like an alien. I can't "turn off" this aversion.

FR.P= Maybe you can't. But that's where prayer comes in. You have to trust that God does not want you to suffer like this. There's nothing wrong with being a woman, although I understand you cannot accept that for yourself right now. Can you accept it for others? Is this bigger than just you?

ME= You know what? It really is. I've internalized this corrupt belief that to be a woman is to be sexual, to be defined by that and even doomed to it. I hate it. I hate sex and when I look at the new curves on this body and feel this disturbing soft roundness I want to rip it to shreds, to rip it off of me & leave only the pure fleshless sexless bones.

FR.P= You need to bring this to therapy. There is so much more going on that I cannot help you with, but a professional can. And God WILL help you through them. But you must be completely honest, and you have to trust in God's plan no matter what. He can turn even this into a means of sanctification.

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PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES
● I DO NOT LIKE BEING TOUCHED! (ESPECIALLY "LIGHT TOUCH")
● I need a small distance between me & others? ESPECIALLY WHEN FACING EACH OTHER. If I'M behind someone, the distance often CLOSES; I love closeness BUT NOT DIRECT ATTENTION.
● Please do not pick up/ move/ look through my belongings, ESPECIALLY my tablets & folders. (Clothes/ HBC doesn't bother me much?)
● Please DON'T SIT NEXT TO ME.
● I have the right to PRIVACY in MY OWN APARTMENT.
● I AM allowed to ask for closeness when I DO want it.

INTELLECTUAL BOUNDARIES
● My creative ideas/ worlds mean everything to me. Please respect them & listen sincerely. If you're NOT interested, TELL ME. Don't make me talk about my soul to a wall.
● Do not tell me I'm "hallucinating"/ "imagining things"/ "delusional"/ "confused" etc. WITHOUT VALID EXPLANATION.
● I NEED DIALOGUE. No passive-aggression or "smile & nod" silence. BE HONEST & OPEN with me.
● I have a right to refuse to engage in hostile arguments.
● I have a right to freely express & assert my opinions.
● I have a right to change a topic I feel is inappropriate.

EMOTIONAL BOUNDARIES
● Please DO NOT openly discuss self-abuse & trauma with me IN DETAIL, UNLESS we're in MUTUAL DIALOGUE and I ASKED to know.
● I have the right to express real emotion and NOT be shamed, punished, shut down, mollified, or coddled. Do NOT treat me as a "little girl."
● I have the right to RESPECT for my emotions, NOT IGNORED or BRUSHED OFF.
● I have a RIGHT to be OPEN & HONEST about what I feel.

SEXUAL BOUNDARIES
● I AM A CELIBATE ASEXUAL AROMANTIC and that MUST be honored. NEVER TRY TO "CONVERT" ME.
● I will NOT tolerate sexual language, jokes, or topics.
● NO "PET NAMES"
● NO "FLIRTING"
● NO comments on "beauty" or "attractiveness"
● NO euphemisms or "feminist" lewdness
● I have the right to request MUTUAL MODESTY & PURITY, especially in dress

MATERIAL BOUNDARIES
● I have the right to NOT let you "look through" my creative tablets & folders.
● I have the right for my possessions to be kept clean & undamaged
● I have the right to OWN things, and NOT "have to" give them away/ sell them/ "sacrifice" them
● I have the right to spend my money on self-care and enrichment, not just survival
● I have the right NOT to share intimately honest possessions (books, musical instruments, plushes)

TIME BOUNDARIES
● I NEED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF "ALONE TIME," EVEN WHILE IN A ROOM WITH OTHERS.
● I have the right to quiet, still, peaceful time
● I NEED  that time to EAT. Please honor this!
● I have the RIGHT AND NEED to take DAILY TIME to journal, self-reflect, and do creative work
● I NEED time to PRAY at SPECIFIC TIMES (Liturgy, Divine Office, etc.) and I have the RIGHT to do so.
● I HAVE THE RIGHT TO GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP

SPIRITUAL BOUNDARIES
NEVER PREVENT OR HINDER ME FROM GOING TO MASS/ ADORATION, OR FROM PRAYER!!
● I have the RIGHT & DUTY to witness openly to the Truth of the Catholic Faith in word & deed at ALL times.
● I have the RIGHT & DUTY to DEFEND that Faith with respect, yet fidelity. I WILL NOT BE SWAYED OR SILENCED.
● I have the right to practice the rituals & Sacraments of my faith, and to seriously request access to them.

LANGUAGE BOUNDARIES
● Please DON'T use "absolutes" or "leading questions" (UNTIL I get a stronger self-concept; these really disturb me)
● DO NOT "BABYTALK" ME. No "aww!"s or "yay!"s or "good job!"s, etc. NO "feelgood" babble. I am neither an infant nor a pet.
● DO NOT ASK ME "ARE YOU OKAY?" (unless it's PRECEDED by a casual modifer such as "dude," "kid," "hey man," etc.; this changes the entire tone)
● DO NOT USE "FEMININE" TERMS WITH ME (girl, woman, babe, honey, chica, lady, etc.)
● DO NOT KEEP SAYING "I'm sorry"; "Am I annoying you"; "Whatever you want"; "I don't know"; etc.!! ALL "cowering" language STILL triggers my RAGE RESPONSE and I cannot turn it off; this is for BOTH OUR SAFETY.

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BLOATING TOLERANCE EXERCISES

1) BLOATING IS TEMPORARY AND IT IS NATURAL. "THE FOOD HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE." It ISN'T PERMANENT, DISFIGURING, OR A SIGN THAT "SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG/ YOU DID SOMETHING VERY WRONG."
2) Bloating is NOT a "sign of gluttony" or "carnal lasciviousness"!! FOOD ISN'T PARASITIC OR A CURSE OR AN INVADER. EATING ISN'T A SIN.
3)  A LARGE STOMACH ISN'T SHAMEFUL. It's NOT a "marker of sin"!! IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU UNWORTHY OF LOVE OR RESPECT OR HAPPINESS.

✳ "touch exposure" is SO DISTURBING to me
✳ we get "mirror exposure" anxiety EVERY SINGLE NIGHT
✳ immediately after these exercises the SHAME is DEBILITATING
✳ after 2 hours there is NO DECREASE IN ANXIETY; IT'S STILL HUGE
✳ after 10 days of these exercises IT'S TURNING INTO NUMB DESPAIR
✳ THE ANXIOUS SHAME-TERROR ISN'T GOING DOWN BECAUSE I STILL BELIEVE THOSE  THREE DISTORTIONS!!

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QUESTIONING EATING DISORDER THOUGHTS

"Disodered thought = "To be happy/ healthy, I need to weigh ### pounds.""

HAPPY = DEFINED BY OTHERS!
HEALTHY = STRICT/ CONTROLLED; "PURE," "FASTING/ MORTIFICATION"; "HOLY" EMPTINESS. NO LUXURY/ EXCESS/ "FUN" FOOD; (SIN) "ASCETIC"; ONLY THE MINIMUM?
("FLESH at WAR with the SPIRIT")
✳ Heaviness = PRIDE? "CAN'T BE HAPPY" (SELFISH)
WEIGHT = ALWAYS a "LOWER" number; ironically being "SELF-ERASURE"; "happy" when I DON'T EXIST because "I'M" "NOT ALLOWED" TO "TAKE UP SPACE" AS MY OWN PERSON =  "MY HAPPINESS TAKES AWAY FROM OTHERS"? "Happy" when I'm SERVING/ USEFUL (NOT IN ANYONE'S WAY; "SMALL")
↑ I feel like I'm NOT SEEING THIS RIGHTLY? All I'm sure of is that "COMPULSION TO DISAPPEAR"???
✳ "the THINNER my BODY is, the MORE my SOUL can be FELT/ can LIVE" (ZERO SUM GAME)

"Alternative thought = "micromanaging my weight is a waste of time.""
MICROMANAGE = Attempt at MORAL discipline??
TIMEWASTE = HUGE SIN!!

"Disordered thought = I'm not hungry, so I don't need to eat.""
MUTING "NEEDS"!! "REDEFINING/ DENYING" WHAT "COUNTS" AS HUNGER
✳ "IT ISN'T A "NEED" IF I CAN STILL MANAGE WITHOUT IT"; "HOW FAR CAN I PUSH THIS?"
✳ "NO MERCY"; NO "PREVENTION"; ONLY "DISASTER MANAGEMENT"; THE STORM "HAS TO HIT" BEFORE IT'S "REAL"
ONLY CONSIDERING A "NEED" ALLOWED TO BE MET WHEN IT'S CAUSING UNDENIABLE HARM IN CONSEQUENCE OF BEING IGNORED/ SUPPRESSED; "CAN'T DENY IT ANYMORE" (ONLY eat when nearly STARVED)
✳ "MINIMUM" (again); keep body monster CHAINED

"Alternative thought = "I need to eat regularly so I can restore my hunger and fullness cues.""
SCARY; feel "controlled BY the body" (HELPLESS/ TRAPPED) and it feels like a MINDLESS ANIMAL (WILD/ DANGEROUS)

"Disordered thought = "My anxiety gets worse if I don't count calories.""
Calories seen as AMMO??
✳ FEAR that if I'M NOT "AUTHORIZING" EVERY CALORIE THAT IS "ALLOWED"/ "LET" INTO THE BODY, it's POISON/ INVASIVE??? (DEATH) FEAR OF UNKNOWN "TAKING OVER" BODY? INGESTION OF "TOO MUCH"/ "WRONG FOOD" results in SELF-CORRUPTION/ LOSS OF CONTROL/ IDENTITY??
✳ ALL ABOUT CONTROL = "DON'T TRUST FOOD OR MY BODY"??

"Disordered thought = "I'm fat. I hate my body. I don't deserve to eat.""
(SELF-DENIAL EXTREME) (TIES INTO "NEED" CRUSHING)
WHY IS "FAT" "HATEFUL"??? WHY "MUST" IT BE STARVED TO DEATH???
✳ Seeing "FAT" as a "SIN" that must be PUNISHED & EXPUNGED = sees FOOD/ EATING as the "MEANS OF SIN"
✳ "DON'T DESERVE TO EAT" = THIS FRAMES EATING AS SHEER INDULGENCE???
IT ALSO
MAKES EATING NOT A NEED BUT A PRIVILEGE"; in IRONIC CONTRAST to eating ALSO being a DANGER/ SIN (IRRATIONAL CONFLICT)

"What is one thing that YOUR eating disorder often tells you?"
"ALL food is potentially lethal (allergy). Every meal is a suicide risk."
"Food is sex. Eating is rape."
"You ARE what you eat. Eat the WRONG things, and they will REPROGRAM YOUR IDENTITY."
"The fatter you get, the less room there is for your soul. The food will take over you like a parasite." (suffocate)

"What could be a healthy alternative thought that you could say in response?"
"ALL food is INHERENTLY NOURISHING."
"Every meal KEEPS YOU ALIVE."
"NOT eating WILL KILL YOU, NO EXCEPTIONS!!"
"You ARE what you eat, and IT ALL IS IN GOD. It starts in LIGHT and is SHARED all the way to YOU. Eating is a PRIESTLY act!!"
"YOUR IDENTITY IS UNTOUCHABLE BECAUSE IT WAS MADE BY GOD AND DEFINED BY HIM. And food is FROM Him. Who you ARE can only be SUPPORTED by the food that GIVES HEALTH & NUTRITION TO YOUR BODY-- the VEHICLE for FULFILLING your PURPOSE here!!"
PUT A POSITIVE SPIN ON SIZE = YOUR SOUL FILLS YOUR WHOLE BODY. ALL OF THOSE CELLS BELONG TO IT! Besides... with ALL your nousfoni, maybe you "NEED" a bigger body to "fit" them all!

"What would you say to a friend if they talked to themself this way?"
This would BREAK MY HEART. At my worst I have BRUTAL eating disorder thoughts, and they're TERRIFIED. I don't want ANYONE ELSE to suffer from these DISTORTED, EVIL LIES. In TRUTH I KNOW FOOD IS GOOD AND ALL BODIES ARE SACRED. And THAT'S what I would emphasize to a friend. I would USE SCRIPTURE for supportive proof, and FOCUS ON CHRIST/ ETERNITY where LOVE REIGNS.

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✳ BEHAVIORS TO REPLACE= BINGE-PURGING, HYPERRESTRICTING, EXTREME FOOD AVOIDANCE/ FEAR, JUDGING BODY SHAPE, "ALL OR NOTHING" EXERCISE/ EATING IN GENERAL

"What thoughts go through your head when you eat a fear food or challenge food?"
FEAR= "THIS WILL KILL/ POISON/ INFECT ME"
CHALLENGE= "I CAN DO THIS"
✳ FEAR foods are TRAUMA foods; fear of DEATH; PANIC/ HORROR
✳ CHALLENGE foods are met by DETERMINATION; gratitude, even joy (freedom)
✳ "FEAR" foods CAN be "preemptively" CHANGED (POTENTIALLY) to CHALLENGES by MENTALLY REASONING THROUGH the terror response BEFOREHAND?? This at least can ENABLE us TO challenge them, and NOT just AVOID!

"What thoughts go through your head when you step on the scale or look in the mirror?"
SCALE= "is that FAT or MUSCLE or WATER weight?"
MIRROR= "too much EXCESS" "I need to TONE UP" "I look lazy and undisciplined" "I NEED to get STRONGER" "I CAN'T LOOK LIKE [insert name here]"

"In the past, how have negative thoughts about your food/body affected the way you eat/exercise?"
EAT= KETO. FASTING. "Only CLEAN food." Minimal portions so I don't "get round or soft."
EXERCISE= 2 HOURS cardio daily. Afraid to sit down or sit still. "Doesn't count unless it HURTS."

"What are eating disorder thoughts?"

Thoughts that see FOOD as DANGER, and the BODY as a PRISON (DEVIL'S LIES!!)
They focus on PAIN/ PUNISHMENT/ LACK, NOT HELPING/ HEALING!!

"Distorted thought = "I'm going to gain ### pounds from eating that.""
WHY IS WEIGHT SO FEARED?? (tied to VICTIM vibe? "TRAPPED"; SUFFOCATE??)
✳ Seeing food as INERT matter, NOT NOURISHMENT. Weight seen as BAGGAGE, not WEALTH? "More of the world in you to OFFER in PRAISE"

"Distorted thought = "I can't eat that unless I exercise for ### minutes.""
✳ Not realizing that CALORIES are ENERGY to LIVE and your body USES THEM to EXIST; this example is a "POVERTY MINDSET"? "NO SURPLUS/ ABUNDANCE ALLOWED"; rejects the FUTURE in a sense? THIN = FAMINE = NO FOOD/ LIFE. A starved body isn't free to TAKE IN OR GIVE/ SHARE LIFE? Food as enemy = unable to FEED OTHERS (LOVE)

"Distorted thought = "I need to track my calories because I can't trust my body.""
✳ "I will only ALLOW you to eat so much (amount or kind) REGARDLESS of objective NUTRITIONAL NEED" = TO DO WHAT GOD MADE IT TO DO-- TAKE CARE OF YOU!!

Distorted thought = "Food is a foreign body"
Alternative thought= "Food is MADE for my body"

✳ WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FULLY HEAL THE EATING DISORDER MINDSET + FEELINGS UNTIL WE ALSO HEAL THE SEXUAL TRAUMA. THAT'S WHERE THE "FOOD = INVASION" FEAR IS ROOTED!
✳ WHAT'S THE ROOT FOR BODY FEELING TERROR (belly rolls, double chin, midsection bulge)??? = "TRAPPED/ HELPLESS" "SUFFOCATION/ CRUSHED" feeling: HOW'D IT START AND WHEN?? (WERE WE EVER THIS FAT/ BIG BEFORE UPMC? OR IS THIS FEAR FROM THE BODIES OF OTHERS?)

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FOOD OBSESSION = "TOO MANY CALORIES" = see calories as something TO be rigidly controlled/ limited? Like ANY excess WILL "become FAT" and FAT = "FOREIGN BODY"
SHAPE OBSESSION = Not numbers but STOMACH SIZE/SHAPE. "Bloated/ distended"; "UNNATURAL"/ "PARASITIC"?? "Something IN/ ATTACHED to me that DOESN'T BELONG"; "HINDERING" LIFE & FREEDOM of movement? "SICK"? Like a TUMOR

In order to let these obsessions go, I need to...
✳ See food as LIFE-GIVING NOURISHMENT to be RESPECTED & STEWARDED & USED WITH WISDOM & GRATITUDE
✳ Redefine "fatness" of body; distinguish it from lasciviousness; it is NOT "in opposition" to strength & health
✳ Meet my "hunger" in different ways/ LEVELS; feed my SOUL/ MIND/ HEART every day too!
✳ Realize that food/ fatness of body are NOT "cancers" to be controlled or purged or "burned away"
✳ ACCEPT & even EMBRACE the FACT that MY BODY IS FEMALE & IS DESIGNED TO hold more fat
✳ STOP BASING MY SELF-WORTH ON STRENGTH/ POWER/ UTILITY/ AMBITION/ MASCULINE VIRTUE (BOTH FEAR OF WOMANHOOD/ FEMININITY)
✳ LIVE ETERNITY-MINDED. No matter HOW my body looks/ feels, IT WILL DIE AND I MUST LIVE WITH MY PRIORITIES SET ON HEAVEN!!

Describe what you are scared of and detail how you try to control these situations.
✳ FEAR OF "ADULT/ WOMAN BODY"!!! But it's REJECTING REALITY. Starve = stay a child. Purge = reject "unwanted bigness"?? (DO I ASSOCIATE FOOD/FAT WITH MOM??)
✳ I am actually SCARED of feeling WEAK & TRAPPED. When my body is THIN & SCRAWNY & UNDERFED, I feel UTTERLY POWERLESS and it's TERRIFYING... but when my stomach is full of food & bloated OR "fat" & sicking out, and that "extra body matter" makes it hard to bend or move or even breathe, THAT'S terrifying too, BUT not as much?? Because it at least means I HAVE STRENGTH FROM FOOD? Unfortunately the bulimia tried to "keep me thin" BUT "still eat." It didn't work.
✳ "Only eating certain "pure" foods" out of "poison/ corruption" fear, afraid of "becoming" "BAD" that I labeled foods as?
✳ CONVINCED of ALLERGIES & INTOLERANCES; convinced they would KILL me; ironically the eating disorder was LITERALLY destroying my body by NOT eating food
✳ Scared that FAT = WEAK? Ironically THIN = WEAK really. ALSO fearing FAT = EVIL? Societal lies! There's TONS of evidence of FAT = GOOD, EVEN IN SCRIPTURE! (but MOTIVE/ MEANS MATTER TOO, EVEN WITH THINNESS!!)

What works and what doesn't work about your current approaches?
✳ Bulimia is an "emergency exit" for "eating too much/ poison fear" but it SOLVES NOTHING. It only REINFORCES THE FEAR & DESTROYS MY BODY. It "kept me thin" but AT THE COST OF MY MUSCLE & STRENGTH. It turned me into a SKELETON.
✳ NOT EATING DOESN'T HELP. It STARVES my body & it STARTS TO EAT ITSELF ALIVE. I have NO STRENGTH to LIVE.
✳ My current exercise routing NEEDS TO INCLUDE WEIGHTLIFTING. It's the ONLY WAY I'm going to get "buff." Cardio is great & necessary but it's NOT going to STURDY UP MY SHAPE. Plus, the more muscle I get, the LESS afraid I'll be TO eat!!
✳ I CAN'T LIVE. There's NO TIME, STRENGTH, OR DESIRE LEFT TO DO BEAUTIFUL, POSITIVE, CREATIVE THINGS. All my fear about "how I look & feel" and my efforts to CONTROL that are a PRISON; I'm stuck in a LOOP of self-centered DESTRUCTION & MISERY.


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prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)

SELF-SABOTAGING CYCLE=

1) PERFECTIONIST DEMANDS (NO MISTAKES/ ERRORS/ SINS, EVER)
2) FEAR OF FAILURE (EITHER "good or bad" = failure is DAMNING)
3) SELF-CRITICISM (brutal cursing, swearing, self-abuse)
4) LOSS OF CONFIDENCE (feel unable to do/ be good; worthless)
5) ANXIETY & DEPRESSION (moral panic & despair)
6) PROCRASTINATION (fear of joy; it "feeds the monster")
7) PASSIVE AGGRESSION ("boiling over" only outlet for inner torment)

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How would you define self-sabotaging?
Considering myself "unworthy/ undeserving" of mercy/ reward/ help/ health/ rest/ joy/ etc. because of something stupid/ foolish/ unwise/ careless/ ignorant/ selfish/ idiotic/ etc. that I did, and as a result, actively undermining/ preventing/ sabotaging/ eliminating/ rejecting/ crushing/ etc. ALL possible positive outcomes or situations out of punishment/ payback/ penance/ self-hatred/ etc.
✳ This mindset HAS NO CAPACITY FOR COMPASSION OR CHARITY, and therefore INVALIDATES its own (devilish) opinions. IT ISN'T TRUTH!!

What are some of your self-sabotaging behaviors?
✳ Not letting myself do/ choose/ have things that I enjoy/ that give me peace
✳ Verbally insulting & cursing myself whenever I do something stupid/ foolish
✳ Physically abusing myself (eating disorder) to "incapacitate" myself & cause lasting pain/ permanent damage
✳ Destroying records of past accomplishments/ growth/ healing/ progress
✳ Destroying personal items that were cherished/ valued, out of shame/ hatred
✳ Dwelling on personal faults/ vices/ failures/ unsolved problems, causing despair
✳ Refusing to care for my body, mind, heart, & soul, "pushing it to harmful limits" (denying such limits exist)

How do your self-sabotaging behaviors impact your well-being and life?
✳ Poor personal hygiene, no sleep, malnutrition, wasting, chronic pain
✳ Always wanting to either weep forever OR scream & destroy everything
✳ No self-esteem, abandon all ambition, feel worthless/ useless, despondent
✳ Loss of sense of self/ history/ values/ preferences/ etc. due to destruction
Inability to relate to/ interact with others without "infecting" them too
✳ No hope/ vision of future, distract from the present, deny/ suppress the past

Why do you think you self-sabotage?
Deep down I think it's because I see my "moral status" as EITHER "ALL good" OR "ALL evil". When I make a stupid decision or fail to choose the edifying option or otherwise act in a way contrary to virtue, ESPECIALLY LOVE & WISDOM, I immediately label myself as "FALLEN FROM GRACE," and my awful instinct is to PUNISH/ CRUSH/ DESTROY/ DO VIOLENCE TO THE EVIL TO "PURGE IT FROM OUR MIDST." I believe on some level that "ONLY VIOLENCE CAN RESTORE ME TO GRACE/ FORGIVENESS" = RESTITUTION MUST BE PAID IN BLOOD. I see this even as an ACT OF LOVE, NOT "SABOTAGE," because "I AM EVIL" and the ONLY thing being "sabotaged" IS THE EVIL WITHIN ME, by FORCE.

Are there any particular self-sabotaging patterns that you can recognize?
PERFECTIONISM, as explained above. I struggle to accept "mistakes/ missteps" because I DON'T SEE THEM AS "INNOCENT/ ACCIDENTAL", but as MORTAL SINS??? For some reason I'm EITHER a "moral absolute perfectionist," OR DESPAIR over that crushes me to MORAL NUMBNESS?? "IF EVERYTHING I DO is a SIN, why even TRY to do otherwise?" And THAT is SERIOUS SABOTAGE, because it STOPS JOY at the ROOT!
PROCRASTINATION, because EVEN THOUGH I WANT to do these good/ helpful/ creative things, I FEAR "DOING IT WRONG" = SINFULLY?? Do I fear CORRUPTING that good that way? Like, if I try and "fail," will it NEVER BE "GOOD" AGAIN? Is procrastination "PROTECTING" those "pure" ideals/ hopes from "ME"??

What can you do differently?
✳ GIVE MYSELF GRACE. GOD DOES. ACCEPT IT. (YOUR NATURE ISN'T EVIL!!!)
SCRIPTURE DISPROVES YOUR ABSOLUTISM. NO ONE IN THE BIBLE, OR HUMAN HISTORY-- besides Jesus & Mary, the NEW Adam & Eve, FOR YOUR SAKE-- WERE SINLESS. EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS SINNED & MADE MISTAKES & DONE STUPID THINGS. GOD STILL GETS THOSE PEOPLE TO HEAVEN. YOU ARE NOT "DAMNED" JUST BECAUSE YOU STUMBLED IN WEAKNESS. VIOLENCE CANNOT HEAL YOU. THE CROSS CAN, BECAUSE IT ABSORBS AND TRANSMUTES IT. But the CROSS is LOVE & MERCY & FORGIVENESS. Carry THAT!!!

How can you reward yourself?
✳"For WHAT?" For NOT sabotaging? For ACTUALLY & FINALLY choosing to show MERCY & FORGIVENESS & COMPASSION & TENDERNESS & PATIENCE & GENTLENESS to myself? In a very real way, that virtuous response IS "reward" enough. BUT, if we want to extend the definition to a "REINFORCEMENT OF THE VIRTUE" in the FORM of a "GIFT," that would simply be ALLOWING AND ENABLING ourself TO do the things that give us REAL JOY, AND CONTRIBUTE TO/ ARE IN CONGRUENCE WITH our VALUES & THE GOOD THINGS OTHERS SAY ABOUT US. Fight hate with LOVE & dark with LIGHT. Seriously just JUMP HEADFIRST into BEAUTY & WONDER & GOODNESS whenever sabotaging temptations appear. GOD ALWAYS WINS.

What coping skills can you put in place so that you have a backup plan when things get tough?
✳ READ SCRIPTURE. Make a LIST of the ACTUAL VERSES (not numbers) to READ & so REALIZE THE TRUTH when the lies of sabotage try to drag you down to hell.
✳ TALK TO THE SYSTEM/ READ THE ARCHIVES. There is PROFOUND LOVE & HONEST TRUTH in BOTH, & GOD USES US AS CHANNELS OF HIS GRACE TO OURSELVES. Trust me, the System will ALWAYS stop self-sabotage because WE LOVE EACH OTHER.
✳ "DISTRACT" & "REDIRECT." STOP the cycle with IMMEDIATE exposure to a System/ League song/ image/ writing that COMMUNICATES TRUTH/ BEAUTY/ GOODNESS. Remember that GOD BROUGHT THAT INTO EXISTENCE THROUGH YOU. DON'T SABOTAGE HIS PURPOSES!!!

Reflection:
To "sabotage yourself," you MUST be, on some level, DISSOCIATED from yourself. You ARE a CREATION of God, MADE GOOD, and that may be "broken" but it's NOT LOST OR RUINED. That's why God ALSO made you His CHILD, pouring HIS GRACE BACK INTO YOUR HEART to be YOURS FOREVER. Just DON'T REJECT IT!!! SABOTAGE TRIES TO, because it SHUTS OUT LOVE. As long as you RESIST the hate, THERE'S HOPE. PRAY FOR GOD'S HELP & HE WILL HELP YOU!! He LOVES YOU!! And when you FULLY REALIZE & ACCEPT that FACT (as much as mortals can), you will NEVER be fooled by self-sabotage again, because LOVE CHANGES YOU FOR THE BETTER, FOREVER!! 
(TRUTH = LOVE)

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SELF-SABOTAGE QUIZ

NEGATIVE RESPONSES:
Your feelings about yourself are dependent on situational factors.
"SOCIAL MODE"; MORAL PANIC; "my life is WORTHLESS unless OTHERS approve/ want me"

You measure your self-worth by your accomplishments.
"APPEASEMENT"/ "SLAVE"; "uselessness" = "don't deserve to exist"

You have always been told that risk-taking is dangerous & the world is a scary place.
Mom & grandma DRILLED this into our childbrain to disturbing extents = TAUGHT to "expect the worst outcome" in every situation (catastrophe seen as inevitable)

You have grown up around an anxious person who always seemed nervous & worried about things.
Grandma's OCD "doom predictions," Mom's panic over "loss of control"

When you were young, an important adult in your life could never accomplish their goals and that used to discourage their future efforts.
MOM'S "ABANDONED DREAMS" & EMPTY "PROMISES" ABOUT THEM; also extended to her empty "promises" to US?? (e.g. "forgotten" presents & events, the endless list of "one day" and "when this happens" etc. that NEVER panned out; we learned very fast to not want things OR to expect desired good things TO happen at ALL)

You like to correct other when they make a mistake or when they are wrong, no matter how small it might be.
Intolerant of slip-ups with self, EXTERNALIZED; "rigid rules" = ORDER/ SENSE (CONTROLLED; "PROPER") (this is MORAL PRIDE!!)


POSITIVE RESPONSES:
You can list 5 things you like about yourself.
Hopeful, determined to do better, sense of wonder, genuine want/ ability to love, creative vision & talents

You know who you are and understand your morals/ values/ beliefs (identity).
The Archives are actually a BEAUTIFUL TESTAMENT to this, as ironic as it may seem. WE know who WE are. 

When you compare yourself to others, you believe you have the capacity to achieve similar things.
I believe that if I truly want it (what they have/ have done), then it's worth giving it a shot! The rest is in GOD'S Hands, not mine!

You admit your faults and can easily admit when you are wrong.
This is a weird one. I CAN and DO point out where I screw up, even to others. IRONICALLY I'm terrified that it's ABSOLUTE; "damning myself" to NEVER be "right". So this is 50/50. It's one of my biggest struggles.




prismaticbleed: (anx-happy)

THE DOCTORS WON'T DISCHARGE US UNTIL WE HAVE SOLID PLANS FOR TRANSITION INTO HOMELIFE. So WHAT DO WE NEED TO CLARIFY/ SOLIDIFY FURTHER??
● GET RID OF "BINGE BOWLS" & "ANOREXIC CLOTHES" IMMEDIATELY. NO EXCUSES!
● CUT DOWN ON THE RELIGIOUS BOOKS & OPEN UP THE LIVING ROOM FOR ART/ MUSIC
● GET NEW CLOTHES THAT FIT!
● GET KITCHENWARE & A LUNCHBOX
● GET A GYM MEMBERSHIP TO PF? OR THE Y? (MORE GROUPS + NO BUS)
● Start spending time with mom & Excalibur, both with remodeling AND just HANGING OUT
● REVIEW my SSI & see if I CAN get a job/ education?
● SPEND ALL YOUR TIME DOING CREATIVE WORK TOWARDS THE GOAL. BE VERY FOCUSED. Start THINKING "BOOKS"!! LOOK INTO PUBLISHING OPTIONS, GET MANUSCRIPT ADVICE, etc. and FOCUS ON THAT.
● Start learning & practicing CELLO/ VIOLA and if you really enjoy them, see if there is a local orchestra (not pro)?
● MUSIC ALBUM WORK. EVEN WITH EXCALIBUR. This could be your "STEP UP" as you work on books.
● ARCHIVE "EDITING" FOR PUBLISHING PURPOSES. Listen dude THE WORLD LEGIT NEEDS ACCESS TO YOUR STORY AND INSIGHT. You're MEANT TO DO THIS. YOU WILL HELP PEOPLE. YOU ALREADY HAVE, AND YOU CANNOT DENY THAT.
● PRACTICE ART inbetween all this. There ARE local galleries. Aim to get IN one. BUILD A LEGIT PORTFOLIO for what you WANT to do with art: whether it's ILLUSTRATION or CHARACTER DESIGN or COLOR KEYS or whatever. BUILD YOUR SKILLS!
LOCAL CREATIVE COMMUNITIES/ OPPORTUNITIES/ CLUBS. Get INVOLVED & MAKE CONNECTIONS & STAY ACCOUNTABLE with your work!
● GET A LEGIT COMPUTER DESK & CHAIR
● GET A PORTABLE TYPING LAPTOP & CARRYBAG
● Set up a NICE spot to eat; AVOID FLASHBACKS PLEASE
● FOOD IS NOT YOUR FOCUS. IT'S YOUR FUEL. TREAT IT WITH RESPECT & GRATITUDE.
● Do "FUN" stuff too. FEED YOUR MIND WITH GOOD books/ movies/ art to INSPIRE!
● FIX YOUR MASS SCHEDULE. Still go daily if possible but DON'T OBSESS.
● PUT THE GUZHENG IN THE LIVING ROOM?
● MAKE THE BEDROOM A PRAYER SPACE? (ALTAR/ BOOKS)
● MOVE THE WHITE DESK INTO THE LIVING ROOM? MOVE THE BED??


102524

Oct. 25th, 2024 10:45 am
prismaticbleed: (worried)

They have "yacht rock" on the TV this morning (Bobby Coldwell atm) and I'm SHOCKED to realize that I'm STILL GETTING A FEAR RESPONSE to certain musical sounds like brass/ rhodes piano/ "island" music/ flutes/ etc. And ALL these sounds ALSO give "CHILDHOOD ATMOSPHERE FLASHBACKS," with the INEXPLICABLY CONCURRENT "EXISTENTIAL DREAD" that feels like "mom's bedroom at night" & "George Winston music" & "80s synths" etc. WTF HAPPENED TO/ IN OUR CHILDBRAIN THAT HARD ASSOCIATED THIS (now Spyro Gyra) GENRE OF MUSIC WITH FEAR?? It's the sense that "something scary is going to happen/ I'm IN IT NOW"?? I feel TRAPPED & LOST, like I "can't be safe/ go home/ rest" with this music on. So I WONDER. This is MOM'S MUSIC. Did she PLAY this music CONSISTENTLY at CERTAIN TIMES in which we felt that way? (BTW I got the guts to ASK TO STOP THE MUSIC as it WAS INCREASING THAT "SLOW PANIC" FEELING. That was very brave & wise of us. NOW we need to THINK ABOUT OUR FAVE TUNES to REPLACE the music data in our head-- MAKE A LIST TO REFER TO IN A PINCH & GIVE IT TO AUDREY ♥) I'm sure therapy/ MOM TALKS will reveal more of this, so bookmark it mentally for analysis & journaling later.

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AUDREY'S MINI-JUKEBOX for COPING SKILL ACCESS
(tunes we TRULY LOVE & can CALL TO MIND IN A PINCH/ CRISIS to INSPIRE POSITIVITY (LOVE!!))

1. BLACK LIGHT MACHINE by FROST*
2. SUPER SONIC RACING by RICHARD JACQUES
3. BEFORE by EMPIRE OF THE SUN
4. SHOW SOME RESPECT by SALLY ANN TRIPLETT
5. I'M A BETTER MAN by ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK
6. SONG OF THE ANCIENTS by KEIICHI OKABE
7. DIE WITH A SMILE by LADA GAGA & BRUNO MARS

(continue this!)

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✳ "IMPROVE" skills/ COOPERATIVE WILLINGNESS today: (meet challenges/ changes with OPENNESS/ CURIOUS WONDER, HOPEFUL GRATITUDE, COURAGEOUS OPTIMISM)
1) Staff woke me up LATE (7am) for meds. I had to RUSH shower/ hygiene. This gave me the OPPORTUNITY to PROVE that I CAN-- I STILL FINISHED BY ~720! I was grateful for the challenge to improve/ streamline my timing; I found that I CAN wash faster AND dry my hair faster too. AND it DIDN'T AFFECT MY MED EFFICIENCY; I kept thinking that taking them later than usual would "stop them working."
2)
New patient girl ANGRY VIOLENT. I actually GENTLY BUT FIRMLY spoke up to guide her a little. Proved that I CAN be GENTLY ASSERTIVE, and SHE DIDN'T GET OFFENDED! I didn't get thrown off or disturbed either; I internally DECIDED to STAND MY GROUND AND HELP/ BEFRIEND HER if possible. I WILLED to meet her where she was.
3) Hall yoga. Childlike wonder at ground level perspective. Singing bowl & COLOR REALMS (pink/ indigo/ violet). Angel card of AUTHENTICITY. Focused on movements, letting go of trauma fear bit by bit with "hip openers" (felt ORANGE?). Entered entirely into the experience, trusting, no judgment, open to the beauty in it. Gentle with body's new limits, encouraging it still.
4) Breakfast alterations: minimal eggs, asked for a bit more cereal (brave!). Forgot syrup, so put CRANBERRIES & CREAM CHEESE on the pancakes! Let myself enjoy it. Too much brownsugar in the cereal made me a bit ill; now I know I can try LESS in the future/ NOT "compelled" to get it OR use every bit of what they give me. Also tried yogurt IN the hot cereal to emulate home plans. Let Leon eat the blueberries. Thanked God for the unexpected little joys.
5) LUNCH RUSH! But PROVED I CAN. Learning HOW to be MINDFUL in a HURRY; keep practicing this, & thank God for the opportunities! More delays/ edits; late juice, bread instead of bun, styrofoam box salad, no cheese. Accepted it all happily & with curious fluidity; "how interesting! how new!" Openness/ flexibility allowing for adventure & joy. And the unexpected uniqueness itself is to be treasured.
6) DINNER EDITS.The catfish was MASSIVE! And the nutritionist CANCELED the cottage cheese, which was actually SUCH A RELIEF because I would've had NO TIME TO EAT IT, AND IT SHOWED THAT IF I DO GO OVER EXCHANGES STUPIDLY, SHE WILL FIX IT. So I can RELAX and TRUST her judgment. I also learned that 2 DRESSINGS ARE TOO MANY in the salad! And I DIDN'T RUSH THE FISH. It was LOVELY.
7) I'm so frustrated & disappointed in myself over my weekend mealplan choices. I KEEP MAKING COMPULSIVE CHOICES. But here's what I must do: ENTER INTO THE CONSEQUENCES WILLINGLY, & SINCERELY/ WHOLEHEARTEDLY, TRUSTING THAT GOD WILL HELP ME IF I PLACE IT IN HIS WISE HANDS. Imagine it ALL GOING WELL. LEARN what works & what doesn't. RELAX INTO GRACE. STAY HOPEFUL. FOCUS. YOU CAN DO IT REGARDLESS, BY GRACE!! YOU SURVIVED PANERA BREAD, BRO. THIS IS A BREEZE. (OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!) Don't panic. Go kiss Anxi. You'll survive & God will use even this to help you grow in VIRTUE/ CHARACTER!

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✳ The eating disorder/ mental illness "WANTS TO BE SPECIAL" = "BETTER THAN/ SEPARATE FROM" = PRIDE
("CONTAMINATION FEAR" BLEEDING INTO SOCIAL RELATIONS??? "I CAN'T BE LIKE THEM" ("DANGEROUS" PEOPLE)

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✳ We NEED to ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION because we're learning that apparently CAFETERIA PORTIONS WILL ALWAYS VARY (we didn't realize that huge portions are apparently "NORMAL" in the "real world"; we have NO EXPERIENCE with eating in public so it was a bad shock), so we MUST STOP DOUBLING SIDES AND ENTREES!!! Choose the SMALLEST VOLUME OPTIONS from now on, and DO NOT GO OVER EXCHANGES ANYMORE. This HURTS and it's SCARY. Our meals are NOT ENJOYABLE ANYMORE. They're OVERWHELMING & HEAVY & PAINFUL and I HAVE TO CHOKE THEM DOWN SO FAST and there's SO MUCH. This is WORSE than bingeing because it's FORCED & INESCAPABLE. I HAVE TO DO 100% AND I CANNOT SAY "NO" OR "THAT'S TOO MUCH, PLEASE STOP." ...it's abuse. I'm abusing MYSELF. God I NEED TO STOP. God PLEASE HELP. I'm begging You PLEASE get me safely to Tuesday so we can STOP THIS FOR GOOD.

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poem exercise/ challenge

"I AM A DANGEROUS PERSON"

driven to remove the backstabber's dagger,
deftly I manipulate the blade to prevent mindblowing bleed
and restore the whole.
would such a wound weep
if i were heartless?

102324

Oct. 23rd, 2024 07:24 pm
prismaticbleed: (held)

I keep second-guessing my mealplan choices, thinking that they're stupid/ unhealthy/ will "kill me" in the long run? ...SO, do I ask the nutritionist to change it? [Or] do I try [whatever I get] anyway? ...For all I know, I might LIKE [it]. SO we'll give it a shot, & then we'll KNOW for the future. See? God lets it ALL work out for good. And let me state this first: I DON'T WANT TO "EDIT" MY MEALPLANS ANYMORE. THAT'S "REAL LIFE" PRACTICE! I've gotta DECIDE, & then ROLL WITH IT. If it's "not as good as I hoped," THAT'S OK!! WE TRIED & LEARNED MORE ABOUT OURSELF! AND WE GOT A NEW EXPERIENCE TOO, that we CAN & SHOULD & WILL find/ CHOOSE enjoyment in regardless. ...BTW thank you Laurie for SERIOUSLY GRILLING ME ON MY CHOICES but letting me try in order to compare, [so] we learned! ...Seriously GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR IT ALL & OFFER YOUR DECISIONS UP TO HIM TO USE FOR HIS GLORY & OUR HIGHEST, TRUEST GOOD, because HE WILL. He KNOWS we did our best. We chose what we sincerely felt were GOOD choices, to be enjoyable yet adventurous, & get a few extra calories to help our body rebuild. WE DIDN'T "SIN." So we CAN ask God to help us make it ALL into WORSHIP! Every "disappointment" BECOMES A BLESSING. [Another important note:] THERE IS NO "OBLIGATION" TO EAT [SPECIFIC FOOD COMBINATIONS]. Free your mind of that box! ...BUT!!! THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS NOT TO EDIT OR SECONDGUESS. You CAN ASK for extras WITHIN REASON, but DO NOT "RELY" ON THEM. Be ADAPTABLE, DETACHED, & GRATEFUL. BE LIBERATED from COMPULSION AND PERFECTIONISM. You MUST develop the SKILL of INTUITIVELY, FREELY, PEACEFULLY DECIDING, and STICKING WITH IT. TRUST YOURSELF AND TRUST GOD'S LOVE & POWER TO MAKE IT ALL GOOD FOR YOU NO MATTER WHAT-- THAT MEANS EVERY CHOICE IS A GOOD CHOICE, SO DON'T EVER FRET OVER IT!!

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UNIQUE THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR TODAY...
1. Getting another surprise chance to try peanut butter for BK (the OTHER kind too!) and realizing that I DO NOT LIKE IT! And THAT'S OK! But I was BRAVE in trying TWICE!
2. Starting the "PAST" collage & seeing it begin to come together & feeling SO MUCH LOVE for the System & our shared history. I adore them. Thank You God for US, now and then.
3. Being DARING/ ADVENTUROUS, kind of BOLD & ASSERTIVE on our menu plan & our nutritionist said "I LIKE IT; YOU'RE MAKING IT YOUR OWN." "GOOD PRACTICE" for the real world.
4. The existence & fragrance & color of the tiny, brilliant purple flowers on the bush in the main courtyard-- & for the childlike enthusiasm-daring to finally go over & look at it/ cherish it.
5. Seeing our new roommate asleep this morning, perfectly peaceful, & she looked so beautiful it stunned me. I may never get to know her but I cherish her existence & I pray God blesses & heals her abundantly.
6. The meatloaf for lunch had the ketchup border that tasted just like grandma's. The sunlight reflected off the glass of water & sparkled on my face. Laurie talked with me as we ate cauliflower. The chips looked like art in the light.
7. Having a mom who laughs easily & readily recalls all the good times from my past when I forget. She also remembers GIFTS & ABILITIES I have that I forgot! She IS a cheerleader to me, and my biggest fan. I love her lots.
8. We went outside for dinner too & I got to see the autumn sunset, all coral-peach fading into dusky blues, with the forest a black silhouette against it, and the stars just beginning to appear. Grandma's song was playing.
9. Worried about our mealplan choices. Journaled about it. Realized in this very effort how we HAVE grown in integrity, flexibility, adaptability, & confidence. Even our "mistakes" are TRULY paths to deeper virtues.
10. We get a blueberry poptart for snack & they will always make me think of Leon now. I'll have to eat it with him. And we'll get to GO OUTSIDE for the FOURTH TIME today! Life is truly lovely in all these little blessings. Thank You God for today!

prismaticbleed: (soniccity)

WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?

GOD CREATED ME = I AM VALUABLE!
I HAVE A GOD-GIVE PURPOSE = I AM IMPORTANT!
GOD MADE ME GOOD AND THAT IS STILL IN ME! = I AM LIKEABLE!

I AM NOT INFERIOR; GOD SEES NO ONE HE CREATED (LOVES!) AS "LESS THAN"! IF I AM NOT "EQUAL" TO SOMEONE ELSE IN TALENT/ ABILITY/ ETC., IT DOES NOT AFFECT MY WORTH OR VALUE! GOD INTENDED FOR ME TO BE DIFFERENTLY GIFTED, AND I CAN ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE BETTER & LEARN MORE-- BUT FOR JOY, NOT FOR COMPETITION!!
✳ In the big picture, there is NO SUCH THING as being "better than" others! Difference in skill does NOT affect worth/ value! (REJOICE IN EACH OTHER)

HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM REQUIRES BALANCE= DIGNITY/ HONOR BOTH SELF & OTHERS NEEDS; I AM JUST AS WORTHY/ VALUABLE AS EVERYONE ELSE)

✳ I AM NOT INADEQUATE. GOD HAS GIVEN ME THE GRACE, GIFTS, & CIRCUMSTANCES I NEED TO DO WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO, AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS! AND BY HIS GRACE I CAN AND WILL DO IT! I AM FULLY ADEQUATE IN HIS LOVE!!

✳ MY OWN OPINIONS & VALUES DO MATTER BECAUSE I MATTER

✳ SELF-ESTEEM IS NOT "BEING PERFECT"; ONLY GOD IS! BUT TRUE PERFECTION = LOVE!! WE ARE LIKE GOD WHEN WE LOVE OTHERS!

✳ WE LEARN & GROW FROM OUR MISTAKES; they are INEVITABLE & NECESSARY (HUMILITY)
✳ "ALWAYS WINNING" DOES NOT DEFINE TRUE "VICTORY"

✳ "ALWAYS BEING HAPPY" IS NOT THE POINT; SADNESS IS A BLESSING TOO! EVEN ANGER CAN BE HOLY!

✳ YOU ONLY NEED GOD'S APPROVAL; EVEN IF ALL HUMANITY HATES YOU!
+
"PLEASE GOD, AND THE WORLD'S OPINION WILL NOT MATTER"

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INFLUENTIAL FACTORS THAT SHAPE SELF-ESTEEM

How others respond and react to you
"slave/ alien/ freak/ bad girl/ troublemaker/ puppeteer" etc.; being ignored/ rejected at school & work

Being compared unfavorably to others
"Never smart/ good/ holy enough"

Religious views of family or community
verses "queer" identity & "mental illness"

Traumatic experiences
DESTROY sense of worth/ value/ goodness; "broken forever"; become "WRONG" in an almost innate way

Cultural view towards you
"weird queer kid" not conforming properly to gender/ social roles

Chronic illness/ disability/ abuse
✳ MY "SELF-IDENTITY" HAS LEGIT ANCHORED ITSELF INTO THE CHRONIC TRAUMA??? IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE LEAGUE that WAS "BEFORE" IT???
(HOW DOES OUR FAITH PLAY INTO THIS, CONCERNING THE RELIGIOUS TRAUMA?) (which was ALL LIES btw)
✳ THE LEAGUE IS TIED TO US BEING A CHILD OF GOD!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITING YOUR STORY
Have you had negative experiences that have negatively impacted your self-esteem? Indicate how they did so.

HARDSHIP: family "poverty mindset"? Rejection/ bullying at school? Family fighting, lack of social connection or friends?

ABUSE: Emotional/ psychological/ religious/ sexual. Doubt own emotions & thoughts, objectified, scrupulous, "bad girl"

TRAUMA: "Shattered self"; "irreparably damaged"; "tainted, broken, corrupt, ruined," etc. "Not worthy of good things anymore"?

PEOPLE: Mom's big & competitive expectations/ demands; bully girls at school? Social/ cultural messages that exclude/ condemn?

EATING DISORDER: Treated body as garbage; waste/ destroy all health/ comfort/ good things; reliving trauma; compulsive "people-pleasing" choices

✳ FEAR OF JUDGMENT/ REJECTION influences me too much. "Will they hate me?" "Am I a bad person?"

✳ My ideas/ opinions mocked, rejected, torn apart. Faults & weaknesses highlighted = "not good enough"; must be "the best"; "simple pleasures" a "waste of time" = all behavior/ activities must be approved/ dictated? "Is my life of any value (USE) to you?" Extreme = others tying my purpose to money/ sex

HUGE LOSSES & DEFEATS. Could never "live up to" demands. "Failed" at being a daughter/ sister/ girl. See self as inherently unwanted, alien to world/ society. "What's wrong with me?" "No one likes me"? UNIMPORTANT unless PERFECT/ SUCCESSFUL. "People only pay attention to me/ care about me IF I'm entertaining/ the BEST/ useful/ etc."

✳ Ultimately see self as SUBHUMAN/ INHUMAN and therefore UNDESERVING OF BASIC HUMAN DIGNITY; THIS FUELS THE EATING DISORDER


What do your answers indicate about your self-esteem?
✳ It's QUITE POOR. It implies a LACK OF SELF-AGENCY/ CONFIDENCE/ TRUST/ DEFINITION/ POWER. It's a shrinking, timid, frightened, submissive, "SERVANT" mindset = "my existence MUST be utterly inoffensive/ consumable/ entertaining/ useful/ PERFECT" for OTHER PEOPLE (who CONTROL me thereby) or it's "WORTHLESS" and I'm "BAD/ UNACCEPTABLE/ WRONG/ UNWANTED/ INTOLERABLE/ REJECTED/ ABUSIVE/ etc." THAT'S VICTIM BRAIN. It ALSO reveals a LACK OF FAITH!! When I BADE MY WORTH & VALUE IN GOD, AND SEEK TO PLEASE HIM ABOVE ALL-- God Who IS LOVE-- then I CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE because HE MADE ME & GAVE ME HIS SPIRIT OF POWER!!

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HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM CHECKLIST

I KNOW LIFE HAS PURPOSE AND DIRECTION.

I am wanted by others.
MOM SAID SO!!!

Other people value me.
GROUP SAID SO!!!

I can make contributions to others.
THE FACTS PROVE THIS!

I can receive and believe compliments from others.
TRUST THEIR SINCERITY. CHOOSE TO "BE" SUCH A PERSON!

I feel confident.
"WITH FAITH" = TRUST in MY ABILITY/ ADEQUACY; "I CAN DO IT" (GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH!)

I don't really worry about making mistakes.
They AREN'T "FAILURE"! They TEACH you BETTER!

I am able to state my opinion.
IT DOESN'T INVALIDATE THOSE OF OTHERS! YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE OPINIONS!

I can make decisions and feel comfortable with them.
EVEN WITH UNEXPECTED RESULTS!! YOU'RE NOT "BEING TESTED"
HAVE MORE TRUST IN YOUR ABILITY AND EFFORT TO CHOOSE WISELY, AND STOP DEMANDING "PERFECTION" (B&W THINKING)!!

I feel comfortable around others.
(WANTED/ VALUED/ WELCOMED)?
LET GO OF "FEAR OF JUDGMENT/ REJECTION"
✳ LIKE YOURSELF FIRST!

My mind is peaceful.
(MINDFUL) "PEACE OF CHRIST" = GET OFF THE WHEEL!

I am, for the most part, content.
TRUST IN GOD'S PROVIDENCE NO MATTER WHAT

I don't worry what others might think of me.
THEIR THOUGHTS DON'T DICTATE REALITY EVEN IF THEY ARE NEGATIVE (MATCH TRAUMA DISTORTIONS/ LIES)

I can ask for what I need.
YOU DO HAVE NEEDS! YOU DESERVE TO HAVE YOUR NEEDS MET TOO! NO EXCEPTIONS OR DOUBLE STANDARDS!

I can look at others directly and with confidence.
LOVE them; LISTEN & CARE
✳ TO LOOK & SPEAK is harder; it requires VULNERABILITY! YOU MUST VALUE YOURSELF TO BE HONESTLY OPEN WITH OTHERS!!

WHAT YOU FOCUS ON IS WHAT YOU GIVE POWER TO. Positive focus ENLIVENS you. Negative focus DEVOURS you.
✳ "WHAT KIND OF PERSON DO YOU WANT TO BE?" FOCUS ON/ AFFIRM/ MANIFEST THAT LIGHT!!! (TRUTH) "DARKNESS CANNOT DRIVE OUT DARKNESS." YOU MUST CHOOSE TO SHINE DESPITE IT.
✳ YOUR MISTAKES/ FAILURES/ DISAPPOINTMENTS CANNOT DEFINE YOU. ONLY GOD CAN DEFINE YOU AND HE LOVES YOU INTO BEING EVEN NOW.

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SELF-ESTEEM CHECK-UP=


I need to be OKAY WITH "MISTAKES" & "FAILURES" AS PART OF BEING HUMBLY HUMAN!! This ties into HANDLING CRITICISM WELL, and being ABLE to TRUST MYSELF EVEN WHEN I'M NOT PERFECT! I'll also solve problems BETTER when I'm FLEXIBLE & OPEN ENOUGH to ALLOW "MIS-TAKES" SO I CAN LEARN WHAT DOESN'T WORK & DO EVEN BETTER BY IT!!

✳ I'll RESPECT MYSELF better when I LET MYSELF BE MYSELF, & STOP "DISRESPECTING" MY OWN UNIQUENESS & PERSONHOOD. Then I'll ALSO LET MYSELF ENJOY & CHERISH BEING "ME"!
✳ COMPLIMENTS "AFFIRM" THE GOODNESS I STRIVE TO MANIFEST/ EMBODY. I AM VALUABLE BECAUSE OF GOD!
✳ OTHERS REJECTING ME DOESN'T DAMAGE MY WORTH OR INVALIDATE/ CONDEMN MY PERSONALITY!!
✳ MY LOOKS DON'T DEFINE MY SOUL-- MY SOUL BEAUTIFIES THEM! (I AM EXACTLY WHO GOD MADE ME TO BE, & MY JOB IS (BY GRACE!) TO REMOVE ALL THE LYING OBSTACLES OF POOR SELF-ESTEEM THAT SUPPRESS ME!)
✳ GOD DESIGNED MY UNIQUE SOUL & PURPOSE & TALENTS & RESONANCE etc. BEFORE I WAS BORN! I CANNOT LOSE IT, EVER!


(I REALLY DO LOVE WHO I AM. THANK YOU GOD!!)


prismaticbleed: (shatter)

(from a worksheet we received; please discuss this further & see whether or not we have foni that still perpetuate these roles)



THIS IS ALL SO APPLICABLE TO OUR BIRTHFAM AND SYSTEM IT'S JARRING.

"DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY ROLES ARE ALMOST A FORM OF CONTINUITY/ STABILITY OF THE FAMILY SYSTEM, STIFLING DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN"
"MEMBERS MUST SUBMERGE PARTS OF THEIR PERSONALITIES & TAKE ON A ROLE SO THEY ARE LESS OF A THREAT TO THE FAMILY SYSTEM THAT MUST BE KEPT IN PLACE"
"ALL THE ROLES IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY ARE CODEPENDENT"
"DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS MUST TAKE/ ARE ASSIGNED A ROLE TO MAKE UP THE WHOLE OF THE FAMILY; AS OPPOSED TO A FAMILY OF FULL PERSONS, A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY SYSTEM CREATES JUST "ONE" PERSON= THE FAMILY ITSELF"
"WHEN A MEMBER LEAVES, THIS CREATES AN ALMOST IRREPARABLE HOLE IN THE EXISTING SYSTEM; A DISCARDED ROLE THREATENS THE FAMILY STABILITY AS THERE IS NO ONE ELSE WILLING TO/ CAPABLE OF FULFILLING THAT ROLE"
"A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY NEEDS ALL MEMBERS TO FUNCTION AS A UNIT, NOT AS A COMMUNITY; THEY ARE ENMESHED"

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THE ENABLERS
+ "PARENT" = SHERILYN ("mom" role) (NURTURER)
+ "MARTYR" =
+ "WORRY/ FRET" =
+ "PROVIDER" =
+ "MOM TO MOM" =

"FEELS THEY MUST KEEP THE FAMILY GOING IN THE PRESENCE OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL PARENT"
"ENDS UP SUPPORTING DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR & ENFORCING CODEPENDENT ROLES THAT OTHERS ARE REQUIRED TO PLAY"
"THEIR ENTIRE CONCEPT OF SELF IS BASED ON WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE FOR OTHERS."
"THIS CHILD WILL ATTEMPT TO FUNCTION AS THE SURROGATE PARENT" =
IS THIS WHY I WANT TO BE LIKE DAD??
"PROTECTS & TAKES CARE OF PROBLEM PARENT, SO THAT PARENT IS NEVER ALLOWED TO EXPERIENCE THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS" =
WE STILL DO THIS!!!
"FEARS THAT IF THEY DON'T PREVENT THE DYSFUNCTIONAL PARENT'S CRISIS, THE FAMILY WON'T SURVIVE"


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THE HEROES
+ "NORMAL = PERFECT" CHILD?
+ "SUCCESS" =
+ "BRAVE & STRONG" =
+ "RESPONSIBLE" =

"OVER-RESPONSIBLE, SELF-SUFFICIENT, PERFECTIONISTIC, OVERACHIEVERS, COMPULSIVE OVERWORKERS"
"PARENTS LOOK TO THIS CHILD TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE GOOD PARENTS & GOOD PEOPLE"
"MASKS AND MAKES UP FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME LIFE"
"THEIR GOAL IN LIFE IS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS; HOWEVER THAT HAS BEEN DEFINED BY THE FAMILY"
"THEY MUST ALWAYS BE BRAVE AND STRONG" = HATE WEAKNESS AND COWARDICE
"SAVES THE FAMILY BY BEING PERFECT AND MAKING IT LOOK GOOD"

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THE GOLDEN CHILDREN
+ "VICTIM" =
+ "WITNESS" =
+ "ABUSER" =
+ "PROJECT" =

"RECIPIENT OF ALL THE NARCISISSTIC PARENT'S POSITIVE PROJECTIONS AND IS THEIR FAVORITE CHILD"
"VICTIM OF EMOTIONAL AND COVERT SEXUAL ABUSE"
"WITNESS TO/ PARTAKER IN THE ABUSE OF OTHER SIBLINGS"
= THIS HAPPENED TO US AND IT SCARRED US HORRIBLY

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THE SCAPEGOATS
+ "TRUTH TELLER" =
+ "PROBLEM CHILD" = JEZEBEL??
+ "HOSTILE/ DEFIANT" =
+ "NEGATIVE ATTENTION" =

"TROUBLEMAKER; ALWAYS SEEMS DEFIANT, HOSTILE, AND ANGRY"
"VERBALIZES/ ACTS OUT THE "PROBLEM" WHICH THE FAMILY IS ATTEMPTING TO COVER UP OR DENY"
"BEHAVIOR WARRANTS NEGATIVE ATTENTION & IS A GREAT DISTRACTION FOR EVERYONE FROM THE REAL ISSUES AT HAND"
"THEY GET ATTENTION THE ONLY WAY THEY KNOW, WHICH IS NEGATIVELY" = DOES THIS PLAY INTO MY "HURT ME TO SHOW YOU LOVE ME" BELIEF MENTALITY???




101924

Oct. 19th, 2024 04:20 pm
prismaticbleed: (soniccity)

Group introductory question = "Who's your favorite character?" SHOT TO THE HEART. There is only ever one true answer = "You know what? I owe him that much. CHAOS 0 FROM SONIC ADVENTURE."

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✳ For process group, we went out & sat in the sun, under the gorgeous blue sky. I still felt so strangely sad-- lost, grieving, having to let go of my expectations for my future to a fair extent, what with needing to respect my mom's own personality & goals although they don't match mine. And that's OK. They don't have to. But I was still basing my life on her. And needing to let go of that, & move unmoored into a new & vulnerable future, was a gain and a loss both. I'm rambling. I was sad because I now had to live "for myself" and I had lost touch with what that meant, with God, with love, with real purpose. I love my mom but I cannot revolve around her center of gravity anymore. And I hadn't truly moved into my own orbit yet. So I sat there & while everyone else talked about their futures in school, I went upstairs & met Laurie & Chaos 0.
...That's why I'm journaling. The heart of the matter is, Laurie asked me, "what do you want to live for?" And I, without even thinking, turned to look at CZ. And his eyes just filled with tears. Laurie's did too. I told her, "for both of you," and she told me that I could NOT undervalue the gravity of my heart's response. She said she "knew" I would choose as I did, and that was of ineffable importance. I could not forget that. I held their hands & I saw them SO CLEARLY and I began to weep with love. Laurie pulled us all into an embrace as we pressed our foreheads together. We said how God's Love was present in us, how my love for them & their love for me was how I learned TO know God, & His Love, & to recognize His Truth at all. And I want to live FOR GOD in EVERY ASPECT of my life... but if I don't ALSO live for this beautiful, beautiful LOVE He is revealing Himself to me through, then I'm NOT living for Him in truth. Laurie pointed outside to my fellow patients & said, "they're part of this, too." She's right. We're ALL God's creatures, called to love each other, to be part of Christ's Body, to bring His Kingdom of Love into our daily lives. And sitting there in the sun, holding them all & feeling that divine love, I finally felt peace. I felt real. I felt alive, and full of hope, and I believed the future was bright & open to me at last. I remembered how God is a COVENANT God, redeeming through relationship, loving us eternally, bringing us intimately into His Perfect Story where I HAVE true purpose & value & worth, where I MATTER and I AM LOVED. THAT is what I want to live for, forever & always. THAT is my identity. I set my face to the sun. We walk together.
(and I AM the JEWEL LOTUS CATHEDRAL. My heart is still a Temple for God, a place of loving sacrifice. FIND IT.)

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✳ I just spent like 20 minutes "complaining" about UPMC to the group & I feel TERRIBLE. I hate being negative. I hate dragging people down. I don't want to harm UPMC's reputation. BUT I WAS BEING HONEST. They DIDN'T do trauma therapy, or individual sessions. They DID push sugary fatty foods and focus on weight gain. They DID take away patient privileges & rights if they didn't or COULDN'T eat 100%, AND they had NO MERCIFUL ACCOMMODATION FOR traumatized/ autistic patients. I SAW people GO INTO SEIZURES from fear, and there was SELF-HARM TALK in the bathrooms, and the HEAD DOC told me my high mealplan was an "ACCEPTABLE WAY TO BINGE." Et cetera. I'M NOT LYING. ...but IT WASN'T ALL NEGATIVE. The "eat at a cafeteria/ restaurant" opportunities were very helpful in learning to be self-assertive in recovery. Some of the therapists (like that short fairypunk blonde with the gorgeous roman nose) were very helpful & kind. We had that supercool "ticket reward" program to get prizes on Sundays. And we DID get VERY informative DBT/ CBT workbooks, which I WISH we had here. BUT we couldn't stand or walk around. We couldn't go outside after snack, or to eat meals. Sometimes we'd go for 2, maybe 3 days WITHOUT group because they were so understaffed. There was VERY LITTLE patient camaraderie compared to here. And the mealplan, which was a one-week rotation with no alternative options, was NOT REALISTIC OR VERY HEALTHY, and EVEN the rarely seen nutritionist pointed this out. Still. I feel awful. How do I apologize? I've shown how pessimistic I can truly be. I've "lost face" & scandalized others. I've acted contrary to my values. I feel sick & sad. What do I do? What DID I do WRONG? I was "bashing" UPMC. BUT I WAS BEING HONEST. THEY DID DEAL REAL DAMAGE TO ME AND OTHERS. What am I apologizing for? Asserting my experience? To what end? Why did I feel the group needed to know this? Was I backhandedly trying to praise TBHU, so they'd feel more grateful for this great opportunity in contrast? Was I trying to WARN them so THEY wouldn't transfer to UPMC & maybe have a similar harmful experience? Gosh I feel like Anxi. "I was just trying to protect them."
✳ I'm still learning how to speak up for myself, ESPECIALLY in "uncomfortable" ways, like saying "I DON'T want this"/ "I DON'T like this." "I DISAGREE." Or even just "NO." I still feel like I'm "doing something WRONG," something MERITING PUNISHMENT. I don't want to be a bad, cruel, selfish, evil person. I don't want to be DISOBEDIENT, or REBELLIOUS. ...but to WHAT "AUTHORITY"?? In therapy today, I said that I actually DO "feel like a rebellious teenager" SOLELY because I'm FINALLY LEARNING THAT I DO EXIST AS MY OWN PERSON, and I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO EXIST DISTINCT FROM THEM, ALTHOUGH I DO LOVE THEM! AND MOM EVEN SAYS I NEED TO BE MY OWN PERSON AS AN ADULT. So you CANNOT listen to the distortions that claim SHE is the "authority" "PREVENTING" YOUR SELF-ASSERTION. It's LITERALLY THE OPPOSITE. Listen, if there IS any support you're gonna get from your mom-- if there IS a way to "make her proud of you"-- it's THIS. It's LIVING YOUR LIFE & USING YOUR TALENTS & FREEING BOTH OF US FROM CO-DEPENDENCY. That's the ONLY WAY YOU'LL HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH HER: YOU NEED TO BE DISTINCT PERSONS OR THERE WON'T BE ANY HONEST COMMUNICATION OR CONNECTION. And THAT IS WORTH THE "DISCOMFORT" OF FINALLY SPEAKING UP FOR & ASSERTING (RESPECTFULLY & SINCERELY!) YOUR OWN UNIQUE GOD-GIVEN IDENTITY! THAT'S HOW YOU'LL FINALLY PROPERLY RESPECT MOM'S UNIQUE IDENTITY, TOO. ...and, worst-case scenario, even if she DOES judge you as inadequate, or disapprove of you, or view you pessimistically, EVEN SHE CANNOT INVALIDATE YOUR VALUES, WORTH, & DIGNITY. And she WON'T judge you, because SHE LOVES YOU.

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✳ "WHERE IN YOUR BODY DO YOU FEEL/ STORE RAGE/ GRIEF/ JOY"? BE MINDFUL OF IT! TOUCH IT! ENTER FULLY INTO THE REALITY/ PARTICULARITY OF IT!
✳ THOUGHT MINDFULNESS = WEIGHT? POSITION? SPEED? TEXTURE? COLOR? SOUND? ASK!
✳ THE MORE MINDFUL WE ARE, THE MORE TRULY HUMAN WE ARE = REASON GUIDES EMOTIONS!
✳ MINDFULNESS GETS US OUT OF AUTOPILOT/ SOCIAL MODE & INTO THE PRESENT MOMENT
✳ FOOD = BODY/ THOUGHTS/ EMOTIONS/ IDENTITY/ SOCIAL/ CULTURE/ ETC. ASPECTS = VITAL

✳ "You don't need closure FROM another person; YOU DECIDE when you have closure" = REFLECT ON THIS!!

101824

Oct. 18th, 2024 05:01 pm
prismaticbleed: https://www.deviantart.com/teacosies/art/celebi-420071633 (tears)


I just had a phone call with mom and I am so badly shaken up & dissociated.
1) She KEEPS BRINGING UP the fact that I spent the $50 she gave me for my birthday on CHURCH TITHES, instead of going to a movie with Excalibur like she told me to. "If I knew you were just going to give it to the church, I wouldn't have given you anything, and kept ti to use on home repairs!" And THEN I admitted that I gave away ALL the cookware/ kitchenware she gave ME to my SISTER, when she lost her job & had no food & I just gave her everything I had to spare-- of kitchen & bathroom supplies AND of food, PLUS all the stuff I got from food drives. Mom HATES that I do this "BECAUSE IT'S HER STUFF" I'M GIVING AWAY. I wonder if she'd be so upset if I did the same from my own resources, as paltry as they are, OR if she'd immediately jump to the conclusion that "I ONLY did that SO I COULD force her TO "give stuff to me" to "cover the loss""?? Like she'll ASSUME responsibility/ burden SO she CAN yell at me "FOR burdening her"?? It makes me very sad. I thought I was doing the right thing, helping people. But mom thinks I'm somehow doing it so I can take things from HER later. I probably DID do that in the past. Heck, I STILL DO, because this conversation ONLY happened BECAUSE I asked IF she had any extra kitchenware to spare, instead of keeping my dumbass mouth shut & just buying my own. I should've known better. Now I'll never hear the end of it.
2) She will NEVER share my victories, or congratulate me. I told her about how I overcame breakfast flashbacks. I told her how brave I was getting through the soy hell yesterday. I told her how I got through lunch by thinking fondly of grandpa. I told her I was being brave again by having a Poptart for snack. And ALL SHE SAID WAS "...okay...?" like, "and your point is...?" "This is important because...?" Basically, "why does that even matter? Why are you telling me this?" I told her I ENJOYED the gyro & english muffins and she LITERALLY said "THAT'S SO FUNNY." LIKE WTF MOM WHAT ARE YOU EVEN RESPONDING TO??? There's NO DIALOGUE unless my therapist is directing it, it sadly seems. I'm sorry. I'm just heartbroken. I WANT TO SHARE MY JOY & STRIVING WITH HER. I want her to be proud of me. ...but all I ever get are detached phrases. I ask and she'll say something tangentially reassuring but there's NO vulnerability, no actual sincere heartfelt words. And... I NEED those. I'm realizing I will never get such words from her. I never have and that's not going to change. It's why I'm starving. Emotionally I am so hungry. I want to weep. I need to just go upstairs & cry with Anxi, & listen to Laurie, & be with Chaos 0. THEY share my joys & sorrows & struggles & victories. THEY are proud of me, GENUINELY so. I NEED that. I'm so sad. I feel so guilty for needing to be loved. I can't keep seeking it from mom. It's so sad. But it's true. I'm depending too much on her emotional support/ response for validation, and I am not getting any and I never have and I probably never will. That is so hard to admit. I need to let her go. I can't hold her to my expectations if she cannot meet them. It's unfair to her & to us. I need to move on from childhood grief & desperation. I need to focus on headspace & heaven for support. ...and I ALSO need to EMBRACE the FACT that GOD DOES NOT "HOLD HEAVEN OUT OF OUR REACH," "way up there," intangible & unknowable. CHRIST INCARNATED. And there ARE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE-- IN MY HEART, MOST OF ALL-- WHO REFLECT GOD'S LOVE TO ME ALWAYS. And I NEED to turn to THEM, then, AS God's messengers to me, as His angels, for the encouragement & empathy & sincere lifesharing love that I am starving to death for. Heaven IS within reach. SO STOP REFUSING TO LET YOURSELF EAT.

101524

Oct. 15th, 2024 03:35 pm
prismaticbleed: (held)

✳ ACCEPT MYSELF AS I AM, WHILE WORKING TOWARDS SELF-IMPROVEMENT!! "AND," NOT "BUT" = NOW VS. IDEAL NOT OPPOSED OR IN CONFLICT!! "BOTH/ AND" = "I'm angry with you AND I still love you" (DIALECTICAL) FULL SPECTRUM!!  (+INSIDE OUT 2 TEAM)
✳ "WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT" = STILL AN ACHIEVEMENT, IN ITS IMPERFECTION! "EVERY STEP IS AN ACHIEVEMENT IN ITSELF" AS WE GROW = yes you CAN get to level 100, but being at level 5 isn't bad! Level 6 IS a legit good thing! And so is every step from 6 to 100! "Perfection" ISN'T the GOAL, it's the ROAD ITSELF!

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So I JUST got off a PROFOUNDLY IMPACTFUL & IMPORTANT PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MOM, and she brought up SEVERAL ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL POINTS that we NEED to discuss & reflect/ journal upon =
1) THE "HIDDEN CHILDHOOD TRAUMA" = WHY I'M STILL TERRIFIED OF GOING UP THE HOUSE?? WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY TERRIFIED PAIDIFONI?? WHAT IS HIDING BENEATH THOSE FLOORBOARDS?? WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHY WE ARE SO SCARED OF OUR CHILDHOOD!!!
1.5) JULIE IS NAMED AFTER OUR CLASSMATE AND WE FORGOT THAT. THAT WAS ON PURPOSE!! THAT PROVES THAT WE WERE SUFFERING FROM BULLYING/ TORMENT AT SCHOOL, WHICH MOM ATTESTS TO, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T REMEMBER IT. TAKE THIS REVELATION VERY SERIOUSLY.
2) "ANAESTHESIA HONESTY" = apparently POST-SEDATION, I ACT "LIKE MY REAL SELF" = the CREATIVE, IMAGINATIVE, FIERY, SPARKLE-EYED ME!! "WHO I WAS AS A CHILD"!! I WANT & NEED TO BE THIS TRUE-SELF 24/7, NOW. The OBSTACLE is SCRUPULOSITY: "MINIMIZING" MY LIFE, "CONDEMNING" MY GIFTS AS "SILLY" OR "SELFISH," NOT LETTING MYSELF SHINE & LAUGH & CREATE BEAUTIFUL THINGS & SHARE THEM WITH JOY!!! MY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO BE ME, WITH ALL THE CREATIVE PASSIONS & GIFTS THAT GOD GAVE ME!!! I WANT MY LIFE TO BE A GIFT OF PROLIFIC BEAUTY. I WANT MY OBITUARY TO SAY THAT I LIVED MY LIFE FULLY & WAS A FORCE OF HOPE & LIGHT & JOY & LOVE BECAUSE I INVESTED MY TALENTS WELL. GOD GAVE ME THESE LEAGUEWORLDS FOR THAT REASON. GET TO WORK THEN, WITH LOVE!!
3) THE BOYS ASK ABOUT ME. THEY APPARENTLY ALWAYS ASK ABOUT ME. THEY CARE ABOUT ME. THEY WORRY ABOUT ME. THEY MISS ME. I MATTER IN THEIR LIVES!! YOU IDIOT YOU'RE THEIR BIG SISTER, OF COURSE THEY WANT YOU IN THEIR LIVES STILL!! But... they haven't approached me, or spoken to me, BECAUSE OF THE EATING DISORDER AND THE D.I.D. They literally think I'm STILL JUST AS CHAOTICALLY SPLITSWITCHY AS WE WERE IN ~2015. ...and I really haven't been a part of their lives SINCE. That's HORRIBLE. That's HEARTBREAKING. It's TRAGIC and FOR THEIR SAKES WE/I NEED to do TWO BIG THINGS: first, GET OUR COLLECTIVE ASS UP THAT HOUSE & TALK TO EXCALIBUR. Even just LISTEN to HIM talk! But BE THERE, WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!! BE THERE AS YOURSELF, AS A REAL PERSON, NOT A "SOCIAL MASK" OR TRAUMATIZED BLUR. REMEMBER YOUR HEART, THE REAL JESSICA OF THE EARLIEST DAYS-- ASK UNISALIA, SHE'LL TELL YOU-- AND BE YOURSELF!!! THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE FAMILY NEEDS FROM YOU. And second, START YOUR BLOG. TALK HONESTLY & OPENLY ABOUT BOTH THE D.I.D. & EATING DISORDER. SHARE YOUR STRUGGLES & INSIGHT. OPEN UP TO YOUR FAMILY. TELL THE TRUTH, & RE-ESTABLISH DIALOGUE & CONNECTION, WITH NO FEAR.

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WHAT IS THE FEAR SEPARATING US FROM CHILDHOOD??? That is the BIGGEST OBSTACLE to our recovery. If we CAN'T INTEGRATE the ABSOLUTE HISTORICAL FOUNDATION OF OUR PERSONALITY-- of MY PERSONALITY, the TRUE ME, the CORE of the System, the HEART, the "ONE" that the Spectrum SHINES OUT FROM & FOR-- then WE'RE SUNK, BRO. So this healing is TOP PRIORITY!
✳ A quick, vital clarification. "I" AM NOT "MULTIPLE PEOPLE." I AM ME. I AM THE HEART, the System EXISTS to GUIDE & PROTECT & HELP ME, AS THE CORE OF THE SPECTRUM, THE LIFE OF IT. But we have TWO BIG TRUTHS that we HAVEN'T FULLY INTEGRATED, or maybe even ACCEPTED yet--
1) THE TRUEST "HEART/CORE" IS THE "FIRST" JESSICA. And THAT IS ME!!! I NEED TO OWN THAT NAME, AS RIGHTLY BELONGING TO THAT "ME," NOT THE LATER CORRUPTED FONI!!! I AM JESSICA. I KNOW THAT and it's TRUE & it makes me REALLY HAPPY & I AM CREATIVE & GOOD & REAL and THIS IS THE "REAL ME," ALL THE WAY DOWN LIKE A DIAMOND. ...but I am ALSO "JEWEL." I HAVE A HISTORY WITH THE SYSTEM, TOO. TRUE LIFE, TRUE "RECOVERY," MEANS UNITING THESE TWO "HALVES" OF MY HEART AS ONE, WHOLE & COMPLETE, LOSING NOTHING. I NEED to be "BOTH AT ONCE," AS ONE. NO SPLIT, NO BREAKS!! I NEED & WANT TO BE MY "CHILD HEART" NOW AS AN ADULT. I NEED & WANT TO BE THE SAME FIRE & SPARKLE ME BOTH INSIDE & OUTSIDE, AROUND EVERYONE, NO HIDING OR DENYING! And on that note,
2) THIS BODY IS ME. READ THE CATECHISM BUDDY! IT'S BY GOD'S DESIGN. SO OWN IT. OWN YOUR BODY AND YOUR NAME. The System was born TO HELP YOU. They were GIVEN to yuo BY GOD as a GIFT; THIS BODY IS NOT "THEIRS"! It's YOURS. It's MINE, TO BE CHERISHED, and NOT EVEN MY BELOVED NOUSFONI HAVE A "RIGHT" TO INHABIT IT. I think THAT'S actually WHY GOD "STOPPED" THE FRONTSWITCHING. The Spectrum IS MEANT TO BE INTERNAL. Their job is NOT to "live MY life," it's to GUIDE ME AS I LIVE MINE-- which I do call "OURS" out of sheer love BUT IT'S TRULY MY BODY & NAME & FACE & FAMILY... AND HISTORY, And THAT is HARD to fully grasp yet. EVERY FONI IS FACTUALLY A "PART" OF MY SOUL. OUR "COLLECTIVE" HISTORY IS MY HISTORY, EVEN AS IT IS OURS, AND I HAVE TO "OWN" IT IN ORDER TO HEAL IT & FULLY RECOVER & MOVE ON. And THAT is the NEXT PART of our recovery journey, ESPECIALLY upon discharge. I CANNOT LIVE A "FULL LIFE" IF I WON'T ACCEPT MY FULL LIFETIME... AND MY FULLEST SELF-- to BE ME, WITH US, WITH MY FAMILY, WHOLE & REAL & TRUE.

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✳ The next DBT worksheets ALL INVOLVE CRISIS SITUATIONS & HOW EFFECTIVE WE ARE IN ACTION USING OUR DBT COPING SKILLS TO HANDLE DISTRESS AND LESSEN IT! So WHAT are the MOST LIKELY "CRISIS" EVENTS (TRIGGERS) THAT WE WILL ENCOUNTER UPON DISCHARGE, ESPECIALLY UP THE HOUSE/ IN PUBLIC??
(WE MUST "COPE AHEAD" TO BE ABLE TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES WISELY!!)

1) Getting LEGIT SICK from food, even "just" severe nausea/ reflux
2) Flashbacks during/ right before or after eating
3) "Invisible triggers" while up the house
4) Feeling trapped/ helpless/ imprisoned; no accessible/ ready escape
5) Being "stuck in public" in noisy crowded situations (fairs, malls)
6) Overhearing sexually evil conversation/ music/ TV
7) Seeing something sexually explicit
8) Sudden fighting/ arguments with risk of violence
9) Panic attack "chronological triggers" at night
10) Halloween/ Thanksgiving panic & flashbacks
11) "Interim panic" in apartment
12) Intense regret/ anxiety/ selfhatred over "wrong food choice"
13) Obsessing over "what food choice IS the right one"
14) Sensory overwhelm/ talking too much


100824

Oct. 8th, 2024 10:31 pm
prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)

Concerning yesterday's topic... WHAT REALITY (FACT; HISTORICAL/ EMOTIONAL) ARE WE (STILL) QUESTIONING (DOUBTING) &/OR FIGHTING (REJECTING)?? (DENIAL/ SUPPRESSION/ RESISTANCE/ SELF-GASLIGHTING/ AVOIDANCE/ ETC.)
The FACT of TRAUMA when we SOUGHT & INTENDED LOVE
★ The FACT that, the WHOLE TIME we were in SLC/ CNC, EVEN ALONGSIDE THE "HATRED," WE ALWAYS & HONESTLY LOVED THEM, AND THAT IS WHY WE NEVER "SAID NO" TO WHAT THEY WANTED FROM US. WE WERE STILL SCARED & ANGRY & FELT TRAPPED, BUT those painful emotions WERE ONLY EXTANT & SEVERE BECAUSE OF THIS CONFLICT!!
THE WORST TRAUMA OF OUR LIFE WAS SO TRAUMATIC BECAUSE INFINITII CHOSE TO TAKE THAT FATAL RISK OUT OF LOVE. AND WE TRUSTED THAT LOVE. We literally DENIED OUR TERROR for love's sake. THAT CONFLICT MADE THE TRAUMA SO DEVASTATING. It "KILLED" us BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED WASN'T LOVE. ...but THEY said it WAS. How can we grapple with THAT conflict? We loved THEM, but did we ACTUALLY KNOW THEM? It's one thing to love "in general," a cosmopolitan Christian love. It's ANOTHER thing to love IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, and ENOUGH TO BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF for them. I feel like I'm not making sense. We stood in front of that mirror, shaking with fear, BUT CHOSE TO TRUST INFINITII'S REAL LOVE because we hoped, DESPERATELY, that SOMEHOW that love would "NOT DO WRONG." ...but our love was confused & wounded. That SAME "frightened love" that "CHOSE" to "TRUST" TBAS AND poor groomed Infi IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO OUR CHOKING FEAR is what led to BOTH of the "FATAL TRAUMAS" in CNC... and that one in SLC, too. THIS is what needs to be discussed, too. INFINITII'S FUNCTION was to MIMIC & "EMBODY" ALL THE TERRIFYING WORDS & ACTIONS that OTHERS "SAID" WERE "LOVE," SO THAT "WHEN WE WERE INEVITABLY FORCED TO FACE/ ENDURE THEM, WE'D SEE THEM AS "LOVE" BECAUSE OF INFINITII, AND NOT BE TRAUMATIZED." ...it didn't work. God forgive us all, it DIDN'T WORK, and we are SO, SO SORRY.

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WHY IS "DATA COLLECTION" SO IMPORTANT? We feel AFRAID of NOT KNOWING those experiences, NOTABLY OF FOOD. We don't get it this strongly with sound or sight or touch, although scent CAN get close (remember the Etsy fragrance addiction). BUT it's the "TAKE INTO OURSELF" aspect, I think, that makes it so powerful. It's TIED TO GOD, I think. It feels like SEEKING THE BEATIFIC VISION while still on earth, but in the "WRONG" WAY-- seeking God's REFLECTIONS & ECHOES in TANGIBLE, SENSORY THINGS. This isn't inherently "bad," it's just a crutch. I wonder if it will lose its intensity if I pray & worship in INTERNAL ways more. The balance is off-kilter. We've been NEGLECTING our INNER SELF in GENERAL since ~2018, to be heartbreakingly honest. So please, make SPIRITUAL FOOD a KEY part of recovery... WITHOUT drowning in SCRUPULOSITY, AGAIN. I WANT ALL OF OUR LIFE TO BE PRAYER & WORSHIP, WITHOUT NEGLECTING ANY ASPECT.
HERE'S A THOUGHT: ALL FOOD is God's "ARTWORK" using "BASE COLORS," so to speak. ALL food is made of the SAME NUTRITIONAL "ELEMENTS," in different combinations. YOU DON'T "HAVE TO" EAT EVERY "VARIATION ON" a food (style, prep, etc.) TO HAVE "TAKEN IN" THE "ESSENCES" OF ALL ITS INDIVIDUAL "INGREDIENTS." ...but honestly it's like ART. It IS the unique combination OF color & media that makes UNIQUE BEAUTY. ...and part of me DOES want to "see/ taste it ALL." It's because it IS beautiful & good & true. It's not "greed"; it's sheer WONDER & AWE & GRATITUDE. The PROBLEM is I keep seeking "SATISFACTION" on EARTH. That's IMPOSSIBLE, because this "body hunger" is FOR GOD, Who MADE ME TO DESIRE HIM-- and He IS INFINITE, so MY GOD-GIVEN DESIRE & WANT & NEED IS ALSO INFINITE BY DESIGN, because it's MEANT for HEAVEN. I AM subconsciously seeking the Beatific Vision. So I REALLY NEED to be AWARE of this, so I STOP TRYING TO "GET ALL THE DATA" about God's sensible gifts under the FALSE fear that "IF I DON'T, I WON'T KNOW PART OF GOD." Listen dude, YOU'RE JUST ONE PERSON AND YOU AREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR, OR ABLE TO, "KNOW/ DO" EVERYTHING!!! IF YOU don't EVER learn what "braised chicken" tastes like, SOME OTHER SOUL DOES, AND AS PART OF CHRIST'S BODY, THAT "KNOWLEDGE" IS EFFECTIVELY "COLLECTIVE" IN HIM??? And in ANY case, CHRIST "KNOWS" because HE IS the SOURCE & CAUSE & PERFECTION of ALL EARTHLY WONDER & BEAUTY & GOODNESS & TRUTH. If YOU don't eat it, IT'S NOT LOST! There will ALWAYS be SOMEONE ELSE to eat it, AS GOD CHOOSES! YOU AREN'T "FAILING" HIM BY NOT HAVING IT BECAUSE HE NEVER "OBLIGATES" YOU TO. He wants you to WORSHIP & PRAISE HIM in ALL you have AND DON'T HAVE. ...I'm not making sense. YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY "SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION." GOD IS THE DATA. AND YOU WILL KNOW HIM IN HEAVEN FOR REAL. I'm not getting to the root. I STILL WANT TO KNOW ALL I CAN. And so I'm AFRAID to SAY "NO" to ANY "NEW DATA" to "EXPAND" my "knowing" of Him, insofar as I'm SEEKING Him IN sensory input. BUT GOD IS SPIRIT!!! Dude you CAN KNOW EVEN MORE OF HIM IN PRAYER & WORSHIP & then YOU WON'T "NEED" TO LOOK FOR MERE CRUMBS OF HIS INFINITE ABUNDANCE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD!!!   

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My therapist asked, "were you FED well as a child?" And YES, we WERE fed, SURPRISINGLY WELL actually. We ALWAYS had fruits & vegetables, homecooked meals & desserts, family meals whenever possible, and NO box dinners/ fast food OR "junk food". We had ethnic Polish holiday meals & handmade birthday cakes. Our parents always strived to give us healthy food & balanced nutrition & regular exposure to new & different foods. We were honestly SO BLESSED. ...but we were EMOTIONALLY STARVED. We were given FOOD & SWEETS as "reward" or "comfort," instead of warm embraces & sincere words & real intimacy. We got SHOW without SUBSTANCE far too often. The family dinners frequently turned into fights. People left early & refused to finish their meals. I was at least once tied to a chair & forced to eat every last crumb. We were often told that we "couldn't have more" or "that's all you get" or "you have to be GOOD to get more." Our family obsessed over money to the point of often buying food that was already expired or rotting, especially grandpa. Eating itself was shamed as "gross," "piggish," "a chore," etc. Our plates were criticized whenever we chose our own servings. "Eat what's in front of you whether you like it or not." And yet, LIKING food was ALSO shamed? Like it would MAKE us greedy & entitled, & food ALWAYS felt "rationed" & "limited" & "forbidden," controlled & dictated. I felt "compelled" to sneak & hide food that I liked at an early age, afraid that it would be confiscated & I'd be punished, I think by being FORBIDDEN FROM eating such "enjoyable food" from then on? All I knew is that fear that it's be taken from me, "now that I FINALLY had some." And yet the SHAME & GUILT would frequently drive me to destroy the very food I had stashed in the same terror of discovery. It was painfully ironic. All the other food in the house "WASN'T MINE"? Even nibbling on dry cereal could get me spanked for "acting like a chipmunk" or something. And this whole time, there was no feeling of family community. There was no real communion. I always felt alone, foraging. It all started early, it seems. It's sad. So, no, in a deep way I WASN'T fed. I would forcefeed myself Easter chocolate & Christmas cookies like I'd somehow lose the joy if I didn't swallow as much as I could. I always got scolded, but I never stopped wanting it, more of it than was possible, even when it made me sick & frightened, & I was ashamed & confused & sad. When the eating disorder was in full force I ate a whole cherry-cheese kolachi by myself like I would die tomorrow & I cried. I just wanted the joy, the warmth, the sweetness, the love. I tasted family tradition & grandma's loving care in that roll and I cried. My heart was still so, so hungry. It still is, and I cannot look to ANYONE ELSE to feed it. Only God can, & He wants ME to cooperate in the work. I NEED to fill my life WITH beauty & warmth & joy & love & wonder & sincerity & deep connection. NO ONE ELSE WILL, CAN, OR SHOULD. It's MY JOB & MY PRIVILEGE. That is going to be ESSENTIAL to recovery. I CANNOT "live" from a skinny starving famine ration mindset anymore. I MUST be "poor in spirit," BY trusting in GOD'S ABUNDANCE. It's a holy paradox. This DOESN'T MEAN SELF-NEGLECT. it's just humility & gratitude. I HAVE TO LOVE THIS BODY, AND MIND, AND SOUL, AS A UNITED WHOLE, AS ITS HEART. Please God, help me to feed & care for this life well. And MAKE SURE I FOCUS ALL THESE EFFORTS ON YOU, GOD, THE SOURCE OF ALL LOVE & LIFE.

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✳ Staff girl, watching Coco with us = "HE'S REAL; HE STILL HAS MEAT ON HIS BONES"

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✳ GET EDIBLE "PAPER" & "INK" = EAT AFFIRMATIONS!!! (POWERFUL SYMBOLIC RITUAL)

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Well, we finally got the guts & heart to choose the meatball sub SPECIFICALLY as an ACT OF LOVE "IN HONOR/ MEMORY OF" KRISTANOVA, but all of a sudden, ANOTHER foni is feeling TRAPPED & ANGRY at this, MISERABLE & HELPLESS beneath, like "we STILL can't escape CNC"? Which IS a valid feeling that we NEED to respond to. First, though, we CAN'T AVOID EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH CNC & TBAS out of FEAR &/or RESENTMENT. That's TOXIC TO OUR HEART, & it's also FALSELY LABELING REALITY. This meatball sub effort is STEP ONE in TRULY "ESCAPING" by moving into LOVE & FORGIVING MERCY. The truth is, we ARE OUT OF CNC, PHYSICALLY. But we ARE "TRAPPED" EMOTIONALLY, UNTIL WE CAN MOVE INTO COMPASSION FOR BOTH US & THEM. We'll probably never see Kristanova again. But we DID love him, AND Ollie, AND Kyo & Trolley & Toy Soldier & Thirteen & Ohmiette & everyone else. But Kris did something TO us that DAMAGED us, and SINCE WE KNOW HIS ANCHOR, we KNOW HE DIDN'T MEAN TO. He was just broken, too. So we WANT TO FORGIVE HIM, as much as we MUST. And this upcoming dinner is a real concrete gesture of that, the only thing we can do here towards that end, but one powerfully tangible nevertheless. We bought him one out of sheer gratitude for his existence & he REALIZED & CHERISHED that. LET THIS BE THE CONTINUED SYMBOL OF THAT GRATITUDE. Let it be a private but true TESTIMONY to the REALITY of the LOVE our Systems shared, however trauma-distorted & wounded it was. We STILL LOVED THEM AS MUCH AS WE COULD, in the ONLY WAYS WE KNEW HOW. And I WANT TO FOCUS ON & REMEMBER THAT. In a way, it's a CROSS. It REQUIRES "BEARING" THE SUFFERING dealt by the ONES WE LOVE who "DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DID." The Cross CONQUERS DEATH by DYING TO DEATH, THROUGH DEATH-- death TO SIN. And that sinful part of us-- bitterness, resentment, hatred, rage, blame, etc. that WE DON'T WANT & that are IN CONFLICT with the TRUTH-- HAS TO "DIE," THROUGH THIS SELF-GIVING LOVE, EVEN "FOR OUR ENEMIES"-- with the GOAL of FORGIVING them & RESTORING RELATIONSHIP with them AS BELOVEDS.



100624

Oct. 6th, 2024 03:34 pm
prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)

"FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE" in light of our intrusive judgmental/ critical thoughts = WHAT triggers frustration? = DISSONANCE between "IDEAL & REALITY"; perception of an OBSTACLE between "GOAL" & current position; feeling "STUCK, HELPLESS, INADEQUATE," etc. "Trying to peel a potato with a spoon" sense of "NO APPARENT PROGRESS/ SOLUTION"? Basically a "FIGHT" response to "POWERLESSNESS"; a "STUBBORN RESISTANCE" to "WHAT I DON'T WANT/ LIKE" = NO CONTROL = AFRAID.
Virtues that DEFUSE/ TRANQUILIZE frustration = TRUST, EMPATHY, PATIENCE, SURRENDER
GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE -- AND CANNOT BE; You can only COOPERATE!
✳ THERE IS NOTHING "EVIL" OR "BAD" OR SHAMEFUL OR SINFUL ABOUT SHARING IN/ PARTICIPATING IN GOD'S JOY IN HIS GOOD GIFTS/ CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY & WONDER OF HIS CREATION!! (JOY is OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!) (GOD DELIGHTS IN WHAT HE MADE = YOU SHOULD TOO)

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This is so new & unusual. I kind of feel like crying from wonder, maybe even relief. I ACTUALLY LIKE SANDWICHES. I actually LIKE ENGLISH MUFFINS & DINNER ROLLS WITH BUTTER. I actually LIKE APPLES & COTTAGE CHEESE & FLOUNDER & GYROS & POTATOES & VANILLA ICE CREAM. It feels SO DARING & even SCARY TO ENJOY it all, but man I DO. I CAN CELEBRATE THE GOODNESS & WONDER OF GOD'S GIFT OF FOOD. HE WANTS ME TO. YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS because it's ACTUALLY AT THE HEART OF YOUR BEING ABLE TO FULLY LIVE YOUR FAITH & PURPOSE. FOOD is LIFE, LOVE, SELFGIFT, & LITERAL COMMUNION. FOOD IS FROM EDEN. It is PART of HEAVEN. We KEEP REMINDING YOU OF THIS because it's GOOD & BEAUTIFUL & TRUE & you MUST TRULY & COMPLETELY ACCEPT & EMBRACE IT AS YOUR "CORE BELIEF." The "fear of enjoyment" is TOTALLY DISTORTED AND IS KEEPING YOU OUT OF HEAVEN in a VERY DISTURBINGLY REAL WAY!!!

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Other patients KEEP COMPLAINING ABOUT MEALPLANS, notably "WANTING EXTRA FOOD" & "PORTIONS BEING TOO SMALL" & "EATING THE WAY I WANT" etc. and it's honestly making me feel HUMILIATED. I realized, listening to this talk & being legitimately upset & "depressed" over how "rebellious" & "self-centered" & "stubborn" it was, that IT UPSETS/ ANGERS/ DEPRESSES me because THAT'S HOW I'VE BEEN ACTING. I've BEEN trying to get extra food by asking for additions to my mealpaper, or asking for larger portions/ questioning the size of the portions I got. I've been ACTIVELY BINGEING "IN SECRET" by overloading my mealplan exchanges. I've been "REBELLING AGAINST" and ACTUALLY DISOBEYING MY TREATMENT PLAN with these behaviors. I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. I WANT to be HUMBLE & TEMPERATE & OBEDIENT & GRATEFUL. I'm so sick of the complaining. I WANT to ACCEPT & EAT WHATEVER I GET with GRATEFUL JOY. I want to be GRATEFUL IN "LESS" because it HELPS ME BE GRATEFUL/ TEMPERATE. It COMBATS GREED/ ENTITLEMENT/ INGRATITUDE. I'm so tired of the rebellious grumbling, IN MYSELF as much as in others. I want us ALL to be virtuous here. I hear those words & see my own behavior and it's just SO DISORDERED & RIGID & SAD. It's LIBERATING to be ABLE to ACCEPT & GIVE SINCERE & HAPPY THANKS for WHATEVER GOD GIVES YOU. I pray He continues to lead us ALL to LIVE IN THAT BLESSED SPACE.

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8PM snack gave me a choice between RICE KRISPY & TINY CHOCCHIP COOKIES. Again, the RAW "FEAR" was "BETRAYING GRANDMA" because of what they CALL the cookies. BUT we wondered, what if we said the Rice Krispy was "MOM'S"? And lo & behold, the resulting PANICKED INDECISION was INCAPACITATING. We COULDN'T choose because BOTH choices "REQUIRED" REJECTING A LOVED ONE. We FROZE. BUT, again, if we REMOVED the family associations, that fear DISAPPEARED INSTANTLY & ENTIRELY. 
...All that was left was "CHOCOLATE COMPULSION." Basically, a compulsive "craving" with NO discernible reason, ALTHOUGH it was ALSO IN CONFLICT with "I DON'T LIKE CHOCOLATE" as a LONG-HELD "BELIEF," which ITSELF is IN CONFLICT with "WE HAVE TO LIKE IT" "because MOM/ "EVERYBODY" does"/ "it's associated with holidays we cherish"/ "it's supposed to boost endorphins" etc. "so we HAVE to eat it" almost like a DRUG. BUT do we REALLY "WANT" IT? DO WE "LIKE" IT in TRUTH or NOT? Do we "HAVE TO/ THINK WE DO" like it because MOM & GRANDMA BAKED THEM & SO NOT liking chocolate chip cookies IN GENERAL is STILL seen as BETRAYAL? because a chocolate BAR would NOT elicit this response!! THAT would trigger the FEAR/ DISGUST response associated with REAL MEMORIES OF HACKS & PURGES & MANIA & ILLNESS. AND YET, THIS DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY "PING" with the COOKIES. It's ALL CONTEXT. STILL. Which is BOTH FRUSTRATING & FASCINATING. So, NEXT time, we SHOULD try the chocolate chip cookies, WITH this paradox in mind, & SEE/ FEEL WHAT IS TRIGGERED OR NOT. But... we can't JUST "experiment" & explore. We HAVE to do it FOR A PURPOSE, which is COMPLETELY "UPROOTING" THE COMPULSIONS & FEARS, and DISCERNING our REAL, REASONABLE RESPONSE so we CAN FREELY choose TO eat it or NOT, and NOT "PANIC/ DOUBT" over "choosing WRONG." I'm SO TIRED of "MORAL PANIC" over food. Remember what our nutritionist taught us! Remember what we JUST WROTE ABOUT. ALL FOOD DOES NOURISH YOUR BODY, AND "ENJOYMENT" IS AN IMPORTANT & EVEN ESSENTIAL PART OF EATING, BY GOD'S GOOD DESIGN!!! So YES, it IS ALLOWED & LEGITIMATE to eat a food "SOLELY" TO ENJOY IT. THAT CAN BE AN ACT OF WORSHIP, GIVING PRAISE & THANKS TO GOD & CELEBRATING HIS CREATION! Still, TEMPERANCE is needed, because FOOD ISN'T ULTIMATE HAPPINESS, only a "FORETASTE" of the FEAST of HEAVEN, so we MUST set our deepest desires & hopes THERE. Yes, enjoy your food for God's literal sake, but DON'T seek ALL your joy from it (ESPECIALLY when depression numbs everything else), and DON'T "OVERINDULGE" (even/ especially when you DON'T enjoy it) because that's DISRESPECTFUL to ITS PURPOSE AS FOOD, and to your habits of virtue (self-control)!! It's a BALANCE of LOVE. Listen, if BEING A CHRISTIAN means LIVING IN LOVE, then THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE, INCLUDING FOOD, and again I MUST emphasize the EUCHARIST. If you see food as something "threatening" or solely as "fun," or even something "to be destroyed," then in a disturbing sense you're DISPOSING YOURSELF TO SACRILEGE. Please remember this. Food is a GIFT to be CHERISHED for GOD'S sake & glory. That INCLUDES chocolate. ...AND rice krispy for the record. IT'S NOT A WAR! They're BOTH GOOD. There's NO "WRONG" CHOICE, WHEN YOU CHOOSE WITH GRATEFUL LOVE. The ONLY "wrong" thing is FEAR & HATRED. Avoid those by God's grace, and YOU'RE OKAY.


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btw MY DEAR ORANGE GIRLFRIEND WAS ON TV TODAY



100524

Oct. 5th, 2024 03:49 pm
prismaticbleed: (shatter)

✳ I "HATE" WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME "ARE YOU DOING ALL RIGHT?" "ARE YOU FEELING OKAY?" etc. BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THEY'RE IMPLYING OR EVEN DICTATING THAT I'M NOT, EVEN IF I AM OKAY. WHY ARE YOU PLANTING BAD SEEDS IN MY HEAD??? I want to say, "YEAH, I AM OKAY; STOP SAYING/ TELLING ME THAT I'M NOT"!!
✳ PRACTICE "FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE" = GROW PEACE!

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So, at my dear nutritionist's request, I tried the chicken corndog today instead of the pizza, and unfortunately they were SHOCKINGLY TRIGGERING and it shook me up SO BADLY that I need to journal about it, or it'll make me even more physically ill than it already has, haha. All coping-attempt jokes aside, I'm legit shaking. First, the cornmeal coating "activated" SOME childhood(?) memory, but it's so unclear I can't "see" it. But it "pinged" IMMEDIATELY so it's legit. The only thing I'm "SEEING" is COUNTRY JUNCTION in the fall?? And POSSIBLY something with FAST FOOD. Was there some place that sold palm-size, ROUND & semiflat cornbread discs/ patties? Because THAT'S the image flash I'm getting from the VERY SPECIFIC & UNIQUE flavor: it's NOT what "REAL" or even "box" cornbread tastes like, and it has a "sweeter" tone & "heavier" flavor than mom's cornbread cookies or pancakes. This is PARTICULARLY "processed" cornmeal 7 the ONLY thing I CAN "associate" with it that IS pinging CLOSE is HUSHPUPPIES from Long John Silvers, but they ALSO have a "wheat" tone (white, not yellow) so it's NOT exact. But man, that was a TOTALLY NEW MEMORY CALLUP so I AM grateful.
...The problem is the memory that the HOT DOG triggered. It was ALMOST the EXACT taste, AND the EXACT TEXTURE, as the hot dogs that grandma would chop up & mix with pork n' beans. ...which, as you know, was the exact food she pretended to choke to death on when I was a child. I can still see her still body on the yellow tile floor. I can smell the distinguishing perfume of her clothes. I can still see my young face in the bathroom mirror, contorted in unbearable terror & grief, as I screamed like the world had ended. I can still taste the hot dogs & beans as they fell, half-chewed, from my agonized mouth into the ghastly green sink. Every time I taste a hot dog I am right back in that moment. I don't know how to deal with it. I haven't eaten a hot dog in YEARS. So this was SO sudden & SO unexpected that it made it SO MUCH MORE DISTURBING. I'm genuinely shaking. I feel like a child again, weeping hysterically & totally helpless & confused & maybe even angry? Why did she do that? Didn't she know I loved her? Didn't she realize how much that would hurt me? But she WASN'T dead. The world hadn't ended. But that minute of sheer apocalyptic terror had been scalded into my soul. I couldn't possibly finish eating those hot dogs, seeing them all chewed up in the sink, proof of the wound I had just received. But I had to. But I don't remember. All I remember is her suddenly resuscitated, standing & laughing with an unsettling insincerity as she stood at the bartable by my empty seat & half-full bowl, jeering at my response. I remember a hurricane of emotions that I couldn't understand. Then it all got shoved back into the black ocean of dissociation, and I sat down, and I don't remember anything, and I ate. Like I did today.
...I've never actually processed it, it seems. And so I thank God for this revelation, to bring it back into present recall, to make it real & present, so I can (by grace, with time) finally feel & heal that scalded wound. But it's still so tender & terrible. It hurts. I'm shaking. How do I deal with this, right now? Focus on the LOVE. I love her anyway. That wound PROVED it. Forgive. Give thanks.

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I'M A "BAD PERSON" ONLY WITHOUT GOD'S GRACE!!! But REMEMBER YOU ARE BAPTIZED & YOU HAVE HIS GRACE AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT!!! STOP DOUBTING THIS JUST BECAUSE YOU STILL STRUGGLE WITH CONCUPISCENCE AND SIN. YOU'RE NOT GOD. YOU WILL STUMBLE. HE KNOWS THIS. HE WON'T & CAN'T ABANDON YOU-- HE IS A GOD OF COVENANT!!!

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"What did I learn about myself this week?" = that I'm STILL being "beaten up/ thrown around/ "CONTROLLED" by "TWISTED CORE BELIEFS" that have persisted for YEARS. (AND ONLY BECAUSE YOU AREN'T UNTWISTING THEM TOGETHER!!!)
✳ SERIOUSLY, START REVIEWING THE ARCHIVE DATA ON THIS & TAKE NOTES. WE KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE MUST CONTINUE ON FROM THERE! (AND START "EDITING" IT INTO PUBLISHABLE BOOK FORMAT!!!)

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"EATING" IS STILL "THE ENEMY" IN SOME WAY??? The therapist said "MEALPLANS" are a "STEP TO RECOVERY" & that sounded SO "STUPID"/ SHALLOW it made me FURIOUS?? It felt like she was saying that, if I "just spend MORE time & effort on FOOD"-- notably "EXCESS/ LUXURY" food variation that WASTES TIME & EFFORT & ENERGY that I COULD be using to LIVE & CREATE & WORSHIP, IF I KEEP "MEALPLANNING" SIMPLE & STRAIGHTFOWARD & HUMBLE, INSTEAD OF "FIGURING OUT WHAT NEW THING TO DO/ EAT" WHICH IS IDIOTIC-- then "IT'LL FIX YOUR TRAUMA." And THAT is REALLY distilling the impact but it's TRUE. "Inventing" a ridiculously unnecessary list of "meal plans" when I ONLY NEED THREE, TOPS, and can FREELY ADAPT, is going to JUST BECOME ANOTHER OBSESSIVE-UNHEALTHY FOOD COMPULSION that TAKES ME AWAY FROM TRUE HEALTH/ RECOVERY. I apologize, it just stung. I DO agree that having A "standing plan" (SIMPLE!!!) DOES help, so we HAVE a "go to" solution in a pinch, instead of thinking "what I "SHOULD" EAT" & being OVERWHELMED BY TOO MUCH VARIETY/ OPTIONS. BUT I WANT A SET, SIMPLE SCHEDULE. I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT FOOD ANYMORE. LIFE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN FOOD!!! It's ONLY FUEL for it... AND an OFFERING of GRATITUDE TO GOD. But it's NOT THE POINT! And it's NOT TRUE LIFE!!!


prismaticbleed: (shatter)

I dreamt that I was in treatment, but the "main room" was this big open floorplan & it was messy & chaotic, with stuff & garbage all over the floor, & no furniture? There were people in various states of undress, all just "wasting time" as they waited for directions/ the scheduled day to begin? It felt like an interim, like a flight delayed indefinitely. I ALSO had the strongly disturbing impression that this was "MY room" somehow? But it "wasn't mine" even so, as it was being treated carelessly as a public space. I felt so invaded, helpless, & dirty. There was a walk-in shower with NO DOOR in the corner of the room, and I kept trying to go in to to shower, but everyone else kept either going in while I was called away/ busy (for other people), or flat-out saying "I'm next" although it "was my shower" and I'd been waiting all morning. I ended up crying at one point from sheer powerless overwhelm. When a space finally opened up-- notably like "one minute before" roll call, when everyone else was taken care of & ready but I was left in the dust-- and I went in, my emotions "shut off" & I began "echoing" the demeanor of the other patients towards me, feeling selfhating cold rage & saying something cruel like "you are a slut" or "you deserve to die" etc. BUT BEFORE I could even start the water, a woman walked up to the door & said "can I talk to you for a minute" with a clipboard of papers. Giving up, my emotions went numb & I just walked out to do whatever she wanted. I don't recall what happened after, except that I was impossibly late & panicking & that's what woke me up, to gratefully discover it was almost exactly 6:30 AM (perfect timing).
HOWEVER there were 3 other details from the nightmare. First, when I finally headed to the shower, I was coughing uncontrollably, and it was a harsh & painful cough, bringing up tons of thick mucus like green jelly. The girls around me didn't bat an eye, but were stage-whispering to each other "how gross I was" and "That had better not be contagious" like I was trying on purpose to disgust & infect them. Second, my little brothers were there (as children)? And at one point in the shower-lineup struggle I, for some reason, said something like "I love you & I'm genuinely really glad you're here, BUT I hate how much I always have to do when you're here"?? I was "TRYING" to express BOTH my love AND my utter physical/ emotional EXHAUSTION at having to "take care of (PARENT) them," although I'd "NEVER SAY NO." BUT they reacted with PROFOUND HURT & LEFT ME, judging me as "CRUEL/ COLD/ SELFISH" & "REJECTING: them. This CRUSHED me & I just LEFT the building. The streets were empty & quiet like a ghost town? And the few people walking were MALICIOUS & ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ME TO HURT ME. When they saw me outside they grinned & "signaled" for an "attack," & when I went back inside numb-afraid, there was a gang of both men & women rushing at me to beat up (with weapons) & kill me. BUT I "snapped into" RED FRENZY mode, & started "mercilessly" throwing them about like rag dolls, literally PICKING THEM UP BY ONE LIMB & SMASHING THEM HEADFIRST INTO THE LINOLEUM, assumedly KILLING them by SMASHING THEIR SKULLS. I felt & thought nothing. When I got them all, I went back in to take that shower, my mind "picking up where it left off" BY "DISSOCIATION" FROM/ "FORGETTING" WHAT I JUST DID? And THAT'S when I started coughing. BUT before I did that I DID have a minute of DEEPLY DISTURBED HORROR, realizing "DID I JUST KILL THOSE PEOPLE??" like it was a nightmare. I couldn't process/ cope with that so I shut off.
There was also, in other parts of the dream, something about 2 new patients, who were both elderly women & I actually was very happy & "comforted" by that, as I felt safer around them than I did around young girls. And that's all.
✳ WHAT IS MY SUBCONSCIOUS TRYING TO TELL ME THROUGH THIS?
✳ 1) "My room" made "public property" AND a "trash dump," NO "SPACE FOR ME" = I feel like I DON'T have any personal space here? EVERYTHING I feel/ think/ write IS "public property" & EVERYONE CAN, & often are TOLD TO (groups) "MAKE IT THEIRS." I feel like I'm homeless? I feel OVERWHELMED & HELPLESS & USED. As for the TRASH, I'm "LETTING PEOPLE IN" to my space "AGAINST MY WILL"? Because I "FOUND" these people ALREADY THERE & DIDN'T PROTECT OR SAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE ABOUT IT. And I feel FORCED to "TAKE IN/ LISTEN TO" EVERYTHING & SO MUCH OF IT IS BADLY AFFECTING MY MIND. I'm a "good listener" like a garbage bin is "open" to all your junk. I mean no offense & I don't want to "force" others to hold on to what they want to let out, so I "let them trash my space" & "inhabit my space" & I'm left with NEITHER "safety" nor "security." In my OWN SELF, there's "NO ROOM" TO BE MYSELF.
✳ 2) "Can't use my own shower" because "everyone else has dibs/ is forcing past me"; when I FINALLY get there, "TIME'S UP" and/or OTHERS CALL ME AWAY to do things for them = I CAN'T do what I'm doing for OTHERS for MYSELF? "CLEAN/ REFRESH/ PRIVATE/ PERSONAL" emphasis? ALSO the concept of "CLEANING OTHERS" = "insight" offered & helping untangle problems/ give support? "Wash away" the "dirt" & "tiredness" (negativity, etc.) IN MY "PRIVATE SPACE"?? To the extent that I'M STILL TIRED & FILTHY? But NO ONE WILL LET ME GO IN BECAUSE THEY NEED IT FIRST/ MORE. I'm disturbed by the "DIBS"/ CLAIM aspect; I feel "OWNED"/ OBJECTIFIED by others as a "USEFUL RESOURCE," BECAUSE of the "water" I "HAVE"?? NOTABLY NOT TO DRINK, BUT TO BATHE. That feels almost WASTEFUL/ "ABUSIVE"? Like they're emptying out my well just to "enjoy a bath," filling it with dirtiness & flushing it out to the sewer. BUT THAT WELL WATER IS FOR DRINKING. I can't quite untangle that completely-- it's actually an inapplicable extended metaphor because in the dream I was going to bathe in the water too; that's what showers are for-- but the root concept is too strong to ignore. The described behavior feels WRONG & like STEALING/ MISUSE & it HURTS. Lastly, the "TIME'S UP" is scary, because it suggests that, LIKE the clipboard woman, "MY" TIME TO "BATHE" is DICTATED BY OTHERS? Because I'm ONLY BATHING TO "GET READY" TO SERVE/ OBEY. And if I DON'T get to shower FIRST, then I'm DIRTY & I STINK & I'm NOT in CLEAN CLOTHES, etc. And OTHERS ARE OFFENDED BY MY FILTH. And the reason WHY everyone goes BEFORE me is because it takes me SO LONG? I'm SO dirty & SO much of my body is ROTTING/ DYING that I have to SCRUB UNTIL I BLEED & it uses SO MUCH WATER & TIME. BUT I "CAN'T" TAKE the time because I "HAVE TO GET DONE BY THAT SET TIME," because "GROUP IS STARTING" OR "WE'RE LOCKING THE ROOM DOORS"!!! So WHY didn't mine HAVE a door? Maybe because I don't "close myself off" completely. BUT I let OTHERS "lock ME out of MYSELF" BY "SOCIAL MODE" SELF-CRUSHING? Which WOULD prevent me from "WASHING" our OWN soul BECAUSE WE ARE "LOCKED OUT". The "dibs" are people WANTING the "SOCIAL" side of us, NOT our TRUE "INNER" SELF, too? WHICH I wonder CAN ONLY "COME OUT" IF WE "TAKE A SHOWER" FIRST? Reflect on this further later, not now; we're overanalyzing from not taking TIME to reflect first. Ironically. GO TAKE A SHOWER.
✳ 3) My "feeling BOTH love & frustration" about my little brothers is kind of straightforward; Deep down I DO feel "angry" that I have "had to be a parent" to them in the past, solely because it was (again) using SO much of my resources on ALL levels & I was "using that as an excuse" to DIVERT that "helpless rage" to NEGATIVE "outlets," as well as "justifying self-neglect." I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY I DO THIS, at least NOT in "handwriting mode." The System probably does. As for now though let's focus on the nightmare, & HOW it manifested this bad response:
✳ 4) RED FRENZY. This happens DISTURBINGLY OFTEN in nightmares, and that SCARES ME. Frequently it's RAZOR or WRECKAGE fronting to "express" more "violent" impulses in dreams, BUT THEY NEVER DO THINGS LIKE THIS. This mindless, thoughtless, heartless, and BLINDLY MURDEROUS VIOLENCE is ONLY POSSIBLE with a COMPLETE LOSS OF SELF. REMEMBER THAT & TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. When you LOSE yourself/ OURSELF, you LOSE LOVE. You LOSE VALUE & VIRTUE & VISION. Believe it or not, SELFHOOD & UNIQUE IDENTITY ARE GOOD THINGS, GOD-GIVEN & ESSENTIAL TO BEING A PERSON-- to being TRULY HUMAN, as CHRIST WAS. When you LOSE or even DENY or REJECT your REAL & ESSENTIAL HUMANITY & PERSONHOOD, then "all that's left" IS to "become a MONSTER." ANY & ALL FORMS OF SELF-ABUSE/ SELF-ANNIHILATION WILL RESULT IN THIS HELLISH MUTATION. ALL HATRED FOR HUMANITY, INCLUDING YOUR OWN, IS DEMONIC. And these "red frenzies" are EXACTLY what happens WHEN YOUR LIFEBLOOD GETS INFECTED. If you let those lies fool you, the corruption will seep into your marrow IF YOU DON'T FIGHT IT BY GRACE. There WILL be a breakthrough and OUR HISTORY IS PROOF. We might be morphed into monsters with "drained brains" BUT THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE & LOVE & GOD HIMSELF IS FIGHTING FOR YOU. He WILL CALL YOU BY NAME-- AS A PERSON, WHO IS LOVED-- and RESTORE YOUR INHERENT & INDESTRUCTIBLE HUMANITY & DIGNITY & PERSONHOOD. You're definitely catching the "We're Back!" references. THAT'S ESSENTIAL. REMEMBER THAT. IT'S TRUTH.
✳ 5) Being ignored/ shamed for being "visibly" sick/ possibly contagious/ GROSS: obviously refers to MENTAL HEALTH/ EATING DISORDER STRUGGLES IN RECOVERY; "coughing up/ out" the heavy "phlegm" (inflamed) from my LUNGS (breath = life) viewed as "GROSS" (socially unacceptable); ALSO BULIMIA as a DESPERATE OUTLET? But mostly COUGH = SPEECH (visceral)? FEAR OF "TRIGGERING/ CORRUPTING" others.





prismaticbleed: (shatter)

LIST OF RELAPSE-RISK CATEGORY FOODS:


SUGAR/SWEET
RAISINS
CHOCOLATE
ALL FRUITS
ALL DESSERTS
SYRUP
JELLY/JAM
MOLASSES
HIGH-CARB FOODS
SWEET POTATOES
ETC.

CHILDHOOD
(WHAT ACTUALLY HAS EVENT MEMORY??? OR IS IT ALL JUST TERROR FLASHES???)
HOT DOGS & BEANS
MEATLOAF W/ KETCHUP
BBQ CHICKEN
GRILLED CHEESE W/ TOMATO SOUP
SPAGHETTI
FRIED FISH
FRENCH FRIES
MCDONALDS MEALS
CORN ON THE COB
STUFFED PEPPERS
PICKLELOAF
MINCEHAM & PICKLES ("ARMY SANDWICHES")
COTTAGE CHEESE & NOODLES
PEA SOUP
CHEESY MASHED POTATOES
POTATOES AU GRATIN
SALISBURY STEAKS (ESP. W/ SPANISH RICE)
CRANBERRY CHICKEN
CANNED PEAS
CANNED GREEN BEANS
BANANA SLICES & PEANUT BUTTER
OATMEAL W/ PEANUT BUTTER & HONEY
FROSTED SUGAR CUTOUT COOKIES
OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
ETC.

TRAUMA
BACON
CORN GRITS
HOT DOGS (CUT)
TATER TOTS
RAMEN
MAC & CHEESE
PIZZA
PANCAKES
ETC.

HYPOCHONDRIA
SESAME
EGG
SOY
PORK
SEAFOOD
PUMPKIN
SUNFLOWER
FLAX
SHELLFISH
TREE NUTS
CORN
ETC.

BACON + GRITS + LIVERMUSH = CNC "RAPE" FOOD
CUT HOT DOGS & PORK&BEANS = GRANDMA FAKED DEATH
BLACKBEANS + CHICKPEAS + TUNA + RICE + SRIRACHA + MAYO = TBAS WORK FOOD

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LIST OF CONTEXT-SPECIFIC BINGE FOODS:
(THESE ARE ALL HIGHLY TRAUMATIC AND WE TEND TO AVOID ALL OF THEM OUTSIDE OF SELF-ABUSE FORCING)


CNC BINGE FOODS
OREO O'S
LUCKY CHARMS
BLACK BEANS
TUNA
CHICKPEAS
RICE
SHRIMP-LIME RAMEN
CORN TORTILLAS
MAC & CHEESE
COTTON CANDY POP ICE CREAM
"SAMPLER" CHEESECAKE
HALOTOP ICE CREAM
FROZEN PERSONAL PIZZAS (SQUARE)
SYRUP
AVOCADO
OATMEAL
DINOSAUR OATMEAL
HALLOWEEN ORANGE-COLOR KITKATS
HALLOWEEN CANDY
EASTER CANDY
BIRTHDAY CAKE
SUGAR COOKIES
SWEET POTATO W/ MARSHMALLOW
TURKEY
HISPANIC PASTRIES
CORN TAMALES
SUNBUTTER (CRUNCHY)
WHITE SUGAR
CORNMEAL
CROQUETTES
BISCUITS
CREME HORNS
CREME COOKIES
BROWNIES
"G" PROTEIN BATS
"SUMMER" CAP'N CRUNCH
INSTANT POTATO FLAKES
CANOLA OIL
TORTILLA CHIPS
YUMYUM SAUCE
YELLOW SQUASH
ZUCCHINI
"CALIFORNIA BLEND" VEGETABLES
QUESO DIP
VODKA
PEACH SCHNAPPS
COLD COFFEE
HARD CHEESE
MOONCAKES
CORNBREAD
TARO/ MATCHA/ DURIAN/ ADZUKI PASTRY
CILANTRO
FRIED PLANTAINS
RUNNY EGGS
OPEN-FACE OMELETS
MAYONNAISE
FUNNEL CAKE
PIG HEARTS
CHICKEN HEARTS
CILANTRO
CATFISH
SHRIMP
BREADED OKRA
POPCORN
WHITE MULBERRIES
SPECIAL K CEREAL
BEEF STROGANOFF


SLC BINGE FOODS
CLIF BARS
LUNABARS
ORANGE GRANOLA
MARBLE CAKE
BAKED BEANS
HARD CHEESE
KOMBUCHA
PROTEIN POWDER PACKETS
FRESH FIGS
RAINBOW CARROTS
FROOT LOOPS
BUCKWHEAT
RICE
BEETS
JAPANESE SWEET POTATO
CANNED SQUASH
CANNED PUMPKIN
+WHATEVER ELSE we ate that LAST WEEK, esp. from that church lady

✳WE STARTED TO BINGEPURGE DURING THIS TIME, SO THERE AREN'T AS MANY ITEMS, THANK GOD!


HOMESTEAD BINGE FOODS
CRAISINS
COCONUT OIL
CAULIFLOWER + SPINACH + EVOO
FLORIDA AVOCADOS
GRANOLA BARS
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
"VANILLA SUNRISE" CEREAL
CHERRY-TOPPED CHEESECAKE
CHRISTMAS COOKIES (HOMEMADE)
CHEESE/ NUT/ POPPY ROLL
LONG JOHN SILVERS' FISH MEALS
SALSA
MAYONNAISE
PEANUT BUTTER
BUTTER
FRUIT & NUT CHOCOLATE
MOLASSES
CLEMENTINES
SANDWICHES
HONEY
TOFU
HOT SAUCE
SESAME SEED CANDY
RAISINS
RAISIN BRAN
CEREAL IN GENERAL
CAP'N CRUNCH
CORNFLAKES
PICKLES
CHILI
GRANOLA
CHERRIES
PANCAKES
FRENCH TOAST
FROZEN DINNERS
ZUCCHINI
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CUCUMBERS
COOKED CARROTS
APPLES
BANANAS
BLUEBERRIES
PUDDING CUPS
CHIPS
CHEXMIX
GRILLED CHEESE
CHEESE PUFFS
PRETZELS
SALTINES
NUTRIGRAIN BARS
GRAHAM CRACKERS
PEA SOUP
LENTILS
SOUR CREAM
SLICED CHEESE
BEAN PUFFS
MANGO
KLONDIKE BARS
DRUMSTICK ICE CREAM
INDIAN SNACK FOOD
CREAM CHEESE
CAPTAIN'S WAFERS
CRYSTALLIZED GINGER
MINI MARSHMALLOWS
CREAM OF WHEAT
GROCERY STORE PASTRIES
FOOD DRIVE VEGETABLE CANS
PROGRESSO SOUP CANS
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (ON TOAST)
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
CREAMED CORN CASSEROLE
PEANUT BUTTER HONEY OATMEAL
LUNCHMEAT (ESP. PICKLELOAF)
OLIVES
EGGS
V8 JUICE
TEABERRY ICE CREAM


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HEALING/ COMPULSION NOTES


CHEESE ATTACK/RESOLVE OPTIONS=

NOT SAUCED! Remember it's GLUE.
Parm crisps?
Sliced cheese CANNOT BE REGURGED (lumps)
DAIRY FREE OPTIONS!!!
REMEMBER THE "MILK AFTERTASTE" HELL ("BUTTER CURSE") from the bread cheese
● Feta? Or is that still traumatized?
ALL MELTED CHEESE IS DEATH GLUE
● CHEESE IS LITERALLY OPIATE-ADJACENT


BEANS???
● Black are HARD. also CNC trauma
● Great Northern = grandma death
● Chickpea = CNC & hospital terror
● Pinto = "mexican" food fear?? tied to mom/ summer??
● Lentils = Esau mortal sin/ gorge pots
● Kidney = mom's chili/ wendy's grandpa chili
● Butter = childhood face/ grandma family dinners
● Lima = allergy fear/ hospital food


✳ We MUST AVOID COCONUT OIL & BUTTER.
Ideally we must avoid MILK too, ESPECIALLY in "soft" forms like yogurt/ cotchs/ crmchs.
It ALL TASTES LIKE HELL/ "WOMAN" HORROR

✳ We MUST OVERCOME the "CHEESE COMPULSION" that ISCAH STARTED in UPMC. On that note, WHAT MODE of cheese DID she eat? Do we have to revisit THAT & resolve it DIRECTLY to fix this?
✳ Was she NOT traumatized by the "milk hell" BECAUSE she was SO HYPERFEMININE/ OBLIGATORILY SEXUAL???

AVOID ALL GLUTEN. NO EXCEPTIONS. Remember how it turns to GLUE & ROCKS in the stomach.

✳ We are STILL compulsive about BEANS. This goes back to grandma's death. IS THAT WHERE THIS BEGAN??

✳ Also WHY the SPICY compulsion? Is that self-abusive? AND/OR are we trying (allegedly) to "BE LIKE DAD"?

✳ WHY are we craving the TOMATO aspect, specifically to CHILI? Is this ALSO tied to grandma/ grandpa "restitution"?




092924

Sep. 29th, 2024 11:15 am
prismaticbleed: (shatter)

✳ WE HAVE TO FIGHT CONCUPISCENCE because GOD WANTS US TO BE STRONG & DISCIPLINED & COURAGEOUS. Being "evil" is EASY & COWARDLY. Being "GOOD" IS A FIGHT, but we're GUARANTEED VICTORY IN CHRIST! SO BE HIS SOLDIER. The DEVIL is AFRAID. As Christians, WE have NOTHING to fear, we HAVE GOD'S LOVE.

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We're still getting itchy & burny eyes/ runny nose/ nausea/ etc. after eating eggs. I will message our allergist about this tomorrow, but for now, we NEED to edit the mealplan slightly to EXCLUDE EGGS & SOY, because if a "minor skinprick response" is STILL making us feel this sick, maybe we should stop trying to "build up a tolerance". But until we hear back from her, right now I'm going to keep eating eggs (I enjoy them even so) & tracking symptoms UNLESS it gets TOO concerning or we're TOLD to stop, I guess. I'm not sure how we'd alter our BK otherwise-- to get 3P with our allergies, we would HAVE to get cottage cheese, sausage, AND sunbutter EVERY morning, OR triple one of those options, and that's both difficult & kind of gross (salty & oversticky/ dense). We'll see after tomorrow. We should at least try??  Honestly the most REALISTIC option IS the Sunbutter-- we wouldn't be eating any sausage at home, it pairs well with the breakfast items, and it's our only easily prepped/ available option for an "exchange eligible" protein at home... But seriously, think about this change REALISTICALLY. At home we can always BANK ON GREEK YOGURT. Really our ONLY concern is RIGHT NOW, & step one is TRY THE SUNBUTTER, & do WHATEVER the ALLERGIST SAYS. By the way, this DOES AFFECT CONDIMENT FORCING, because it ALL seems to have EGGS &/OR SOY OIL. But hey, that's MOTIVATION to KICK THE HABIT. We've had 12 DAYS of pseudobinge behavior with the bloody things so START CUTTING BACK, if not COMPLETELY COLD TURKEY, unless we can't avoid it as part of the menu. We CANNOT be "feeding the REAL monster" of ADDICTIVE COMPULSION, ESPECIALLY with our LIFE at risk!

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✳ WORK WITH THE LOWEST EXCHANGE PLAN UNTIL WE JOIN A GYM! WE WILL NEED TO BULK UP AS WE GAIN STRENGTH?
✳ ARE WE FOCUSING ON WEIGHTS AT FIRST? RESTART CARDIO SLOWLY?

✳I'M SO TIRED OF FOOD FOCUS. I WANT TO LIVE. Yes we STILL need to feed & nourish the body God gave us, BUT our FOCUS MUST BE ON WORSHIP/ ETERNITY!! "REMEMBER YOU ARE BUT DUST." & 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-14!!

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✳ New marker color, but OLD topic. Basically, WHY ARE SO MANY FOODS STILL "SCARY" AFTER WE'VE EATEN THEM? And WHY does it feel like POTENTIALLY ALL "FEAR FOODS" WILL STILL BE SCARY/ AVOIDED OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL??? WHY DOES CONTEXT CHANGE THINGS & "OVERRIDE" THE HEALING MINDSET?? IS IT JUST the "REBELLIOUS CHILD" INSTINCT? Am "I" just TRYING to "PROTECT" myself BY REFUSING/ FIGHTING WHEN I "FINALLY CAN AGAIN"?? If so, then THE REAL FEAR ROOTS HAVEN'T BEEN HEALED, and it MIGHT ACTUALLY be ONE BIG ROOT. So we HAVE to discern WHAT IT IS. There's a BELIEF somewhere, FALSE & NEGATIVE, fueling ALL this.

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FOODS "AT RISK OF RELAPSE" and WHY (esp. "not safe AT HOME/ IF I CHOOSE THEM?) =

1) "SUGAR"/ SWEET FOODS. We wrote about this in the back. It's an ANCIENT "HACK TRIGGER" & therefore honestly the FIRST "TRAUMA FOOD" (CHOCOLATE). This INCLUDES FRUIT, which already has cultural associations with sex on its own. "Desserts" are considered "indulgent/ sensual/ luxurious" & therefore feel like INVITATIONS FOR TRAUMA.The very QUALITY of "sweetness" is in itself a bomb siren.
2) "CHILDHOOD" FOODS. This honestly baffled me UNTIL I realized, "they were eaten WITH THE FAMILY." Even if we "LOVE THE FAMILY AND LIKE THE FOOD," there is this HEAVY VENEER of ANXIOUS DREAD over it REGARDLESS. This includes POLISH food (church picnics), ITALIAN food (going out on weekends, after church?), FAST food (from vacations & road trips), & GRANDMA'S COOKING, tragically enough. It ALSO includes a group we FORGOT until flashbacks hit here: SCHOOL LUNCHES. We could probably ALSO include CIOCI ANN/ COUSIN foods (her house AND local folks), AND HOLIDAY foods (Christmas/ Easter). We'll make the actual lists separately, but the CONNECTING POINT for ALL of them is that THEY WERE ALL EATEN WITH THE FAMILY, OR A "FAMILY" ANALOGUE (school, church), IN A GROUP/ SOCIAL SETTING... UNDER HIGH ANXIETY, due to CONFLICT and/or SOCIAL OVERWHELM? BUT they still DIFFER from the NEXT broad category, because they're NOT explicitly--
3) "TRAUMA" FOODS. This group BOTH overlaps with the previous two, AND contains its own unique items. But THESE are DEFINED by DIRECT EXPERIENTIAL ASSOCIATION WITH TRAUMATIC EVENTS, even if JUST ONE, that "TAINTED" it "ESSENTIALLY" despite later non-traumatic exposures? We're STRIVING to heal that NOW, but we're struggling because the ROOTS ARE DEEP & KNOTTED. These require MENTAL RECOVERY too.
4) "FEAR" FOODS. These are scary/ unsettling for reasons that DON'T involve PEOPLE? They're based on MEDICAL/ PHYSIOLOGICAL fears, typically born FROM ACTUAL DISTURBING/ UNSETTLING EXPERIENCES. These include NON-TRAUMA "allergy"/ "poison"/ "fatal"/ etc. fears, often "baseless" except for the "initiating event" itself. These are BIZARRELY HARD TO "GET OVER" because their roots are MENTAL & "UNREASONABLE" & BASED ON "THE UNKNOWN," claiming a "PERPETUAL RISK FACTOR" regardless of exposure: "NEXT time it MIGHT kill me." There's NO "PROOF". It requires a CHANGE in our CORE PERSPECTIVE/ MINDSET??? to "NOT FEAR DEATH," WHILE STILL BEING PRUDENT/ REASONABLE. THIS REQUIRES BOTH WISDOM AND TOTAL TRUSTING SURRENDER TO GOD'S LOVING WILL for us.

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I heard a LOT of negative food talk from patients today, & it's not the first time. "The sherbet looks so gross/ disgusting." "All this butter & mayonnaise is going to clog our arteries." "Why can't I just eat fruit & salad instead of hamburgers & hot dogs?" "I'm only eating toast without butter." "The food doesn't taste good, right?" etc. There's SO MUCH JUDGMENT of foods as "disgusting," "gross," "unhealthy," "BAD," etc. People flat-out taste a food, grimace, & throw the rest away. They refuse to try new options because they "sound gross." Et cetera. And I feel SO DEPRESSED over all this. I'm trying SO HARD to LIKE & APPRECIATE & EAT EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY the ones people say are "DISGUSTING." I DIDN'T choose the pot pie today because I thought it was "unappetizing" (because of HOME & BINGE ASSOCIATIONS, but STILL) and I can't stop beating myself up over it. BUT, although I "wanted" the "Grandma cookie" for snack, I chose the "sweet crackers" because NO ONE ELSE DID & "they were UNLOVED." BUT I'm STILL feeling "regret/ want" because the other option was "GRANDMA COOKIES" & I feel like I've BETRAYED HER. If they had simply said "chocolate chip cookies," I probably WOULDN'T have wanted them because the association is DIFFERENT & ANXIOUS (child binge punishment fear). BUT YOU SEE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS ANCIENT, but in light of recent entries IT MAKES SENSE NOW. It's PROJECTION. I IDENTIFY WITH THE FOOD. Negatively, "I AM A CONSUMABLE OBJECT"; Positively, "I AM MEANT FOR COMMUNION." And I see/hear that SYMBOLICALLY REFLECTED in the way that others, AND MYSELF, speak about/ treat FOOD. "I'M gross/ disgusting." = "I'M undesirable/ unwanted." "I'M going to hurt/ kill people if they take me into their life, because I'm "TOO MUCH" ("FAT")." "I'M distasteful." etc. "I'M NOT GOOD FOR PEOPLE." But WHY? What "MAKES" me & the food so "unhealthy & bad"? Bluntly, it's FAT & MEAT. Rich, heavy, "MANLY" food, weirdly enough. SO MANY PEOPLE act like UNLESS you're THIN/ LIGHT/ SLIM/ PETITE/ DELICATE/ MILD, etc. like FRESH FRUIT & PLAIN SALAD & RICE CAKES & FATFREE YOGURT & ALL the other stuff they MARKET TO WOMEN, YOU'RE UNPALATABLE, POISONOUS, GROSS, HARMFUL, UNHEALTHY. It's SUBTLE MISANDRY as much as it's GNOSTIC HERESY. It VILIFIES BOTH MASCULINITY AND THE HUMAN BODY... which, ACTUALLY, is ALSO BRUTAL MISOGYNY. Women are CREATED TO BE MOTHERS-- to be LIFEGIVERS. WOMEN WERE GRACED WITH THE STUNNING PRIVILEGE OF BECOMING FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN-- BECOMING EUCHARISTIC. Really, this DEMONIC WAR ON FOOD is a WAR AGAINST CHRIST & MANKIND, AND OUR MOTHER in a terribly specific way. So YEAH, "the insults against GOD fall on ME." I, by grace alone, am FINALLY ABLE TO SEE FOOD (AND GENDER) AS GOOD & HOLY, and so when I see/ hear OTHERS INSULTING/ CONDEMNING THOSE THINGS ESPECIALLY IN WAYS THAT IMPLY/ SUGGEST/ ACCUSE (BLASPHEME) that GOD has "MADE something BAD/ HARMFUL/ BROKEN/ WRONG," OR THAT HE HAS "MADE A MISTAKE," it ACTIVELY MAKES ME ANGRY, FROM HEARTACHE & CHARITY! I LOVE GOD AND HUMANITY and I WANT (NEED) TO DEFEND & DECLARE & UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF MAN, THE GOODNESS & PURPOSE OF CREATION, & THE LOVE/ JUSTICE/ GLORY OF GOD!!


092824

Sep. 28th, 2024 01:13 pm
prismaticbleed: https://www.deviantart.com/teacosies/art/celebi-420071633 (tears)


✳ DOES THE "SYSTEM VS FAMILY" "WHO I "AM"" CONFLICT PLAY INTO THE "SLAVE" ISSUE?? Because let's be honest: we've been a System for AT LEAST 21 YEARS. IT DOESN'T EVER "GO AWAY." I CANNOT "TURN IT OFF" AND I DON'T WANT TO, EVER. I LOVE THEM. ...But I love my family, too, and they don't accept US. ... It's devastating. And it therefore "FORCES" US TO DISSOCIATE FROM OUR OWN SOUL & SELF IN ORDER TO "PLAY THE FAMILY ROLE" THAT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO "ME." And that IS a form of "SLAVERY," because I CANNOT BE MYSELVES & THEREFORE I CANNOT BE "MY OWN PERSON(S)." AND, if "I" STAY IN THIS MINDSET when I AM away from the house/ family-- when I "SHOULD" be independent but am STILL "ENSLAVED" TO THE FAMILY DYNAMIC AS A "STANDING ORDER"/ INESCAPABLE ROLE-- then I CANNOT MAKE "MY OWN DECISIONS" OR "BE MY OWN PERSON" BECAUSE THAT "SINGLET" MINDSET I'M FORCED INTO ISN'T "ME," BECAUSE WE ARE US. AND INVARIABLY, in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, LIVING AS A SYSTEM, DEVOTED TO GOD, SOLVES &/OR HEALS EVERY PROBLEM in the end. WE CAN FUNCTION. WE CAN CHOOSE. WE CAN BE FULLY ALIVE & LOVING & FREE TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN WE ALL DO IT TOGETHER, BY GRACE. ...and we can't seem to act with ANY integrity when we're "NOT" "we." And... I wish we could explain this to the family. Maybe all we can do is just... BE US around them REGARDLESS, & deal with the unexpected as it comes. But IF WE WANT TO FACE & INTEGRATE & ACCEPT & ADMIT & HEAL OUR PAST, IN THAT HOUSE, WITH THAT FAMILY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO SO AS A SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE ALL LIVED THAT TOGETHER. "I" DIDN'T. WE ARE THE WHOLE OF OUR HEART.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

✳ ANOREXIC "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'LL GET OUT OF YOUR WAY! DON'T HURT ME!" vs. BULIMIC CONFLICT "I'M NOT SORRY, I HAVE A RIGHT TO TAKE UP SPACE, I WILL DEFEND/ FIGHT BACK" VACILLATION (BINGE/ PURGE) DUE TO GUILT/ SHAME OVER WANTING TO EAT/ BE FED/ ENJOY LIFE/ TAKE UP SPACE/ MATTER
BINGE RISK "REFEEDING" RAVENOUS HUNGER after a LIFE OF LACK; FEAR OF FAMINE after FINALLY "FEASTING"
✳ EMOTIONAL/ SPIRITUAL STARVATION IS THE ROOT OF ALL OF IT = +BEING "FED POISON"
↑ START TO ASSOCIATE FOOD WITH POISON (LOVE WITH ABUSE & TRAUMA); PURGE RESPONSE TO SURVIVE; UNABLE TO PROPERLY FEED SELF = FEAR = NO COMMUNION = NO EXPERIENCE OF REAL NOURISHMENT = MANIC "TRY EVERYTHING" SEEKING SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT? (SEEKING ALL BEAUTY?) "CAN'T SAY NO" TO FOOD = "ALL OR NOTHING" FEAR OF HUNGER (SPIRITUAL) BY OWN "CHOICE"; DOOMED? "MISSING OUT" ON KNOWLEDGE; TERRIFYING = WHY? "UNKNOWN" = NO "LOVE"? "HIDING" = NO TRUST = NO RELATIONSHIP/ COMMUNION; SECONDHAND PARTICIPATION IN GLOBAL/ COLLECTIVE HUMAN EXPERIENCE = DESPERATE FOR INCLUSION (KNOWLEDGE) = SEEKING INTIMACY/ BEING WANTED? (ONLY REFUSE WHEN FORCED/ STUFFED = ABUSIVE) (PURGE)
✳ THIS plays into "taking food" WHEREVER I go: I "CAN'T STAY"/ I'm "NOT WELCOME/ WANTED"; I'm just a passing visitor. And I TAKE in order to FEEL LIKE I'm being GIVEN it AS a "friend/ loved one"? So that I "FEEL" WELCOME enough TO "SHARE THEIR MEALS"/ "EAT WHAT THEY EAT"/ SHARE IN THEIR LIFE.
BUT the OTHER half is the "POVERTY" mindset/ "SCAVENGER" IMPULSE. "THE ONLY FOOD I HAVE ANY "RIGHT" TO IS WHATEVER I CAN "FIND"/ WHAT OTHERS "DON'T WANT"/ "CAN SPARE"/ "DESERVE BETTER THAN"/ "SHOULDN'T BE EATING"/ "WON'T MISS"??? PLUS THE "SEEKING COMMUNION WITH THEM AS PEOPLE THROUGH SHARING THEIR FOOD." BUT "I DON'T GET TO/ DESERVE TO HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS"??? "I'M UNWANTED/ UNDESIRABLE/ GROSS/ UGLY/ BAD/ EVIL/ ETC." SO I "HAVE TO TAKE" TO EAT AT ALL"??? "NO ONE WILL GIVE ME ANYTHING BUT POISON"??? OR "GIVING" DOESN'T OCCUR BUT FORCING DOES?? NOT "LET'S SHARE THIS BECAUSE I (LOVE &) WANT YOU IN MY LIFE (TOO)", BUT RATHER "YOU EAT THIS WITH ME BECAUSE YOU MUST CONFORM TO ME" WITH NO SELF-GIFT IN THE PROCESS. I am "OWNED." It's like swallowing a parasite, although I feel like one, desperate to live IN another's life & SHARE it, but TOXICALLY DEPENDENT/ NEEDY & UNWILLINGLY STEALING THEIR LIFE/ EATING THEM (DESTROY) IN THE PROCESS??

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After reading that "dysfunctional family roles" worksheet, I think THAT is a BIG PART of WHY I "am NOT ALLOWED to be someone OTHER THAN who I was IN THE PAST"? AND why I STILL feel BOUND TO the family AS A UNIT. Like I CAN'T leave it even if I wanted to, in the sense of "MY IDENTITY is DICTATED BY WHO I MUST BE IN THE FAMILY CONTEXT, DEPENDENT ON THE OTHER MEMBERS' ROLES"!! That's why I keep asking THEM "what THEY want me to do/ WHO THEY "NEED" ME TO BE." Am I afraid that if I "OWN" & REMEMBER my past AS MINE, I will "HAVE TO" STILL BE THAT PERSON? WHY? Is it just "STANDING ORDERS"?
✳ LYNNE holds the "violinist" order, FREE of competition/ perfectionism/ obligation.
✳ SHERILYN holds the "surrogate mom" role? (CNC) "Warmth" that mom DIDN'T give us
✳ There are a LOT of "memory bubbles" that NEED a foni to "integrate" them, such as =
● KNOEBELS/ AMUSEMENT PARKS; need a PAIR of kids = one ENJOYS, one AFRAID? (to COMFORT)
● "ON FILM" kid; HAPPY to be on camera, acting FOR MOM; "STORY OF FAMILY?" (difficult as we have NO FIRST-PERSON MEMORIES of being on camera other than FEAR FLASHBULBS)
● "DRESSUP" girl? Pageants & photos & such. DANCE too, or SEPARATE? (would we need a kid to hold the ACTUAL TERROR of these events, or a POSITIVE one to "REWRITE OUR EXPERIENCE" to HEAL it?? 
● WHO IS THE ACTUAL PIANIST (esp. LESSONS)? (PERFORM VS. COMPOSE)
● Mom brought up "cheerleading" but that was LITERALLY just an attempt to get close to AAA
● NO memory of Girl/ Boy Scounts OR the trips they took? (ONLY the "Pokemon Pearl bus ride")
✳ "BLOODLINE" INSTABILITY in HS ('03-'08)?? WHO EXACTLY WAS DRIVING, ESP. WITH FAMILY? WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO MEMORY OFFLINE DURING THAT TIME, EXCEPT FOR SOME HS MEMORIES WITH GENESIS!! (who is ESSENTIAL to this in terms of recall; HE KEPT OUR TRUE SELF CONSCIOUS & STABLE IN PUBLIC!!!)
✳  Our unsettling "HATRED" towards HS-era somafoni(?) is actually "SNAPSHOTTED" IN THE ARCHIVES, ESP. THE SHIFT FROM dA/LJ to IJ/SCR/XA??? The "HATE" is HELD BY SOMEONE who ONLY "FEELS" that in a "PROTECTIVE" WAY?? She RECOGNIZES SOMETHING FALSE/ HARMFUL/ SHALLOW/ PROUD/ DETESTABLE IN those "girls" the mother "keeps referring to"?? And she (the foni) WANTS TO "DISOWN/ DESTROY" THOSE/ THAT PART(S) OF OUR HISTORY/ SELF(VES) TO PROTECT OUR "NOW"/ FUTURE FROM THEIR CORRUPTIVE/ POISONOUS INFLUENCE??? LIKE THEY'RE BLOOD INFECTIONS. Ironically this means we MUST SPECIFICALLY DISCERN WHY/ HOW SO WE CAN PROPERLY FACE THIS & RESOLVE IT & HEAL OUR WHOLE HEART-- and MAYBE THEM, TOO. Julie is THE beacon of hope in this. If SHE was (IS) healed, ANY & ALL FONI CAN, TOO.
✳ BIG question. WHO HOLD THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY ROLES? WHY DO WE STILL FEEL COMPELLED TO BE A CHILD AROUND MOM?? What's the "MOTIVE"??
✳ HOW DO WE LIVE "FOR OURSELF" AND "FOR OTHERS" AS A CATHOLIC?? CAN we rightly hope that what is OBJECTIVELY (GOD'S LAWS) GOOD FOR US IS GOOD FOR OTHERS, even if that "good" is something "PERSONAL" like EATING & REST & SELFCARE? (A: it's TEMPLE UPKEEP, Good RADIATES, & ALL your life affects the WORLD!)

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Continuing from 0922... SUGAR gives you a "BODY RUSH" that feels like a PANIC RESPONSE IN EXPECTATION OF TRAUMA. It ALSO makes our HEAD/ BRAIN "HIGH," which feels TERRIFYING because WE CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT OR FOCUS, AND THE "HIGH" TRIGGERS AN "ANALOGOUS" MANIC RESPONSE, which-- when our REASON is simultaneously COMPROMISED-- IS THE "PERFECT STORM" FOR BEING HACKED &/OR HIJACKED. ...and that is EXACTLY what used to happen. THE KAKOFONI WOULD SPECIFICALLY & MALICIOUSLY USE/ TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUGAR SIDE EFFECTS IN ORDER TO CONTROL OUR MIND & BODY IN SUCH A WEAKENED STATE. So, we quickly considered ALL "sweet foods" to be FROM HELL. "Sweet" became synonymous with "EVIL." ...That has tragic psychological consequences in the long run, NOTABLY the belief that "enjoyable" things (ESP. FOOD, which is DEVASTATING to our understanding of FEASTING & CELEBRATION & simple AFFECTION & CARE) are "INHERENTLY DEMONIC," because they historically resulted in our "BEING POSSESSED" by abusive foni, basically INVARIABLY. ...I don't know when or how this began to change because actually I suspect it DIDN'T, not on any real level, UNTIL NOW. This inpatient environment is OBJECTIVELY HACKERPROOF, and WE CAN FUNCTION AS A SYSTEM HERE. So, suddenly, we are being GIVEN sweet foods by a TRUSTWORTHY, NONABUSIVE, "INDIRECT" AUTHORITY-- allowing us to credit it DIRECTLY TO GOD-- and we are ABLE to READILY & GRATEFULLY ACCEPT them AND EAT THEM WITHOUT FEAR. ...except, I realize with shock, there's NO "DATA" BEING STORED FOR THEM YET? Only blurry general flashes. But it's still progress! Now that we're AWARE of this, we can ENLIST/ SEEK LOTOPHAGOI FOR those foods, TO HOLD DATA! Tomorrow is WAFFLES & SYRUP, we have ICE CREAM & POUND CAKE & an OATMEAL CREME COOKIE coming up as desserts, a BANANA on Monday, & unknown possibilities for snack-- but the point is, ALL of these foods "deep down" STILL ping a major FEAR/ APPREHENSION response, BECAUSE THEY'RE SWEET. Still, it's SO MUCH LESS SCARY that it was years ago. AND, once we get the LOTOPHAGOI involved, that fear WILL be conquered BY LOVE. So THAT'S our goal, ideally. ...But, even now, we CAN & by God's grace we WILL still eat those sweet things TOGETHER. The very idea of that cookie is lowkey terrifying, but WHY? Because it's tied to SOME scary experience in OUR history, and therefore if WE face it & LISTEN/ LOOK for a responding memory & chronological foni, IT CAN BEGIN TO BE HEALED/ TRANSFORMED into REAL SWEETNESS = JOY/ LOVE BECAUSE NOW IT'S BEING BROUGHT "ANEW" INTO OUR EXPERIENCE, with GOOD motives in SAFE circumstances, THANKS BE TO GOD. And that's what we'll start doing at breakfast tomorrow, as we work together to TRULY experience & appreciate sweetness.

✳ WE HAVE TO REPLACE "FEARFUL" FOOD DATA LOG EVENTS WITH "GRATEFUL/ JOYFUL" ONES, SO EAT THEM MINDFULLY!!



092724

Sep. 27th, 2024 10:11 am
prismaticbleed: (spinel-remorse)


✳ Our "self-care is to benefit others" insight yesterday, AND group today, made me realize something. I THINK I ACTUALLY LIKE BEING AROUND & TALKING TO PEOPLE. All that unexpressed LOVE in me is ACTIVELY & FINALLY FINDING AN OUTLET here in inpatient, & I THINK I NEED THIS. IT'S WHY I KEEP RUNNING BACK TO MOM. IT'S WHY I STILL WANT A JOB. IT'S WHY I WON'T EVEN QUIT TUMBLR. OUR "PLURALITY" IS JUST ANOTHER EXPRESSION OF OUR INNATE, GOD-GIVEN, HUMAN PURPOSE-- COMMUNION!!! AND WITHOUT IT, THE EATING DISORDER APPARENTLY KICKS IN AS A "SUBSTITUTE." After all, EATING IS COMMUNION BY DESIGN!! And ALL of our past "trauma" situations-- ALL of the people who we considered we "BELONGED" to, & STILL "give power to" as AUTHORITY over us-- INVOLVED BROKEN/ UNREQUITED/ DISHONEST "COMMUNION" = LOVE. I HAVEN'T MOVED ON BECAUSE I CAN'T STOP LOVING THEM & HAVEN'T "FOUND" ANYONE ELSE NOW TO GIVE IT TO?? And the eating disorder was like "bleeding out the overload" out of sheer distress?? OR IS THAT THE "POISON" FEAR??? ALL THE "COMMUNION" WE GOT-- ALL THE "FOOD" FOR OUR HEART & SOUL-- WAS ROTTEN OR TOXIC. No wonder we always ate literal garbage with the eating disorder; we were not only "used to it," but it was "SCAVENGER" behavior: "this is the BEST YOU'LL GET," even the "best you DESERVE"? Or not even "best," but "ONLY"; the FEAR of losing the SCRAPS, out of HUNGER? ALSO "CAN'T SAY NO"-- like I CAN'T "throw ANYTHING out," even CRUMBS? "FAMINE" MINDSET. "UNGRATEFUL." Also childhood meals= "lick your plate clean," like IF YOU DON'T, you WILL STARVE?? "PUNISHMENT." COMPULSIVE FORCEFEEDING. "EAT IT ALL OR YOU WON'T GET ANYTHING LATER"?? NO JOY OR PEACE. But WHY the "looking for MORE"? OR just OF OUR OWN FREE VOLITION? NOT FORCED/ COMPULSIVE; WANTING to ACTUALLY FEEL "FED"?
✳ GARBAGE EATING also MERCY?? "Even IF it got thrown away, there's STILL something EDIBLE left in it; I CAN'T be SO UNGRATEFUL/ UNKIND as to NEGLECT/ IGNORE/ DEVALUE that"?? ALSO in treatment, SCRAPING/ LICKING containers/ peels/ lids/ etc. "PERFECT/ COMPLETIONIST"; "YOU CAN'T THROW AWAY FOOD, EVEN THE SCRAPS." AFRAID = "ALL OR NOTHING" EAT/FEED VS. REJECT/STARVE??? "It's EITHER FOOD OR GARBAGE"?? NO OVERLAP?? And the thought of "throwing something out" UNEATEN/ UNUSED/ UNLOVED?? is almost PAINFUL? Like I HAVE to "RESCUE/ SAVE/ REDEEM it" by EATING IT DOWN TO THE BONE, and EVEN THAT TOO if I can. WHAT IS THIS?? HOW DOES THIS PLAY INTO COMMUNION? Is that something I IDENTIFY WITH? & ALSO with "abuse," "there's STILL GOOD in them/ I STILL LOVE THEM" therefore "I MUST EAT EVEN WHAT OTHERS WOULD CALL GARBAGE"?? ALSO I FEEL LIKE, ONCE IT'S "GARBAGE," I CAN EAT IT AS "MINE"?? (NO COMPULSIVE MIMICRY/ OBEDIENCE?) Like I DON'T DESERVE/ CAN'T CHOOSE "REAL FOOD" (it BELONGS to OTHERS); but THE TRASH IS "MINE"?? It's "ALL I GET." I FEEL SORRY FOR IT. I even LOOK for it. ("PICKING UP THE PIECES DISCARDED")
✳ IS THIS AXIS'S TERRITORY??

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✳The "desert island" exercise in art group today made me realize two very unsettling things... 1) I'm NOT thinking about PHYSICAL CARE/ SURVIVAL, OR 2) OTHER PEOPLE'S NEEDS IN THAT REGARD. My fellow patients are bringing medkits & tents & knives & water filters, and NONE of that even OCCURRED to me. I'm here thinking "I'll need a solarpowered laptop to write about the experience" and I DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER that I would need CLOTHING & FOOD & SHELTER & TOOLS. I'm listening to them, stunned & shaken, because IT ALL IS "NEW" TO MY MINDSET. That's SCARY. Of course I'd objectively NEED to eat & sleep, but... the "FUTURE FACT" of that DIDN'T CROSS MY MIND. I like "assumed" I'd just "find" fruits & catch fish I guess, & sleep on the ground. But the FIRST THOUGHT of "what would you bring to a desert island" was "THE BIBLE & A LAPTOP," NOT  THE BODY. OR does my subconscious NOT PRIORITIZE SURVIVAL?? ONLY the "INTERNAL/ ETERNAL"? That explains my schedule!

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✳"WHO can front to handle DISCOMFORT" = WHAT are the RESONANT SUFFERINGS OF EACH COLOR, that we can CARRY TOGETHER & NOT DISSOCIATE/ LEAVE IT TO KAKOFONI OR NEGATIVE SOMAFONI???
✳ OUR PERSPECTIVE MUST SHIFT from COMPLAINT to the CROSS!!!
✳ "OFFER IT UP" REQUIRES GRATITUDE/ LOVE/ TRUST = WORSHIP & SACRIFICE ("MAKE HOLY")!

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✳ My goal today is to "befriend discomfort" & boy I am REALLY uncomfortable with the upsetting realization that my mealplan choices for the weekend are COWARDLY & REPETITIVE. I chose the SAME fruits for EVERY meal, I'm LOOPING cottage cheese, & I ACTIVELY AVOIDED CHALLENGE FOODS. WHY DO I KEEP FALLING BACK INTO LOOPS??? IS THAT JUST THE PATTERN OF MY LIFE? Dude you NEED to get your hands on the Book of Night With Moon & DRAW AN ARROW POINTING UP OUTTA THAT THING!!
...That too. "Arrow." I APPARENTLY HAVEN'T MOVED ON. Those broken arrows are STILL stabbed into OUR heart. ...God we MIGHT NEED INFI BACK. Ze was ESSENTIAL to EVERYTHING during that time: our LOVE, our TRAUMA, our IDENTITY, our ACTIONS. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EVEN DISCUSS OUR HISTORY SINCE 2013 WITHOUT DIRECTLY  CONSTANTLY REFERRING TO HIR, AND TO JAY. AND STEP ONE IS READING THE ARCHIVES, AS WE UPLOAD THEM. Those memories have been SUPPRESSED and RUN FROM for SIX SOLID YEARS, if not SEVEN for some. THAT'S INSANE. NO WONDER we're stuck. SO PLEASE, DO THAT IMMEDIATELY UPON DISCHARGE. We CANNOT PUT THIS OFF ANYMORE. IT'S THE UNDENIABLE KEY TO UNLOCK SO MANY MYSTERIES & STRUGGLES, and I GUARANTEE you, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL inevitably be EXCRUCIATING at times, it is ALSO ABSOLUTELY FULL OF LOVE, REAL AND TRUE, AND YOU ALL KNOW IT, "DESPITE" THE TRAUMA. LOVE (GOD) KEPT US ALIVE. So don't be afraid. It WILL wake up our hearts, by FINALLY allowing us to "FILL IN THE GAPS" & CONNECT/ INTEGRATE our PAST & PRESENT, enabling us to REMEMBER the WHOLE PICTURE of WHO WE ARE, WOUNDS & ALL, so that WE CAN BUILD/ CHOOSE/ LIVE A REAL & GENUINE & TRUTHFUL & POSSIBLE FUTURE, TOGETHER, IN RECOVERY from ALL the tragedy of our ACTUAL PAST... with NO HIDING, NO DENIAL, NO HATRED, NO BITTERNESS, AT LONG LAST. And with THAT 7-year wound HEALED (and kissed), we can be FREE TO FULLY & JOYFULLY FORGIVE IN TOTALITY & DEVOTE OURSELF UNRESERVEDLY TO GOD'S SERVICE & GLORY. That "void" IS holding us back currently, because we CAN'T GIVE that part of ourselves AND history TO God IF WE CAN'T "HOLD" IT ENOUGH TO SURRENDER IT ENTIRELY TO HIM!!

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LOTOPHAGOI WE NEED (esp. inpatient) =
✳ MILK = "BABY CHERUB" to DRINK it; HEAL "baby" fear? TRUE PURPOSE OF MILK! INNOCENT
✳ COTCHS/ YOG = "HOLY COW." SACRIFICIAL (LOVE) ANIMAL + MOTHERHOOD?  (+BEEF?? OR A ?)
✳ FRUIT JUICE = BUTTERFLY/ HUMMINGBIRD?? "Nectar" similarity & "dignification" of context
✳ APPLESAUCE = ASTRONAUT?? "FIRST FOOD EATEN IN SPACE." OR AN ALIEN? (this food is SPECIAL to BOTH)
✳ FRUIT CUPS = GROUP ↑ ? ✳ONLY CERTAIN FRUITS COME CUT UP IN CUPS. DISTINCTION IS ESSENTIAL! (PEACHES/ PINEAPPLE/ PAPAYA?) (BIRDS AT ZOO? (FEED))
✳ "KIDS MEALS" (chicken tenders, mac & cheese, etc.?) (CAN'T BE "GROUPED"; INDIVIDUAL ASSOCIATIONS)
✳ SUNBUTTER = tough because it's DENSE; vibe too "heavy" for a flower/ fairy? 

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✳ IF YOU COULD TELL/ TALK TO MOM ABOUT ANYTHING IN A LETTER:
● She NEEDS to understand that the eating disorder is TIED TO THE "SLAVE" MINDSET & THE GENDER FEAR & the SEXUAL TRAUMA. The latter is old new & (to me) easy to explain: I didn't want to "grow up to be a woman." I didn't want to get married OR like boys OR have sex & therefore babies. I saw a picture of a young adult male in a teen mag at age 13 & IMMEDIATELY thought, "I WANT TO LOOK LIKE THAT." And since I associated womanhood with FAT = breasts = curves, I STOPPED EATING during the day in an attempt to PREVENT that change, AND perhaps "insulate/ protect" myself from the PROFOUNDLY INVASIVE experience of sharing meals, ESPECIALLY with peers (STRANGERS & often HYPERSEXUAL/ SECULAR) in a FORCED & ARTIFICIAL setting/ environment, AND WORSE because I'd be EXPECTED/ FORCED to TALK = SELFDISCLOSURE = "STRIPPED & INVADED." Ironically/ revealingly, I WAS ACTUALLY & ONLY COMFORTABLE EATING around GIRLS I LIKED, because that "almost shared" meal was the ONLY WAY I COULD FEEL CLOSE TO/ WANTED & ACCEPTED & WELCOMED by them. (Mary/ AAA) Part of me wished I could eat with boys? NOT out of "attraction" BUT because I wanted to BE LIKE THEM? Strong, funny, athletic, comedic, self-confident, and with that "TOMBOY FIRE" I felt FORCED to CRUSH in that school uniform skirt & brassiere. Furthermore, I sensed that MAYBE I'd be loved BY the girls IF I were "more like" a boy? Although I ALREADY wanted to LOOK/ ACT more like a boy for my OWN personal gender reasons, NOW I saw they had a "ROLE" IN RELATIONSHIPS AND I WANTED THAT ROLE. But I digress. This ALL messed with eating mostly because I was now FASTING DAILY for 12+ hours on average, & as I got older & the body DID change & I experienced MORE frequent & horrific abuse at Julie's hands (exacerbated by social/ cultural/ media exposure), EATING in GENERAL became terrifying, & I began to HIDE when I ate/ eat PRIVATELY out of SHAME/ FEAR/ TRAUMA OVERLAP. BUT this early we WEREN'T in the "slave" mindset; our meals were still BY DEFAULT decided by the fam, & we had NO OPPORTUNITY/ REASON to choose "association foods" because we had NO "authorities" OUTSIDE of the fam (& we all ate the SAME)... EXCEPT FANDOMS, WHICH IS A HUGE REALIZATION BTW-- this is WHY our "favorite foods" weren't even things we "liked," but were things our favorite CHARACTERS liked or were associated with (tunafish, apples, blackberries, etc.). But the "SLAVE" but STARTED with SALT LAKE CITY in ~2009. This is ALSO (I think) WHEN the PILFER/ SCAVENGER mentality BEGAN in earnest. I was STARVING from NEGLECT on EVERY LEVEL OF MY EXISTENCE, and out of both desperation & heartache I just started to "TAKE WHAT I COULD GET." ...I wonder if this was ALSO a "KICKBACK" from the CONSTANT GIVING, but NEVER REPLENISHING THE STORES, because FOOD IS COMMUNION & I HAD NONE. No WONDER I was so determined & yearning to "go back HOME to my FAMILY." ...and I think it's why I STILL feel that way. Humans are LITERALLY MADE FOR THOSE THINGS, BY GOD'S DESIGN. Heaven is our TRUE home. The Church is our TRUE family. And I've KNOWN that deep down ALL MY LIFE, but it DOESN'T INVALIDATE THE WORLDLY REFLECTION OF IT either. Home & family IS where we are FIRST FED & FIRST ENTER INTO COMMUNION/ COMMUNITY, FROM BIRTH. And when we LOSE or LACK that, I think that something in our souls (as GOD'S children) SEEKS that out of REAL HUNGER. And I do. And so I MUST set my heart ON GOD'S KINGDOM. ONLY HE CAN satisfy my poor starving soul.



092624

Sep. 26th, 2024 05:10 am
prismaticbleed: (shatter)

Today we went to the unit art show in the gym, and me & Laurie walked around together looking at art & eating cheese cubes & crackers & apple cider. It was genuinely so simply joyous.
THAT'S the life we want-- free, full of gratitude & wonder, lived TOGETHER in mutual love.

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Reading "The Gospel According to Jesus" this morning revealed something HUGE= Deep down, I "WANT" TO BE A "DOULOS"-- A SLAVE. One "whose VERY EXISTENCE is DEFINED BY her service to another" to whom she "BELONGS." Therefore "she LACKS PERSONAL FREEDOM/ RIGHTS" as "her HUMAN AUTONOMY is SET ASIDE" and "AN ALIEN WILL TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER HER OWN"-- she is "LEGALLY FORCED" to give "TOTAL, UNQUALIFIED SUBMISSION to the CONTROL & DIRECTIVES of a higher AUTHORITY" = her "MASTER," who DID NOT HAVE TO GIVE HER "WAGES" BECAUSE SHE WAS PROPERTY, "WITHOUT SOCIAL STANDING OR RIGHTS." A "doulos" is "DEPENDENT ON HER LORD," OBLIGATED TO SERVICE NOT BY CHOICE BUT BY LEGAL SUBJECTION. A slave HAS TO DO WHAT SHE IS TOLD, WHETHER SHE WANTS TO OR NOT, WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT. SHE CANNOT SAY "NO," EVER. SHE HAS NO RIGHT TO. And THAT IS EXACTLY HOW I SEE MYSELF. WHY.
✳ TWO things: in TRUTH, my ONLY "LORD & MASTER" IS JESUS CHRIST. Literally NO ONE ELSE has authority over me. I am BOUND TO OBEY GOD ALONE. And GOD IS TRUTH & BEAUTY & LOVE. That's the SECOND thing: EVEN in my compulsive "slavery" mindset to PEOPLE, I LOVE THEM and so MY "SLAVERY" IS BY CHOICE AS LONG AS THAT ENDURES. This, however, causes TERRIBLE CONFLICT & FRIGHTFUL CONFUSION/ PARALYSIS when I "TRY TO BE A SLAVE TO TWO MASTERS." IF MOM wants one thing & GRANDMA wants another, or TBAS is in opposition to TAS, or even worse if ALL OF THEM ARE "GIVING CONFLICTING ORDERS"-- then WHO DO I SURRENDER MY WILL TO? WHOSE SLAVE AM I? Because technically I CAN'T "be OWNED by" them ALL... I CAN'T "BELONG TO" them all. AND PART OF ME "WANTS" TO, although the thought TERRIFIES her, because it REQUIRES that she "SET ASIDE her HUMAN AUTONOMY." I become SUBHUMAN inevitably-- an animal, an object, mere property-- but I'm "USEFUL." I'm "WANTED." I "BELONG" to someone. It's HEARTBREAKING as much as it's SICKENING. And the ONLY WAY OUT IS LITERALLY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST THAT ACTUALLY "BOUGHT ME". I BELONG TO GOD. And THEREFORE I MUST "SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD." NOT trying to please/ appease/ entertain people from my past. THAT'S the REAL truth. But... I feel like I'm "TRYING TO SELL MYSELF"???
✳ Continuing the "SLAVERY" topic BECAUSE THAT is POWERFULLY impacting/ directing our ENTIRE SCHEDULE. I think I'M somehow treating the FACT that "I BELONG TO GOD, AS A SLAVE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" (ROM 6:18) with fatal misunderstanding/ imprudent application? Like I WANT & NEED my life to REVOLVE AROUND GOD, around the CATHOLIC CHURCH/ RELIGION that HE established & IN WHICH IS MY LIFE & SALVATION. But... I don't know how to "fit anything else in." "Nothing else IS needed," I think. "ONLY God is necessary." But AM I LIMITING GOD?? If I "can't eat until I pray/ adore/ go to Mass," and the hospital ORDERED me to eat MORE, how do I reconcile OBEDIENCE to BOTH, if GOD is BOTH PRIORITY AND the One Who PUT me under that lesser authority? If my body "NEEDS" to eat & sleep & exercise & work & play, but I feel COMPELLED AS A SLAVE to ONLY do explicitly religious activities to the EXCLUSION of "worldly" "needs," am I dishonoring God by "confining" Him AND worship of Him TO "only religious activities"? AND am I even ALLOWED to "cut down"/ alter my strict prayer schedule? Is it WRONG to want to go to the gym if it will conflict with Adoration AND breakfast? And what about creative work & journaling, if that time must be taken away from religious lectures? Do I HAVE to go to two Masses a day if that prevents me from eating? HOW DO I BALANCE BODY & SPIRIT? WHY AM I PUTTING THEM IN CONFLICT??

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Okay dude let's TALK MEALPLANS because this is OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN RECOVERY.
✳ LAVENDER BK needs 3 FRUITS. In general, ALL the plans MANDATE 6-8 SERVINGS OF FRUIT PER DAY!!! So, on the unit, to avoid too much volume at once (esp. with fiber) we will HAVE to do JUICE. That can actually be COOL because we can COMBINE them and see what results, haha. Just be prudent, not stupidly "bingey" in making "SLOP" out of DISTINCT WHOLE FOODS. You have the SAME PROBLEM WITH CONDIMENTS. Seriously, for FREEDOM & HONOR'S SAKE, STOP ADDING BUTTER & MAYO & SALAD DRESSING TO EVERYTHING and JUST ENJOY FOOD PLAIN, LIKE YOU WANT!
✳ We're in a cottage cheese loop with ALL meals & we SHOULD vary that with an EGG once daily. But SHOULD we eat the string cheese stick? Because we're avoiding it due to 1) overprocessing & 2) I don't want to "become that food," or rather, "take on" the "image" of "the KIND OF PERSON" who eats plastic-wrapped cheese products. It's a "BAD" vibe; it feels GROSS & SICK & ARTIFICIAL. We want to be the "kind of person" who eats WHOLE FOODS, NOT THE "CHEAP/ PROCESSED" STUFF that, to us, FEELS LIKE BINGE FOOD? Because THAT action "DENATURED" real food into SLOP, and processed food is "already closer to nonfood" than a "real" item like the egg OR cottage cheese (minimal, clean ingredients). BUT ARE WE JUDGING TOO MUCH?? Honestly I THINK SO. We're NOT FREE to MEET ALL OCCASIONS GOD OFFERS TO US, and NOT FREE to SHARE in ALL HUMAN EXPERIENCE WITH FOOD, IF WE REJECT/ REFUSE "WHAT WE ARE GIVEN/ SHARING IN" out of ALOOF/ PROUD/ FEARFUL MORAL JUDGMENT. THAT is DISORDERED.
✳ This begs the question: ARE WE ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THE "HEALTHIER"/ "CLEANER" (RESO) OPTION IF THE ALTERNATIVE IS A FOOD ON THAT "COMPULSIVE" LIST, TIED TO OTHER PEOPLE? MUST WE ALWAYS CHOOSE THE "CHALLENGE/ OBLIGATORY" OPTION IF IT WOULD "MAKE US FEEL SICK/ UNSATISFIED/ SHAKEN"? IS THAT SELFISH? IS THAT A SIN PUNISHABLE BY DEATH? There was PIZZA & POT PIE on the menu and we DIDN'T CHOOSE THEM because PIZZA is tied to LOTS of upsetting memories (esp. CNC, & childhood pizza parties/ social panic) And SO IS the POT PIE (binges, poverty), and honestly we DON'T "LIKE" EITHER. DO WE? ARE WE ALLOWED TO "DISLIKE" FOOD? Are we going to pay in blood for this? WHY CAN'T WE GET OVER THIS COMPULSION/ FEAR??? IF I DON'T LIKE salty sausage & kielbasa, IS THAT "EVIL" OF ME if PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT DO LIKE IT??
✳ AND HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY ACTUALLY LIKING FOODS? THAT gives me the SAME FEELING OF PANICKED FEAR & EXPECTING BRUTAL PUNISHMENT. IS THIS THE "SLAVE MIND" TOO?? "I HAVE NO RIGHT TO LIKE ANYTHING "OF MYSELF"??" "I AM OBLIGATED TO ONLY LIKE WHAT MY "OWNERS" (CONTROLLERS) LIKE"? HOW DO I "ADMIT/ ASSERT" MY "OWN" "LIKES" WITHOUT SIN? WHY IS ENJOYING SOMETHING OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE A SIN? WHY IS PERSONAL PREFERENCE A SIN??? WHY IS ANYTHING RELATING TO "MY" "UNIQUE" EXISTENCE & "AUTONOMY" A DAMNABLE SIN??? Why am I "not allowed" to have any "self-related" action or thought whatsoever?
AND ONCE AGAIN, LO AND BEHOLD, THE SYSTEM CAN DEAL WITH THIS. We have lotophagoi. We choose TOGETHER. We REASON out our decisions FOR OUR COMMON GOOD & the CARE of OUR BODY & MIND, WHILE RESPECTING OTHERS. Yes the fears ↑ are STILL THERE & we NEED to discuss & feel & work through them TOGETHER, and we WILL & WANT TO, but AS we untangle & heal that, WE CAN & DO STILL FUNCTION IN LOVE. That DEFINES us & it's the ONLY THING that will sustain us through this, that & GOD'S GRACE IN THAT LOVE AS HE LOVES & GUIDES US. Please, keep reminding ourself of that. Do NOT drown in the fears & lies. Clear your eyes & mind BY this love & KEEP GOING.

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✳ We had to choose mealplan foods today & it took me almost 2 HOURS because I kept worrying that my choices were somehow "WRONG." I kept feeling like I "HAVE TO" eat bananas for breakfast "BECAUSE" I don't "like" them & THEREFORE I MUST "GO THROUGH CONVERSION THERAPY" basically. It's FORCEFEEDING UNTIL I "ENJOY IT." THAT'S RAPE-ANALOGOUS BEHAVIOR. I'm "NOT ALLOWED" to have apples instead because I "LIKE" them? Or DO I? How do I trust/ accept that? AND am I making the WRONG choice by having an apple INSTEAD of an orange? Which is wiser? I'm terrified that I made a stupid decision & now I CAN'T FIX IT, which translates as "PUNISHMENT FOR SIN" & just corrupts innocent foods in my mangled perception. STOP. Put it in Jesus's Hands. I have apples with breakfast because it's nice to start the day with their clean crunch & they're faster/ cleaner to eat which allows for earlier completion so we can get coffee. And we eat oranges with lunch because they often pair well with the entree (esp. fish). But... we can easily try switching them & see how that works FOR US. We're STILL GETTING NUTRITION. But... I feel so guilty about the bananas. I just "panic" because having them WITH waffles & syrup is just too much sugar bro. BUT IS THAT "LETTING FEAR CONTROL ME"?? I'll have to man up & have one EVERY OTHER DAY from now on, to keep up variety & "get used to them." I really DON'T WANT to see them as "DANGEROUS" because they're NOT. So we'll heal that, thank You God for showing us this. BUT it's the FRUIT FEAR in general, which we MUST face in the higher mealplans WITH LOVE, because FRUIT = EDEN, remember! It's GOOD! So we MUST get to a place where we CAN CHOOSE FREELY from a VARIETY of EQUALLY GOOD/ COMFORTABLE (IDEAL GOAL) OPTIONS, WITHOUT FRAMING IT AS A "MORAL JUDGMENT" OR "SLAVE COMPULSION"!!! We NEED to be JOYFULLY FREE. And that WILL INCLUDE BANANAS, AND JUICE! It WON'T "KILL US" OR "MAKE US DIABETIC." Food is MEDICINE and ESPECIALLY FRUITS & VEGETABLES & WHOLE FOODS. CREATION IS GOOD. FOOD IS GOOD. STOP LABELING FOODS AS "WRONG" OUT OF MORAL PANIC. And STOP RELIVING TRAUMA THROUGH FOOD; THAT'S ABUSING IT AND YOURSELF. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO SAY "NO" WHEN THAT'S THE INTENTION!!!

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✳ "Positive affirmations" are SO DIFFICULT because "if they AREN'T "ABSOLUTE" & UNWAVERING, then they're LIES"??? Like the best I can do is say "I TRY to/ WANT to be good" in countless ways. BUT ironically that "minimizes" the times I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN kind/ honest/ merciful/ helpful/ etc.? And the MORE I STRIVE, the EASIER & MORE FREQUENT such REAL GOODNESS BECOMES. And yet ALL IT TAKES is ONE moment of weakness where I act "badly" and it corrupts EVERYTHING. It's "all or nothing" morality and it's LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE. EVEN SCRIPTURE SAYS SO!!! THAT DOESN'T "DOOM" US THOUGH BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S MERCIFUL LOVE. YOU GET TO TRY AGAIN. YOU GET TO BE FORGIVEN. YOU GET TO GROW INTO HOLINESS DAILY.
✳ "Affirmations" should DESCRIBE the GRACE-FILLED IDEAL GOAL OF SAINTHOOD, that you ARE CALLED TO & ENABLED TO BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WANTS YOU TO BE THAT SAINT-SELF HE MADE YOU TO BE. So affirmations are ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE of lies, because affirmations SPEAK THE TRUTH OF GOD'S DESIGN & PLANS FOR ME, & HELP ME TO "TUNE MYSELF" TO THEIR SONG.
WORDS ARE CHRIST'S POWER & GIFT SO DON'T LET THE DEVIL ABUSE THEM (BLASPHEMY)!!! SPEAKING VIRTUE INTO MY LIFE, "ACTUALIZING" THEIR POTENTIAL, IS SPIRITUAL COMBAT!!
✳ "YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU." YOU NEED TO TRUST THE GOOD WORDS & GOOD NEWS!! ALL THOSE NEGATIVE BEATDOWNS ARE UNWORTHY OF TRUST BECAUSE THEY ACTIVELY PREVENT YOU FROM LIVING IN THE TRUTH OF YOUR DEEPEST IDENTITY AS A SAVED CHILD OF GOD. (and WHY are you saved? Because you LOVE GOD & BELIEVE JESUS LIVES & TRUST HIM AS LORD) (btw CHRIST WANTS TO SAVE YOU. He will NEVER turn you away. So KEEP RUNNING BACK TO HIM.)

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✳ IS IT "OKAY" TO EAT "JUNK FOODS" (like poptarts for snack option) OR WILL THAT "CHANGE OUR VIBE/ IDENTITY" TO BE "JUNK"??? We feel like we HAVE to eat EVERY snack option ESPECALLY if it "scares us" = "is unhealthy." BUT we NEVER SEEM TO "GET OVER" THE FEAR, which MEANS there's a DEEPER ROOT to ALL of it, and it's the FEAR OF CORRUPTION/ PARASITIC REPLACEMENT VIA INGESTION. Basically "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT." THAT IS THE CORE FEAR when you get all the way down, and it is EXPLICITLY TIED TO SEXABUSE/ "OWNERSHIP" = "I MUST EAT ONLY & WHATEVER THEY EAT, SO THAT I WILL LOSE MY SELF AND BECOME THEM." BECAUSE "THEY OWN ME" & I CANNOT BE "IN OPPOSITION TO" THEIR "AUTHORITATIVE WILL." A SLAVE MUST CONFORM. THIS IS WHY I "HUNT FOR FOOD" WHEN I GO INTO HOUSES-- I'VE BEEN PLACED UNDER "NEW AUTHORITY" & I "MUST REPLACE MY SELF WITH THEIRS" BY EATING WHAT THEY EAT-- and "you ARE what you eat"-- so I'M PREEMPTIVELY CONFORMING MY SENSE OF SELF TO THEIRS, even symbolically. BUT EATING ALSO ECHOES SEX, and the very act of eating makes me ALREADY feel VULNERABLE/ INVADED/ TAKEN OVER BY FORCE? It's a means of "making me ready to be used"/ "to BE eaten." It's hard to put into words. BUT if I'm "WILLINGLY" EATING YOUR FOOD, I'M "SAYING" THAT I'M "READY TO BE USED/ TAKEN OVER/ OWNED BY YOU." I'm DELETING MYSELF & REPLACING IT WITH YOURS VIA FOOD. And my manic babbling "to entertain" the whole time is a direct result of that. I'm SCARED and I have to DROWN OUT MY SELF with NOISE/ DISTRACTION SO I DON'T FIGHT BACK/ RESIST. The food is COMPULSIVE/ ABUSIVE/ DEPERSONALIZING & SO IS THE TALKING. It's a LIVING HELL and it NEEDS TO STOP OR WE WILL DIE, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY!!!

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✳ It is VERY DIFFICULT for me to do ANYTHING for "self-care" WITHOUT STILL TRYING TO DIRECT IT OUTWARDS TO CARE FOR OTHERS!! Like I view EVEN PERSONAL HYGIENE ultimately as something I MUST DO FOR OTHER PEOPLE. It's like all other motivations are null. If they're not serving somebody else, they're invalid. I apparently see myself as... well. As INHERENTLY PLURAL. Go figure. EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO THAT. When I DENY/ IGNORE/ SUPPRESS the System, MY WHOLE LIFE FALLS TO PIECES. And, yes, THEY KEEP ME RELIGIOUS, TOO. I'm MORE FAITHFUL WITH THEM then ALONE (NO COMMUNION).


092424

Sep. 24th, 2024 10:11 am
prismaticbleed: https://www.deviantart.com/teacosies/art/celebi-420071633 (tears)

✳ My "goal" today (has to be S.M.A.R.T.) is to journal about the two "encounters" I had in my dream last night, specifically with my mom & TBAS, with the intention of SOBERLY FACING the TRUTHS of HOW I SPOKE TO & RESPONDED to them, AND how my subconscious presented THEIR words & responses to ME. I ALSO MUST note that, as usual, "MY" APPEARANCE CHANGES WITH MY BEHAVIOR, implying that this is ESSENTIALLY a concern for the SYSTEM. I CANNOT therefore TRULY understand OR process it as "JUST ME," because THAT'S FALSE.
Now, details are blurry as is typical for dreams, BUT what DID stick, AND the EMOTIONS that resulted are important & are what really matter here. First, mom. I was in treatment, and she was on vacation with her boyfriend, but she had left me with HER PHONE & a whole duffel bag of files & folders & papers, for me to "sort through" & "see if what she found (at the house, from my past) was anything I wanted to keep." But I was panicking over the phone? I couldn't have it on the unit, BUT I had no idea how to return it to her, or what she expected me to do with it, etc. I tried to send her boyfriend an email from her phone telling her I was OK and that her phone was going to be turned off but the nurses would have it, but it wouldn't send? THEN after this nervewracking effort, in which I felt a real time crunch, somehow I ended up at a meal with the treatment group BUT my MOM had SHOWED UP & was talking to all the nurses & other patients, apparently "painting the picture" of my disorder to them as SHE understood it, and I got the sickening impression that THAT was how she saw ME. The IMPORTANT moment came when she SAT DOWN AT THE TABLE and was EXPLICITLY describing my past symptomatic behavior TO the girls in a stage whisper WHILE they were eating, WHILE LOOKING AT ME. It was so "offensively" passive-aggressive it made me "infuriated" from the sheer shame/ guilt/ regret/ hurt. She was saying something like "I don't know why she keeps doing it"-- WHILE pointedly staring at me, like she was trying to force a different response IN "DEFENSE" than the TRUE ones I'd ALREADY GIVEN HER MANY TIMES-- "she'll eat all this food and then she'll just throw it up!" And I FLIPPED HER OFF & stormily turned my back to her, unable to process the wounded humiliated grieving RAGE I felt. It was because her PHRASING felt so FLIPPANT, so SHALLOW, as if I was doing that "for FUN" OR "BY CHOICE," and FURTHERMORE, by saying "she WILL/ she DOES," it SHOWED that SHE SAW THAT AS PRESENT & DEFINITIVE BEHAVIOR. Her very phrasing implied that SHE DIDN'T SEE ME AS CAPABLE OF CHANGE. And with how prone I historically have been to IMPLANTED THOUGHTS FROM "AUTHORITY," and the fact that THAT BEGAN IN CHILDHOOD WITH HER & GRANDMA'S frequent gaslighting of my childhood emotions, those words FELT LIKE A DOOM MANDATE. "She WILL. She DOES." She CAN'T/ WON'T CHANGE, because I'M DEFINING HER IDENTITY IN THE CONTINUAL PRESENT TENSE BY DISORDERED BEHAVIOR." And more than anything, that BROKE MY HEART. THAT'S where the RAGE came from-- BECAUSE if I WEPT or PROTESTED in sorrow, even tears, SHE WOULD JEER & SCORN & ACCUSE ME OF MANIUPULATIVE DRAMATICISM. "Crocodile tears." "Puppetmaster." etc. I COULDN'T COMMUNICATE TO HER the TRUTH of my DETERMINATION & HOPE & EFFORT & FAITH. She just couldn't or wouldn't see it, or believe me. In her mind, I WILL be disordered still. And I HATED THAT CONDEMNATION because I REFUSED TO SUBMIT TO ITS LIE OF HOPELESS INDIFFERENCE. THAT, TOO, disturbed me-- that mom WOULDN'T TALK TO ME ABOUT HER FEELINGS, and even when talking ABOUT me TO others, SHE WASN'T BEING HONEST because she WOULDN'T SHOW ANY EMOTION? Other than weepy-mad "I don't know why she's doing this!" WHILE STARING AT ME. MOM I'VE TOLD YOU. YOU WON'T LISTEN. I WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU SO YOU UNDERSTAND, but deep down the WORST grief is that YOU DON'T WANT TO. You just want it to GO AWAY with no fuss & YOU WANT TO GET THE CREDIT FOR DECIDING it must go. YOU THINK I HAVEN'T "DECIDED" THAT YEARS AGO?? Mom I KNOW you love me BUT it feels like you see ME as POWERLESS & UNWILLING TO CHANGE?? And so YOU HAVE TO "FIX ME" AND BE THE HERO? It's robbing me of my freedom & agency in RECOVERY that way, just like the disorder itself. AND SHE DOESN'T EVER WANT TO COMMUNICATE IN HONESTY. She just wants me to be "COMPLETELY CURED," RIGHT NOW, with NO HASSLE OR COMPLICATIONS OR REMAINING ISSUES TO DEAL WITH. It hurts because she seems to see this as a "surface level," "just think differently"/ "just get over it"/ "be like ME & RESIST/ REFUSE/ FIGHT!" and THAT hurts too-- the FACT that SHE responds to so many of HER pains & distresses by HARDENING HER HEART & BITING BACK. And I just CAN'T DO THAT. But SHE does, and THAT'S part of WHY she "doesn't understand" my disorder symptoms DESPITE my TELLING HER-- because they SPRING FROM TRAUMA as BROKEN COPING SKILLS and SHE DOESN'T WANT TO FACE OR ADMIT THE FEAR/ PAIN IN HER OWN PAST, maybe because SHE doesn't know HOW TO COPE, and MAYBE HER FOOD ISSUES are "too close" to mine? I don't know. But that's why it's so painful for me, to hear her respond to MY pain expressed BY/ THROUGH the eating disorder, because SHE WON'T ENTER THAT SPACE AT ALL, FOR EITHER OF US, and THAT'S WHY, TO HER, "RECOVERY" IS JUST A LIGHTSWITCH OR MAGIC WAND. SHE DOESN'T WANT TO, OR ISN'T ABLE TO, ENTER INTO THE DARK & TANGLED BATTLE OF EMOTION & TRAUMA PROCESSING. Recovery is a HARD BATTLE and it takes TIME & BRUTAL HONEST EFFORT. And... she RUNS a lot, hence her perpetually distracted, highspeed, overworked life, in which she gets herself SO STRESSED OUT over the "PRESENT" & her manic grand PLANS for the FUTURE, that she is BOTH "running away from her PAST & her INNER pains" WHILE still giving SOME expression to her subconscious turmoil by, as I see it, ALWAYS WORRYING & GETTING UPSET about "the house"... which IS A SYMBOL of a LOT OF HER PAST TRAUMA, as it is also for mine. It's complex and heartbreaking because I WANT HER TO HEAL & FIND PEACE, TOO, BUT SHE WON'T FACE THE WOUND. ...YET, perhaps. The more I'm honest in a CALM & HOPEFUL & HUMBLED way about MY trauma & WHY I struggle & HOW I'm striving to heal, she SEEMS to be MORE WILLING to START sharing/ facing HER struggles WITH ME?? Bit by bit, and I HAVE noticed. Which MEANS she's STARTING to SEE ME AS SAFE??? AND UNDERSTANDING?? God I HOPE SO, and PLEASE give me the GRACE TO BE THAT FOR HER, because I DO LOVE HER & WANT HER TO BE WELL. BOTH of us CAN reach that space of healing TOGETHER, and THAT'S WHAT I WANT THE MOST. (RELATIONSHIP)
✳ A VERY CONVICTING THOUGHT = Mom sees my IDENTITY as "TIED TO" the eating disorder BECAUSE I'VE GIVEN HER ENOUGH REASONS TO DO SO. One's IDENTITY IS tied to WHATEVER they give their TIME, ATTENTION, FOCUS, EFFORT, & PRIORITY TO. And I must confess, I've been FALSE TO MYSELF, DISTORTING MY IDENTITY, BY NOT FOCUSING MY ENERGY ON WHAT I TRULY VALUE & WHAT TRULY MATTERS TO ME. The problem is, I "met it HALFWAY" by "COMPROMISE" & THAT GAVE THE EATING DISORDER AN EXCUSE & A FOOTHOLD, and THAT'S why it became SO HARD TO ACTUALLY UPROOT-- because I had gotten it TANGLED UP in my TRUE VALUES, which I apparently was "UNABLE" TO PURSUE OTHERWISE, in a DIRECT way? Like "I HAVE to take 3 HOURS to eat breakfast because THAT'S when I do SCRIPTURE STUDY!" But WHY can't I do that study AT MY DESK, AFTER I EAT? And with the bingeing "because it gives me time to listen to religious lectures" it was STILL ROBBING ME OF MANY MORE HOURS in which I could be PURSUING SAINTLY GOALS, NOT PURGING. And I'd have RIGID timing "so I CAN pray/ study," which PREVENTED me from DOING MORE VIRTUOUS THINGS, like USING MY TALENTS FOR GOD & HELPING/ SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY. Mom was seeing the exact problem. Food was USURPING my TRUE identity by ATTACHING to it like a PARASITE.
✳ Related to that topic of skewed/ misdirected values, the OTHER dream encounter was with S, aka TBAS, aka Oliver, and in the dream I didn't know which name to call them. I was in a waiting room somewhere, & suddenly they walked in the front door. I thought, "why are they up in this state?" but then thought something like, "this might be the only chance I get to clear things up between us"? Unfortunately I don't recall how it came about, but we ended up speaking to each other, except... I really didn't let it get very far. After the briefest words of recognition, I started actually almost "lecturing/ scolding/ shaming" them for being transgender. I sounded like such a proud, patronizing, callous jerk. And rightly enough, they ended up almost tearing up, & wordlessly turning & leaving the room? They went back out into the lobby & sat in another small side waiting room, & before the doors closed, I saw them point me out to the other patients & start saying that my thoughtless/ heartless "religious hypocrite" arrogance was "why they'd NEVER be my friend again"? And I THINK they actually DID say to me, "THIS is WHY WE left YOU"?? but the gist being that I was so focused on rebuking them & preaching moral precepts, acting like I was the authority on "holiness" while being a scumbag, that it was IMPOSSIBLE to even have a CONVERSATION with me, let alone a FRIENDSHIP. And as the doors closed, I had the horrible realization that "I'll probably NEVER get the chance to talk to them again." It was over, we weren't friends again, we probably never would be, they'd probably never forgive me, and it was ENTIRELY MY FAULT for being such an egocentric jerk. And then I realized that I "still loved them" and they didn't even know it because I treated them like trash. And that CRUSHED me with regret & shame & grief. So what do I learn from this subconscious message? Well, FIRST is the fact that I COULDN'T STOP JUDGING & CONDEMNING THEIR GENDER & SEXUALITY to the point where I WASN'T SEEING THEM AS A PERSON. I only saw the SIN, NOT THE SINNER. I saw them as a "DISTORTION/ PROBLEM TO BE FIXED/ CORRECTED" IN ORDER for them to even "BE" a "real person"??? Like, if your IDENTITY is based on a FALSEHOOD, then "YOU" aren't "true" UNTIL you're "CONVERTED"? And of course, ALL THAT MUST BE THE WAY I SECRETLY SEE MYSELF. Because like it or not, the RAW FACT is that SINCE CHILDHOOD I have been a QUEER PERSON. I "don't WANT to be" because it's "morally wrong," but I... I'm NOT CISHET. I CAN'T "FORCE IT." I've TRIED. I like girls and I do lean masculine in many ways to the point where I feel like a "third" gender. I want to cry. I just want to be what GOD wants. But... what if He DOES want me to be queer, as a CROSS? How do I ACCEPT that, because God knows I WANT to-- it's exhausting & miserable to fight & deny it-- but apparently I believe that "queer people aren't allowed to exist UNTIL they BECOME cishet"??? Lord I'm struggling. But THAT'S the HUGE point here. And as a SYSTEM, it's even MORE complicated because we experience ALL the rainbow in here. And we KNOW how "queerness" has REPEATEDLY LED TO TERRIBLE TRAUMA IN THE PAST. But we still love girls. And we're still a "total tomboy" at least. How do we reconcile this with our faith? How do we accept this, and not HATE ourselves BY COMPULSION, because we're "SUPPOSED TO," and that horrible "order" HARDENS OUR HEART & makes us CRUEL & DISMISSIVE towards OTHER QUEER PEOPLE, because WE CAN'T STOP TREATING OURSELF THAT WAY FOR THAT REASON? And to make things even WORSE, the global "LGBTQIA+" movement IS OBJECTIVELY SATANIC. IT'S ACTUALLY, LITERALLY EVIL. But the PEOPLE with this cross AREN'T necessarily so!! There's this WAR of sexuality going on and I KNOW I'm called to chastity and I'm GRATEFUL for GOD'S TRUTH but if I'm STILL "QUEER," am I in opposition to God even still? I need to pray & get legit spiritual direction about this. But today, the lesson is this: HATRED & CONDEMNATION & MERCILESS JUDGMENT & OBJECTIFICATION & DISMISSAL & DISRESPECT of queer people IS A SIN. God STILL LOVES THEM & they ARE REAL PEOPLE and THAT APPLIES TO YOU! You NEED to START WITH YOURSELF or ALL your actions will be HYPOCRITICAL & HOLLOW. Your JOB as a Christian is to LOVE AS CHRIST LOVES. First you MUST accept & integrate HOW HE LOVES YOU.

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✳ The "accumulate positives" list has things like "think about past good times/ kindnesses/ loved ones words" & "make a gift for/ spend time with someone," BUT those suggestions FRIGHTEN me? Like they put me under "GUILTY OBLIGATION" to "RETURN THE FAVOR OR ELSE"/ "EARN THEIR APPROVAL" sort of "give & take" mindset, with the EMPHASIS being that "IF someone GIVES something good to me, they NOW have "EARNED the RIGHT" to TAKE SOMETHING GOOD FROM ME. And I DO NOT LIKE THIS. I would LIKE to make a gift for someone BECAUSE that's a KIND thing TO do, BUT I "don't value gifts" (love language?) so it would be DISSONANT & NOT GENUINE? I WANT to GIVE, but in OTHER WAYS, like ACTS OF SERVICE. So that's an important clarification. Same with SPENDING TIME. It DOESN'T "HAVE TO" be "at the movies" or "playing a game," or "talking nonstop." That's EXHAUSTING, and I feel like I CAN'T "PROPERLY" GIVE IN THOSE CONTEXTS? It's asking something from me that I DON'T HAVE? Is that bad? Am I ALLOWED to "spend time" in DIFFERENT ways, like reading Scripture together? And WHY does ALL "spending time" feel like I'M ALREADY IN TROUBLE? Like "WHAT'S THE SCRIPT?" "What do they want to GET from me?" "If I do THIS, NOW, then am I now OBLIGATED to be ON CALL to KEEP giving MORE without conditions WHENEVER they want?" I SEE IT AS A "TAKE" SITUATION. WHY DO I SEE ALL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AS VAMPIRIC??? That's why I'm SCARED to give, although I WANT TO. It just feels like I'm GIVING THEM FREE PERMISSION to DEVOUR ME AT THEIR WHIM. That's ALSO why I'm frightened to even THINK about "past good," because that feels like TALLYING UP DEBTS that I must PAY IN FULL (WITH INTEREST), and I often CAN'T, so must I pay in BLOOD? I'm shaking just thinking about it. God what do I do? How can I accept things as GIFTS? I only ever want to GIVE gifts! DO I? Or is this ALL tangled? Do I "expect to get something BACK" solely because I feel like I'm being EATEN? WHY does GIVING feel like ALWAYS drawing from an EMPTY WELL? Am I THAT SELFISH?? Or am I that afraid of "establishing MORE obligations" & "ADDING UP MORE DEBT"? Lord I WANT TO FREELY DO GOOD FOR OTHERS WITHOUT BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF in the sense of BECOMING A PREY/ FOODSOURCE? What the heck am I afraid of? INITIATING SOCIAL INTERACTION. How ironic, because I YEARN FOR LOVING COMMUNITY. IS THAT THE MISSING PIECE HERE?? I DON'T EVER FEEL LOVED. Is that true? WHY is it? Do I NOT FEEL "KNOWN" or seen at all? How does that affect my ability TO ACCEPT KINDNESS/ LOVE? Why can't I just "take what I get"? Do I somehow fear that the love given "ISN'T ACTUALLY MEANT FOR ME/ I CAN'T ACCEPT IT" if it's given "TO A FALSE IDEA of "me"" or something? It's like eating paper. I'm starving & sobbing. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOVE PEOPLE & ACCEPT LOVE & NOT FEEL LIKE I'M IN DANGER OR IN CRIMINAL TROUBLE, for doing it WRONG. I need to sit & feel this out first. It's WAY too complex & deep to be writing about in realtime. And I NEED TO ADDRESS THIS AS PART OF THE SYSTEM, WHICH I HAVEN'T DONE (YET) ON THIS PAGE. That's probably WHY it's such a tangled mess. In that case it's a PERFECT EXAMPLE of WHY WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. There's NO PROGRESS WITHOUT WORKING TOGETHER.


092324

Sep. 23rd, 2024 08:43 pm
prismaticbleed: (worried)

✳ A PROBLEM with asserting BASIC NEEDS: I'M USED TO MOM'S RESPONSES to my attempts. The OTHER problem is that SHE HAS A POINT! I DON'T (DIDN'T?) KNOW HOW TO "PROPERLY" MEET THOSE NEEDS IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T BECOME ALL-ENCOMPASSING & RITUALLY INFLEXIBLE? And I WANT TO BE FREE & FLEXIBLE BECAUSE I NEED TO LIVE FOR REAL, and that REQUIRES HELPING OTHERS & BEING CREATIVE & ACTUALLY HAVING THE PSYCHIC LIBERTY TO MEET & ADAPT TO UNEXPECTED ADVENTURES AS THEY APPEAR. And so, when mom complains that she can't do anything with me because I'm "ALWAYS EATING" or "PREPARING TO EAT," SHE'S RIGHT. I've been using MEALS/ PREP as an "OCD" RITUALISTIC-CYCLE FOCUS because EATING IS A REAL NEED and so I "CAN JUSTIFY IT" if pressed & therefore PERPETUATE THE CYCLE. It would STAY SECURE & STABLE. But it was a PRISON. I was TRAPPED in a cage of my own design, convinced it was "comfortable" and "safe" and "necessary FOR my mental health," but it was KEEPING ME FRAGILE, "frozen" in a loop, unable to GET OUT of the wheel ruts & ACTUALLY BLAZE A NEW TRAIL OF RECOVERY, to TAKE THE CHAINS OFF and FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT! And as overly simple as it sounds, ALL THAT BEGINS with LITTLE CHOICES FOR TRUTH & VIRTUE, RIGHT NOW. It means "keeping my loins girt & lamp trimmed," READY & WAITING & WATCHING for CHRIST-- because His coming IS RIGHT NOW, IN ME, AS HIS BAPTIZED CHILD & MEMBER OF HIS BODY, AS A TEMPLE OF HIS SPIRIT. And... a Temple is a place of PUBLIC WORSHIP & SACRIFICE. A Body is a UNITED WHOLE, operating TOGETHER for the COMMON GOOD, & ADAPTING TO ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. The point is FREEDOM FROM SELF, FOR COMMUNITY. I CAN'T DO THAT IN THIS SELFCENTERED JAIL. Listen I WANT TO HELP MY MOM UP THE HOUSE, ANY & EVERY TIME SHE ASKS. I LOVE HER and I WANT TO BE PART OF HER LIFE, NOW, AS SHE NEEDS, ON HER TERMS, WITH MY WHOLE HEART. I WANT TO BE FREE of my stupid control-freak ouroboros hell. I want to be ABLE to WORK & EAT & CELEBRATE with her, WITHOUT "WAITING/ LOOKING FOR THE EXIT" so I can shackle myself back to the bloody wheel. NO. I WANT TO BE FREE TO LOVE!!! free to GIVE & SHARE & FEEL & WAIT & EXPLORE & EMBRACE & CONNECT WITH OTHERS! And it SOUNDS ridiculous but STEP ONE is LETTING GO OF FOOD RULES. If you AREN'T "waiting to get back home so I can do my food rituals" and ARE INSTEAD LIBERATED by TRUST IN GOD'S PROVIDENCE to EAT WHAT IS SET IN FRONT OF YOU, WHENEVER & WHEREVER THAT HAPPENS, then your focus & energy & effort can ALL BE REDIRECTED TO PEOPLE, IN CHARITY, FOR GOD'S GLORY. ...and step one of love is to embrace "chaos."

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✳ Thin = "insignificant" = "not worth taking up space," frail, helpless, weak, useless, need to be protected? "can't do anything on my own," "invisible," "crushed/ stamped out/ down"
✳ "Something has to DIE for me to live" (food) and "I'm tired of being a cause of death" (MONSTER)
✳ STARVATION IS SUICIDE. Anorexia = "I have no right to exist" / "I shouldn't be alive because I'm feeding off others by existing"; "if I don't eat & die, everyone else will be better off/ EAT & LIVE"
✳ I DON'T ACTUALLY WANT TO BE THIN. I HATE THIS FRAILTY. But I'm SCARED to look in the mirror and see toothpick arms & legs, to see hollow cheeks & sunken ribs & a concave stomach on the worst days. I'm literally wasting away & that's TERRIFYING. I WANT TO LIVE. I WANT TO GET BIG & STRONG & MUSCULAR & ALIVE!! So... why do I keep wanting the number on the scale to drop? What's that about? Am I DISASSOCIATING the weight number from my increasingly skeletal body? Why the heck do you "WANT' to be 87 pounds??? Is it all just some sort of passive self-erasure? Are you crying out for help? Your subconscious is OBVIOUSLY trying to communicate something of desperate importance, because something in there IS scared of the body getting bigger, EVEN BY MUSCLE GAIN. And that's BIZARRE. I WANT to be a TANK if I can. I WANT to be a strong warrior to HELP & PROTECT & FIGHT FOR OTHERS. And yet, there IS STILL this unknown hidden buried terror that "wants to lose more weight." Why? You DO REALIZE that by BOTH STARVING & OVEREXERTION (ironically), this poor body is ONLY LOSING "WEIGHT" because IT IS LITERALLY EATING ITSELF ALIVE. It's SO HUNGRY and you WON'T FEED IT because you WANT to "BE" FOOD so HERE'S THE IRONIC END RESULT. You CANNOT GIVE what you DON'T HAVE. You STILL NEED TO EAT, by GOD'S DESIGN, and your poor body WILL autophage you to death if you refuse to let it partake of the rest of Creation. Resisting the LORD'S plan for LIFE in GENERAL will INEVITABLY KILL YOU. But you CAN CHOOSE LIFE, RIGHT NOW, BY COMMITTING YOURSELF TO EAT ENOUGH OF GOD'S LIFE-GIFTS TO BE FULL ENOUGH TO SHARE IT. YOU'RE CURRENTLY TOO EMACIATED TO CARRY ANY GIFTS IN THOSE FEEBLE LIMBS. You can either be an ICICLE or SANTA CLAUS, kiddo!! CHOOSE JOY & GENEROSITY.

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✳ Julie, Laurie, Lynne, & I were discussing CHOCOLATE in the hallway, both WHY we STILL fear it & HOW to REDEEM it by DISCERNING & HONORING the GOD-CREATED GOOD AT ITS HEART. Julie said it's an "aphrodisiac," boosting desire. But GOD meant desire to LEAD TO HIM, because God ALSO meant sex to be HOLY, UNITIVE, & LIVEGIVING, a REFLECTION of TRINITARIAN LOVE (SELFGIVING) & GOD'S MARRIAGE TO HIS CREATION/ PEOPLE!! So, if chocolate boosts desire, it's boosting our ability/ openness TO enter into that selfgiving love? Think of Valentine's Day! Desire says, "what is desirable is GOOD, and WORTHY of being UNITED with in MUTUALLY GIVING LOVE," because ALL true unity IS Love. GOD "DESIRES" US, AFTER ALL-- it's WHY HE CREATED US, & BECAME MAN!! So, think of THAT when you eat chocolate! God gave it the capacity to help inflame our cold hearts with the warmth of relationship & goodness seen & treasured. It's SWEET & RICH, symbols of heaven's wealth. AND Laurie reminded us, it has ANTIOXIDANTS, which FIGHT DEATH/ DECAY & PRESERVE LIFE/ HEALTH! It ALSO has CAFFEINE, which KEEPS YOU ALERT-- like your SOUL must be, always awake to God! No wonder we eat chocolate at Easter! It's ALL ABOUT LIFE & LOVE & RELATIONSHIP & AWAKENING. Thank God for snack wisdom!!

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8PM snack revealed that our mealdata-recall problem is MIRRORING TRAUMA. In moments where we feel SO UNSAFE/ IN DANGER that we hit "HYPER FOCUS," THAT DATA STICKS, ALONG WITH THE FEELINGS OF FEAR/ DANGER???

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✳ SIT WITH your emotions, NOT THROUGH THEM. HOLD THEM & FEEL THEM. They're REAL & they EXIST for a REASON and they are IMPORTANT and they TRULY CARE ABOUT YOU. Dude ANXI IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND. HOLD HER FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES!!





prismaticbleed: (worried)

"Weaknesses" in treatment plan outline/ treatment plan points to discuss

● LIMITED SUPPORT SYSTEM = OUTSIDE, not INSIDE! And we CANNOT pretend we DON'T need one, because WE MUST LIVE IN THE BODY NOW, which means LIVING IN COMMUNITY, which man was CREATED FOR (RELATIONSHIP) and which is NECESSARY to be HUMBLE & CHARITABLE. Of course therapists do help, & crisis lines. But we SHOULD seek support in the context of a SPECIFIC focus support GROUP? or even just the CHURCH! And PHYSICAL interaction is preferable so we LEARN (not in theory) TO EXIST not just IN THE BODY but as a PERSON/ in a SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. This WILL take time & effort and honestly right now it's SCARY & EXHAUSTING because OUR "SELF" ISN'T STABLE ENOUGH YET TO DO THIS?? So THAT is PRIORITY. It WILL require "setting boundaries," "asserting needs," etc. WITHOUT isolating OR preventing vulnerability & openness.
● A BIG step TOWARDS this IS IMPROVING OUR FAMILY RELATIONS which we DESPERATELY WANT. The problem is, DO THEY EVEN WANT TO BE AROUND ME? If not, I understand. But I MUST BECOME the kind of person they COULD want to be around. And THAT striving to become a better person for them WILL allow me to be that better self SOCIALLY. It really is self-denial & the Cross, for CHARITY'S SAKE. And again, I MUST TAKE INITIATIVE, yet STILL BE PATIENT & HUMBLE. THEY STILL MIGHT NOT WANT YOU. And so, ultimately, our TRUE motivation for this MUST BE GOD. We're striving to obey the 4th Commandment for HIS sake, NOT for ANY earthly rewards. So DON'T RELAPSE OR DESPAIR, EVEN IF YOUR EFFORTS TO RECOVER & BECOME KIND MEAN NOTHING TO YOUR FAMILY. I actually CAN'T do this JUST "for them" or I'll COLLAPSE. My ULTIMATE end MUST BE TO HONOR GOD, IN honoring my family, EVEN IF MY FAMILY REJECTS ME STILL. I'll have set my real goal higher, one that of course INCLUDES them IN LOVE, but DOESN'T make THEIR REACTION the "deciding factor" of my efforts to "be GOOD" for REAL. ONLY GOD IS THAT JUDGE FOR REAL! Love Him AND love your fam FOR Him too! 
In the event that my family DOES reject me, I NEED REAL FRIENDS. I've NEVER HAD ANY. And deep down I still wonder about relationships. But that's too much to even consider right now (due to guilt & shame & fear). Inevitably, these friendships MUST HAVE GOD AS THE TRANSCENDENT THIRD. But Lord knows I YEARN to pour myself out for someone, to really LOVE them, & HELP them, and ideally yes I WANT to PROTECT them, which always comes up when I think about this. I'll need to give that deeper thought elsewhere; it MIGHT be a REROUTING of Jay's FATHERHOOD instinct. In any case, I do want to learn HOW to have REAL, SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS, esp. where to FIND or LOOK for them. My only map: CHURCH. And I must FIRST become a TRUE "FRIEND" MYSELF FIRST. I CAN'T HAVE A FRIEND IF I CAN'T RESPOND MUTUALLY TO THEIR LOVE. If I'm too bloody self-obsessed TO be truly supportive, the friendship will rot. I WANT TO BE THE FRIEND YOU CAN RELY ON EVEN AT 3AM. And honestly? THAT WEIGHTY OF A VIRTUOUS DISPOSITION HAS TO BE FED. You have to START SMALL but BE CONSISTENT & TAKE EVERY CHANCE YOU GET TO STRENGTHEN THAT VIRTUE BY MAKING IT HABITUAL. PRAY for those chances AND the GRACE TO RESPOND to them READILY & WITH COURAGEOUS LOVE. And God IS giving you those changes WITH YOUR FAMILY. Which brings us, fittingly, back around to "NEEDS." There WILL be "conflicts" but they CAN BE RESOLVED TO MUTUAL BENEFIT, IF I PUT THIS VIRTUOUS EFFORT IN. If I, through recovery, gain the INNER FREEDOM TO find ways to meet my needs WITHOUT DENYING OTHERS, then I can READILY & INSTANTLY JUMP TO SERVE, "ON CALL," knowing that BY GOD'S PROVIDENCE I CAN STILL MEET THEIR NEEDS AND GOD WILL MEET MINE IN DUE TIME. And He HAS DONE THIS ALREADY, CONSISTENTLY. HIS LOVE FOR YOU IS REAL. TRUST IT, & RELY ON HIM!!
● "Haven't learned how to plan for the future" = first, I was convinced I'd die at age 20 so I never planned. I had my first suicide attempt around that age ironically. When I didn't die & hit age 21 I was SO LOST. And that's SECOND = I "gave control of my life" to SLC/ CNC/ UPMC basically. I STILL WAS UNABLE TO EVEN IMAGINE A FUTURE because I was STILL JUST SURVIVING DAY TO DAY, and dictating ALL my behavior & "choices" according to ARBITRARY AUTHORITY. I was either INCAPABLE (trauma) of or FORBIDDEN (obedient submission) to plan for ANY sort of PERSONAL FUTURE. The FIRST TIME that's EVER CHANGED, & VERY SUDDENLY, was in 2022 when Grandma died & I moved out & I HAD NOTHING TO GO BACK TO & NO ACTIVE AUTHORITY DIRECTING ME. So I FLAILED for a while, "defaulting" to PAST "orders," and STILL JUST "LIVING TO SURVIVE." I still felt like I wasn't GOING to have a future, ESPECIALLY not "of my own"?? How could I even IMAGINE it when my life had ALWAYS been marked by a series of SUDDEN DRAMATIC UNEXPECTED TRAUMA that CHANGED EVERYTHING & therefore DESTROYED ALL PREVIOUS "PLANS" for the future because THAT future was NO LONGER POSSIBLE? It's utterly devastating & after a while you just stop planning. Getting through today safely becomes all you CAN "plan for" & it FUELS that sort of "tomorrow doesn't exist" mindset? It's why I struggle even with the concept of "leftovers." What if I don't wake up tomorrow? What if a bomb hits? What if I am forcibly evicted? And these "anxieties" DON'T occur AS "what ifs"; I DON'T "think about" them really because ultimately, I EXPECT ALL THOSE "WHAT IFS" TO END IN DEATH. So why even "plan" how to SURVIVE, if you WON'T? Deep down, some key part of my mind is just RESIGNED TO DYING, and IMMINENTLY. But WHY is that STILL so strong in my psyche?? What are its TRUE ROOTS, the roots that convinced teen me that I'd never survive to adulthood? Even in the League, I saw AGE 16 as a "full life" & COULDN'T EVEN CONCEPTUALIZE ADULTHOOD. Is THAT PART OF THIS?? ESPECIALLY WITH THE ANOREXIA? Do I feel like I CAN ONLY "EXIST" AS A CHILD?? Do I see adulthood/ maturation AS DEATH?? And, even if I COULD become a child again, how WOULD I "see the future" ahead if I DIDN'T WANT TO "GROW UP"? Does that very child mindset lock me into a "perpetual TODAY" that unfortunately inevitably makes it IMPOSSIBLE to ACTUALLY live IN REALITY NOW as an adult who NEEDS to PROVIDE for themselves AND plan for the future as PART of that effort?
✳ BUT I'm realizing that IT DOESN'T REGISTER AS "SELF" CARE??? I DON'T SEE THIS (THIN) ADULT BODY AS ME. AND "WHICH" 'ME'" IS DRIVING? I'M CHRONOLOGICALLY SLICED. There are MULTIPLE JEWELS AND MULTIPLE JESSICAS, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A "NAME" IN EARNEST SINCE THE JAY BLOODLINE DIED. The "Spinel hair" fugue is still a mystery, but EVERYONE knows how unstable we were coming back around 2023, because there were TWO FATAL INTERNAL TRAUMAS; the forced destruction of the Jay bloodline FUTURE, and Infinitii's subsequent death (in light of trauma affecting the present). And honestly, INSIDE, THAT'S the stuck point. Those two were our ONLY STABLE IDENTITY, AND OUR FIRST & ONLY HOPE FOR AN ADULT FUTURE, even if in the end it proved impossible. But they COULD "LOOK FORWARD." Now, without them, we have to learn HOW to again-- and STEP ONE is STABILIZING OUR CORE, AND THEIR NAME!!! We CAN'T plan for the future of our WHOLE self, BODY AND SOUL, WITHOUT THAT PLANNING BEING INTO A "NEW" CORE THAT INHABITS BOTH. And ironically, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT SINCE we were a child! REMEMBER, BY 2003 IT WAS SPLIT (J/J bloodlines)! So we're OVER 2 DECADES "LATE" IN THIS. But better late than never. ALSO, did the CELEBI split happen EARLIER (poke2 & 2001)?? Geez this is ANCIENT. Still, it's explaining a LOT. Bottom line is THIS: WE HAVE TO DARE TO HOPE, IF ONLY FOR GOD'S SAKE. Even if we DO die tonight, we CAN'T SUCCUMB TO DESPONDENCY. We MUST LIVE, even if only for 5 more minutes. OUR LIFE IS BIGGER THAN US & WE ARE A STEWARD OF THIS GIFT. So we HAVE to think of THEIR FUTURE TOO.
● "Physical/ mental problems" that would be WEAKNESSES during recovery? The ONLY thing I know immediately is that I CAN'T REALLY RECOVER IF I IGNORE THE SYSTEM. I ALSO know that if I DON'T FACE OUR REAL TRAUMA HISTORY HEAD-ON, those denied/ buried horrors WILL CONTINUE TO FUEL DISORDERED BEHAVIOR, EITHER through the eating disorder OR through some OTHER form of addictive, numbing, self-abusive behavior cycles. The BAD ROOTS are giving us ROTTEN FRUITS, which is ironically VERY applicable TO our eating disorder trauma. If we don't DIG THEM UP & DEAL WITH THEM, they will only perpetuate the mental problems, and poison us to boot. We have to UPROOT that ENTIRE "TREE" branching out from the trauma, then TILL that ground, PLANT GOOD SEEDS, and NOURISH THEM TO GROW INTO GOOD FOOD, AS GOD INTENDED US TO BE, for HEALING & JOY & COMMUNION & LOVE between US & PEOPLE & GOD.
● "Physical problems" are baffling me. How would such a thing be a "weakness" in eating disorder recovery? Maybe just the IBS & GERD being potential "behavior triggers" when they flare up. But otherwise, my only OTHER obstacles are ENVIRONMENTAL, such as a lack of available transportation & limited access to stores & limited finances. But we can make it work! We CAN walk to the Dollar store & drug stores in a pinch, & the bus DOES go to at least two local grocery stores, so we'll have to try that one day, just to open up that option. AND, now that we're learning to be more free/ less stubborn & controlling with food, we CAN use what we get in food drives, AND maybe if we budget it we CAN once in a while buy a meal at a local restaurant! So there ARE things we CAN work on to continue & expand recovery. We just HAVE TO PUT THE EFFORT IN FOR EFFORT'S SAKE, so to speak. WE CAN'T CHICKEN OUT. We must BUILD THE VIRTUES OF DISCIPLINE, & COURAGE, & REAL RIGHTEOUS OBEDIENCE. If we DON'T work to "expand our comfort zone" and be more ACTIVE & INVOLVED IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, we'll SHRINK back down into self-centered fear. We HAVE TO GROW BEYOND OUR SELF. And we MUST get friendlier WITH OUT NEIGHBORS, which will FINALLY BE POSSIBLE when you're NOT SHACKLING YOURSELF TO RIGID EATING RULES & TIMES. When you DON'T "HAVE TO" only eat CERTAIN foods at CERTAIN times and in CERTAIN ways, then you're FREE to MEET & JOIN OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR SPACES. And God knows I LOVE PEOPLE and I WANT TO DO THAT. So PLANT THE SEEDS. START LAYING A FOUNDATION TO BUILD VIRTUE. You HAVE to start SMALL like a mustard seed & CARE for it so it CAN GROW & FLOURISH & BECOME A CHANNEL/ SOURCE OF GOOD FOR OTHERS! You NEED to PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE IN THE FIELD. You WILL get stronger AS you eat. Your SOUL will get stronger AS you FEED IT VIRTUE, ESPECIALLY CHARITY. And NO ONE CAN EAT ALONE. IT'S ALL GIFT, ALL COMMUNION. That applies to ALL food (LIFE), EVEN METAPHOR & CONCEPT & SYMBOL. Please remember this.
● I'm not too worried about "failed treatment attempts" because I will ALWAYS KEEP ATTEMPTING. That's why I'm here. It's DETERMINED HOPE. And those past treatments DIDN'T actually "fail." I DID heal & recover & learn & grow in REAL, TRUE WAYS, and I DIDN'T & CANNOT lose that progress, EVEN when I "relapsed." I STILL CANNOT EVER "GO BACK" TO "BEFORE TREATMENT." We KEEP GOING.
● "All or nothing" thinking  = this is tied to the "no future" distortion? It's an attempt to AVOID RELATIVISM & LUKEWARMNESS on one level, a "fear of grey" because that "ignores the DISTINCTION between BLACK & WHITE"? It's CONTAMINATION FEAR. "DON'T MAKE IT IMPURE." I'm so afraid of NOT BEING GOOD that I'll go to extremes & ironically PERPETUATE "bad behavior" because B&W absolutist thinking IS AN OBSTACLE TO MERCY??? Like, "you've already fallen so far, you CAN'T be good unless you're BLEACHED." And I MUST discern the PROPER "middle ground," NOT a "grey space" BUT a striving FOR WHITE (virtue, goodness, HOLINESS), while IMITATING CHRIST in OFFERING JUST MERCY. Black is STILL BLACK. Sin is ALWAYS SIN. It's NOT GREY. But you DON'T HAVE TO BE STUCK THERE, THANKS TO THE CROSS! So LOOK THERE when the black overwhelms you. KEEP REPENTING. KEEP CONVERTING. GOD IS ALWAYS WASHING YOU CLEAN IN HIS MERCY, ESPECIALLY THROUGH CONFESSION, which CALLS OUT SIN for EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, black as tar... in order to RESTORE you TO PURITY BY CHRIST'S BLOOD. "All or nothing" is ironically TRUE, because GOD IS ALL & SIN IS NOTHINGNESS. But DON'T DESPAIR, because "nothingness" CAN'T WIN. Just GET BACK UP IMMEDIATELY & run into your loving Father's waiting & open embrace.
✳ I AM WAY TOO PRONE TO SUGGESTIONS/ "IMPLANTED" THOUGHTS. This is disturbing & is TIED DIRECTLY into my self-distrust, "appeasement" instinct, & history of gaslighting? I IMMEDIATELY "default" to WHATEVER others TELL me I am or am not feeling, even if deep down I "know" it's wrong somehow, BUT I IMMEDIATELY DISSOCIATE to "SHUT THAT OFF" so I FORGET my ACTUAL feelings & "EMPTY" myself in order to BLINDLY ACCEPT & CONFORM to THEIR "ORDERS," EVEN IF IT WASN'T INTENDED AS SUCH. If I say "I'm angry" and someone MISHEARS, "you're happy?" My brain INSTANTLY accepts THAT as "TRUE" & FORCES "HAPPINESS" BY DISSOCIATION & PUSHING "APPEASEMENT MODE" which is TOTALLY SUBMISSIVE & INCAPABLE OF "SELF"-ASSERTION. But deep inside I'm STILL ANGRY & SCARED & CONFUSED & LOST because NOW WHAT, if I'm NOT "ACTUALLY" ANGRY/ I'm "FORBIDDEN" to even ACKNOWLEDGE it, because it would be "IN REBELLION"/ CONTRARY TO "THE TRUTH," which is DICTATED BY THE OTHER. And this intolerable conflict ALWAYS ends with either COMPLETE depersonalization & the "appeaser/ doll" TAKING OVER, OR in the "ABUSE TERROR" (?) instinct SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN & rendering me mute & immobile. The ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS is to LEARN to TRUST the VALIDITY/ REALITY/ TRUTH of MY OWN EMOTIONS ENOUGH TO STAND UP FOR THEM. I need to learn how to ASSERT that truth AS truth that CAN'T BE ALTERED BY MERE SUGGESTION??? Which requires REASON & DISCERNMENT, but also SELF-TRUST, which is ACTUALLY ONLY POSSIBLE AS PART OF THE SYSTEM. THAT TRUST MUST ALWAYS BE COLLECTIVE. Which makes TOTAL SENSE actually; if OTHER PEOPLE are feeling/ contributing TO those emotions, and I'm NOT acknowledging or consulting THEM, then of COURSE "I" won't be ABLE to "assert" mySELF" because I'd be IGNORING OURSELF!! We live this life & feel these emotions TOGETHER.
✳ TREATMENT RELATED: "flung around by my emotions" BECAUSE YOU WON'T LISTEN TO THEM, LET ALONE DIALOGUE!!
✳ This ALSO ACTUALLY AFFECTS "SELF-ASSERTION"?? AND "SENSE OF SELF-IDENTITY APART FROM OTHERS"?? Because I ONLY struggle with "fusing my identity with those around me" when I'm OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE SYSTEM, because I'm USED TO & even MADE FOR a "collective self-body," just INTERNALLY. I can only "DISCERN MYSELF" when I am WITH "MY OTHERS" TO DISCERN MYSELF AMONG & WITH. It makes MORE SENSE to "know MYSELF" IN THEIR LIGHT, as a PART of "US." And when I'm truly ANCHORED into that, then I DON'T try to mirror OUTSIDE people because I've FOUND my place & purpose, and ONLY THEN CAN I RESPECT the DISTINCT UNIQUENESS OF OTHERS. As for ASSERTION, to DO that REQUIRES that I "BELIEVE" that WHAT I am asserting is TRUE & RIGHT, AND THAT I HAVE THE "RIGHT" TO ASSERT IT. And if I'm speaking up FOR THE SYSTEM, I DO. I'm ALSO doing this WITH MY FAITH, as I MUST and as is JUST, now that GRACE has CONVINCED & CONVERTED MY HEART TO THE TRUTH. BUT in "CONTRAST" to that, if I'm "cut off" from my REAL IDENTITY as BOTH a CHILD OF GOD & SYSTEM MEMBER-- BOTH as a PART of a WHOLE, a BODY together-- then I CAN'T be assertive because what IS there TO assert?? I ONLY EXIST IN COMMUNION & I CAN ONLY ASSERT MY IDENTITY & NEEDS IN CONTEXT OF THAT PARTICIPATION!! Disconnected from that, I'm LOST & EMPTY. And I HAVE been disconnected for TOO LONG. No wonder "I" couldn't recover. So PLEASE, LIVE FROM THIS TRUE SPACE. HONOR & CHERISH your GOD-GIVEN IDENTITY, and for HIS sake, SELF-ASSERTION will be an act of HONOR & LOVE. ✳ "UNPROCESSED GRIEF & RAGE." This is ABSOLUTELY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DORMANT. That grief & rage is HELD IN OUR HEARTS. WE'VE SUFFERED, TOGETHER, and to DENY/ SUPPRESS/ HIDE OUR EXISTENCE & HISTORY, results in PERPETUAL STAGNATION & EMOTIONAL HOLLOWNESS-- ironically, because the TRUTH of what WE feel STILL REMAINS, buried & avoided, and ALL that pain just turns to MAGMA underground. The volcano WILL erupt eventually. And GOD WILLING I CAN'T WAIT. That's the ONLY way it CAN be processed after SO LONG of being pressurized while red-hot & agonized. It NEEDS to be brought up to the surface ENTIRELY, and it's INEVITABLE. THIS IS WHY WE ALWAYS "WAKE UP" IN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED CRISIS SITUATIONS; IT BREAKS THROUGH THE CRUST. THANKFULLY, there IS a way to "prevent a volcanic eruption" and that is by GOING UNDERGROUND & MEETING THOSE HURTING HEARTS. We DO have "lava tubes" in headspace, remember, down with the chthonics. But setting the metaphor aside, the POINT is that THE GRIEF & RAGE CAN ONLY BE PROCESSED IF IT'S UNBURIED & ACKNOWLEDGED & FELT, and it CAN ONLY BE FELT BY THE NOUSFONI THAT CARRY IT, because THEY EXPERIENCED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU CAN'T PROCESS TRAUMA THAT'S NOT "YOURS," AND APART FROM THE SYSTEM, IT'S NOT.
✳ THIS PRESENTS A NEW & VERY CONCERNING "OBSTACLE"-- MOST OF US "NEVER CAME BACK" AFTER CNC. INFINITII DIED. AND ZE WAS THE FOCUS OF THE WORST TRAUMA, BY HIR VERY FUNCTION. Literally NO ONE ELSE CAN EVEN TOUCH HIR MEMORIES/ EMOTIONS. All we have is SECONDHAND DATA from the (thankfully rare) horrific moments when the trauma got SO BAD it BROKE THROUGH specific fronter consciousness & scarred our COLLECTIVE awareness. That ONLY OCCURS under the TERROR of IMMINENT DEATH. And it DID. BUT WE CAN'T PROCESS IT as sheer panicked doom data, because it's NOT PERSONAL... and we don't know HOW to "MAKE it persona' in such a blood-close, excruciatingly intimate way, UNLESS ZE COMES BACK. Somehow. It's in God's hands. So is ze. But... step one is READING what we have. And we will see what happens.
✳ The last listed weakness, to briefly address: "panic & dissociation in social settings." To repeat, the vast majority of this is caused by disconnection from the System & from the faith. BUT the OTHER half is SENSORY OVERWHELM and we CANNOT DENY THAT CONCERN. It's a REAL ISSUE and we MUST RESPECT IT with MUTUAL respect. We can't isolate-- we don't want to-- but we ALSO CANNOT FORCE OURSELF TO SOCIALIZE BEYOND OUR GENUINE CAPACITY. We have to HONESTLY DISCERN & ASSERT OUR REAL LIMITS & NEEDS, IN ORDER TO GIVE OUR GENUINE ALL TO OTHERS WITHOUT BURNOUT (DISHONESTY)!
✳ DISSOCIATION IS A SURVIVAL RESPONSE. When we fear/ sense impending burnout, we SHUT DOWN. It's a last desperate instinctive response, in the attempt to PROTECT OUR MENTAL INTEGRITY?? Because honestly, if we're NOT acting AS a FAITHFUL System, then the "PSEUDO-SINGLETS" START TO SABOTAGE OUR INTEGRITY because they HAVE NO FOUNDATION. Therefore they CAN'T BE "HONEST" because they are UTTERLY UNMOORED from ANY DEEPER IDENTITY-- which MUST be ANCHORED in COMMUNION. Ironically, all their people-appeasing will NEVER accomplish that because YOU CAN'T CONNECT WITH OTHERS UNLESS YOU FIRST EXIST AS A PERSON DISTINCT FROM THEM. That's the paradox of love. HENCE THE TRINITY. (And YOU ARE CALLED INTO THEIR LOVE!)

 


prismaticbleed: (shatter)

Some "FEAR/ CHALLENGE/ AVERSE" foods I MUST face with LOVE to be HEALED/ FREE =
1) APPLESAUCE= see next pageturn.
2) FRUIT CUP(S)= see next pageturn.
3) POPCORN= vague childhood TV terror. CNC & SLC cinema. UNEXPECTEDLY TERRIFYING??? Also "DIRTY HANDS." GRANDPA CLOSET FILTH. +Halloween? Boy Scount sales?
4) NUTRIGRAIN= CNC & grandpa's closet.
5) RITZ= old binge food, often STALE/RANCID. Also "belong to mom" (with her cheeses)? Fear of being punished for eating them
6) OATMEAL RAISIN= something about the taste feels so wrong. "fruit + grain" unnatural fusion? tastes like garbled data to our brain. +They turn to SLUDGE when you eat them.
7) OATS & HONEY BAR= Filthy crumbles. Typically stale/rancid. Feels like eating garbage scrap, not real food.
8) PIZZA= too many bad situation memories
9) BACON= CNC trauma

TRIGGERS put you into FIGHT/ FLIGHT/ FREEZE/ FAWN!!!


"FEAR" FOODS are ACTIVELY tied to TRAUMA and/or seen as an IMMINENT DEATH RISK.
● BACON is BOTH; I fear that eating pig is morally fatal (OT laws & symbolism); if I eat it then I will BECOME a pig. I also fear that it's "unhealthy," which has NO "wiggle room"; if I eat it I WILL have clogged arteries & I CAN'T "UNDO IT" or "take it back." It's PERMANENT DAMAGE. There is NO MERCY with food fears!! It's ABSOLUTE, IRREVOCABLE, & ultimately FATAL. But the worst fear here IS the "IDENTITY CORRUPTION" through "CHOOSING" to CONSUME it; it's DIRECTLY TIED to SXABUSE. if I "let the pig in," it will TAKE OVER & DEVOUR ME like a PARASITE and "I" WON'T EXIST ANYMORE-- or worse, if I DO, it'll be like having a YEERK.
● BACON is ALSO historically tied to SXABUSE EVENTS, so FLASHBACKS OCCUR INEVITABLY. Preparation CAN slightly assuage this by triggering different memories (like mom making it at home), BUT the very "FACT" of bacon consumption HAPPENED at "THOSE TIMES" is undeniable & CANNOT BE TURNED OFF.
● PIGS in general are frightening MORALLY, because I see them SYMBOLICALLY. They represent, & "therefore MANIFEST," FILTH, UNCLEANLINESS, GLUTTONY, BOORISHNESS? They're "ANIMALISTIC" in the sense of "TOTAL DEPRAVITY," plump & mud-caked, rolling in filth & digging their face INTO it in ORDER to eat, snorting & oinking & squealing, stinking horribly, laying inert & sated in the mud, & looking "suggestive" with their pink, taut, round, FAT (plump) bodies, hairy & dirty & fleshy. They "look like the filth of sex." The food/ eating is SECONDARY, almost an OUTGROWTH. The MAIN horror about pigs is SEX & FILTH. They just "PROJECT/ INFLICT" that ONTO eating, because EATING, ALWAYS, IN & OF ITSELF, IS "SEXUAL." It's inherently "erotic." (Discuss that LATER) So PIGS are ABHORRENT & SCANDALOUS, BECAUSE they are so FILTHY WITH FOOD WHILE BEING SO "ANIMALISTICALLY SEXUAL." They're DEHUMANIZING in totality & so IF I EAT ONE, I'M TAKING THAT INTO ME AND IT BECOMES MY BODY, which therefore DEHUMANIZES ME AND I CAN'T "TAKE IT BACK/ GET IT OUT." (THE ONLY HOPE IS TO PURGE)
MATTHEW 15:11 & 17-20!!! GET THAT INTO YOUR HEAD AND HEART! Study it extensively if you have to, but THE PIG CANNOT "MAKE YOU EVIL"!!!
● Last trauma we haven't discussed= ham is what I associate with grandma's death AND MY FAILURE TO BE THERE FOR HER ON THAT LAST EASTER, because HAM is what I ate that "SET OFF" THAT FATAL BINGE THAT LANDED ME IN THE E.R. & TOOK ME FROM HER. But... look at Matthew again. You're SHIFTING BLAME. YOU BINGED ON HAM.The PIG didn't sin OR cause YOU to! It COULD have been OFFERED to GOD as a JOYFUL CELEBRATION of LIFE like Easter "feasts" are SUPPOSED to. BUT even that WORD is "evil" & disgusting & I HATE it. WHY. = it's because in my mind/ experience, "feasts" are ALWAYS gluttonous, & eating "too much" is PUNISHED EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT OR WERE JUST THAT HUNGRY OR WERE EATING IN GRATITUDE. "Feast" means you are WATCHED & SUSPECTED & CRITICIZED & SHAMED & PUNISHED & even RATIONED. The "joy" is FORCIBLY LIMITED & therefore HOLLOW. There's NO ABUNDANCE.
● Weirdly but DIRECTLY & VITALLY RELATED is actually the GRINCH story. I hated it as a kid because the Whos were PORTRAYED & DESCRIBED as GENUINELY GOOD & NICE & FRIENDLY, and so when THEY feasted it WAS JOYFUL & GRATEFUL & ABUNDANT, & they ate as TRUE FAMILY in FRIENDSHIP together... but I had no comprehension of that as a kid. It "looked" hypocritical & performative to me because THAT'S ALL I KNEW. And I felt like the Grinch, who I ALSO "hated" AS A RESULT because he was described as UTTERLY GROSS & REPREHENSIBLE, and if "he was LIKE ME," then THAT HORRID SONG WAS ABOUT ME. And I heard the WHOS singing it, like I heard my family. And that DISSONANCE was intolerable. There they were, happy & FEASTING, yet SINGING ABOUT HOW UGLY I WAS & how they DETESTED ME & wanted NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, WHILE SMILING & EATING, and I was outside in the cold, unwanted & unwelcome & HUNGRY for not just food but LOVE & COMMUNITY & MERCY & WELCOME, but they were FEASTING on it & although THERE WAS PLENTY TO SHARE WITH ME, TOO, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO BE FED. I'M NOT ALLOWED TO BE PART OF THEM & THEIR LIFE. I'm unlovable. I'm inherently undesirable and I'm filthy. And that MAKES you a "grinch." It also means eating scraps of garbage & that becoming YOUR "normal."


✳God GAVE me PORK CARNITAS for lunch IMMEDIATELY after I wrote that ↑ & they were WONDERFUL! NO FEAR!! Which SHOCKED me. PORK is SAFE?? Ham & bacon AREN'T? At least in theory.
+ ADDING to this, God ALSO gave us APPLESAUCE... and similarly it was only "half triggering" & in DIFFERENT WAYS that I DIDN'T THEORIZE?? It also WASN'T SCARY, just a challenge. The SCARY/ DISTURBING part was the TEXTURE, & having to eat it with a spoon. It's the MESS, the SLOP, the LACK OF STRUCTURE/ FORM?? And spoons are TOTALLY chaotic, haha. There's NO SOLIDITY. But THAT'S a question = I'm aware of & dealing with the sticky/ crumbs/ spills/ etc. struggles, but the TEXTURE & FORMLESSNESS? Where is THAT rooted? Wait are they BOTH related to CHILDHOOD??? Is it tied to fear of PUNISHMENT for BEING MESSY? It also feels like "ROT" fear, like leaving food out on the counter or in the refrigerator for so long that it DOES turn to mush/ slop, and you STILL HAVE TO EAT IT?? Also, some part of me DOESN'T RECOGNIZE "LIQUIDS" AS FOOD. "Firm" things like jello & pudding don't count UNTIL/ UNLESS they start to MELT. Then the "degradation" fear happens. It's SO disturbing. And yet I don't think soup does this! Is it the WATERY NATURE that makes it safe? That seems legit actually. This concept might be "instinctive disgust" then, related to fear of eating rotten/ spoiled/ rancid food. ALSO the DENATURING. Juice in a cup is SO far removed from the reality of a fruit that it triggers some sort of kneejerk revulsion. My brain doesn't register ultraprocessed "food" as edible at ALL when that fact is apparent. And BTW YOU ARE NOT "OBLIGATED" TO FORCE-EAT THOSE FOODS AFTER DISCHARGE!! You SHOULD be choosing WHOLE FOODS to ACTUALLY FEED & NOURISH your poor body at last! Yes you CAN have something a bit processed when you eat out with mom, or when it would be MORE PRUDENT TO eat such food in a pinch or social situation; those foods ARE ALLOWED STILL; they CAN STILL BE OFFERED TO GOD IN GRATEFUL PRAISE, & they AREN'T "EVIL" OR "UNCLEAN"! You CAN worship God BY eating a bag of chips & fastfood sandwich IF you are doing so WITH the HONEST INTENTION to NOURISH YOUR BODY the BEST YOU CAN in that situation, ESPECIALLY if the EDIFICATION OF/ COMMUNION WITH OTHERS IS INVOLVED, and to DO ALL OF IT FOR GOD'S GLORY, WITH LOVE & THANKS & PRAISE FOR THE GIFT OF FOOD & LIFE & HEALING. Live FOR ETERNITY, even right now!


✳ WHY is there still so much AVERSION, perhaps a deeper FEAR, towards FRUIT FLAVORS? and fruit CUPS & JUICE?? Is this fear as applicable to those SAME fruits when FRESH? Why or why not? WHAT is CAUSING this distinction? IS IT GLOBAL or PARTICULAR?
1) Putting ANYTHING in one of those PLASTIC CUPS for "SNACKS" feels DEGRADING?? Like a "stripping of dignity." Does it make me feel like an animal? What about TEXTURE? Because APPLESAUCE isn't just "scary," it feels almost DEHUMANIZING. Like if I eat it, I'm placed in a position BELOW the dignity/ respect/ rights of a "real/ normal" person??? Is that because of the "processed/ artificialized/ denatured" aspect of ROBBING the FORM from the food & putting the resulting mush in a plastic cup? mass processed & utterly detached from TRUTH & nature as it was CREATED? and making ME eat THAT is DAMNING MY BODY/ SOUL/ FORM to the SAME???




prismaticbleed: (Default)

focus on the good!


GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0601
1. Breakfast was ALL CARROT TAILS which was special (and of course Xenophon loves it ♥)
2. WE HAVE $100 TO GET US THROUGH THE WEEK THANK YOU GOD!!
3. I was REALLY BRAVE and tried a whole 2 spoons of oat bran!!

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0602
1. CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION & OUTDOORS ADORATION!!
2. I was able to receive the Precious Blood of Christ TWICE.

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0603
1. BRAVELY tried hempseed today instead of eggs & DIDN'T GET SICK!

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0604
1. Finally finished "The Princess & the Goblin"! Now we can start the June book club read!
2. Rewatched Dr. Ordway's lectures and they are SO much more impactful this time

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0605
1. Got mom a lot of food to help her the next few days at work
2. Absolutely stunning synchronicity convictions with lectures & Bible study
3. Went to Mass at NOoL and THEY STILL GIVE THE PRECIOUS BLOOD!!

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0606
1. Very quiet & slow day with lots of rain. Unusual & new but oddly nice.
2. Did some step machine exercise for once! Helps combat the restless anxiety

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0607
1. Sacred Heart morning mass!

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0608
1. CWC!!
2. Outside on campus, by ourself. We miss this place so much.
3. THE BLESSING FROM THAT LADY

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0609
1. Beautiful Mass morning

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0610
1. Slept in & prayed
2. Slow day, ate well

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0611
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0612
1. Early breakfast, so there were rainbows all over the table
2. Bible Study group!
3. So many people helped me financially

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0613
1. Spent lots of time with mom
2. Got to drive & see the sunset
3. Went to mass at QOTA!

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0614
1. Beautiful thunderstorm
2. Perfectly quiet day; no phone calls or texts

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0615
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0616
1. Dad said "I love you" and hugged me THREE TIMES!

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0617
1. Ice cream with mom

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0618
1. INSIDE OUT 2!!! ♥ Oh my gosh this movie went STRAIGHT TO MY HEART

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0619
1. BIBLE STUDY
2. SCOTT HAHN
3. AMAZING LECTURES

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0620
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0621
1. Mom smiled when I kissed her
2. Thunderstorm!!

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0622 -- MON 0624
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0625
1. KELLY!!!

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0626 -- SAT 0629
(N/A)

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0630
1. FINALLY got back to biking & did an entire 90 minutes

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0631
1. FOUGHT SO HARD against mental illness; didn't give up




OBSTACLES TO JOY THIS MONTH...
1. THIS DAMNABLE EATING DISORDER


prismaticbleed: (worried)

061024

Homily synchronicity = Mike & Vito

TERRIFIED of being TOUCHED
"There’s more than one kind of touch" = Jesus reassuring, heavy and hard contact

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

061124
Mom pickup drive
Weeping over headspace music
"I want it back"
"is God like this?"


-------------------------------------------------------------------------


061224
Christ's wounds are PART OF the GLORY of HEAVEN!!
THERE ARE HOLY SCARS IN HEAVEN, THEY ARE NOT ERASED

Pop3 38:45 = "TAMING" & REDEMPTION; RELATIONSHIP CHANGES & ENNOBLES THE SOUL = ADAM'S HOUSEHOLD AS PRIEST = ALL CREATION REDEEMED IN CHRIST = THE SHEPHERD LIFTS UP THE SHEEP
13:00 = HEAVEN & UNIQUE PRAISE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------


061824
ANXIETY!!!!!🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
Oh my gosh I AM LEGIT IN LOVE. I have got FEELINGS.

Mom shop, just watched her trying on glasses, oddly sweet to just be there with her

Last bingepurge prep. Don't want to do this.
Realizing BOTH HEADSPACE & PRAYER SHUT OFF in this food mindset. Everything feels gauzed up and dislocated.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------


062124

I just realized, all this food forcing is rapist behavior.
I'm trying to force myself into the psychic experience of others without permission or consent. I'm trying to force myself into their spaces, into their likeness, trying to "enter into" their life as my own. That's invasive. That's violent. No wonder this all ends in purging.

Boundaries must be set. Identity must be clarified and guarded in CHRIST, not in culture or ethnicity or nostalgia or grief or social curiosity or the awful loneliness born from rejection. Food is not the cure. Food is not a panacea. Only the Eucharist is.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

062924

In last night nightmares, I TURNED BACK TO HELP THE PERSON I ORIGINALLY ABANDONED
I did this THREE TIMES and it SPECIFICALLY involved my thinking of CHRIST ACTING THROUGH ME, not my own actions, HE would and could save them, NOT ME


⭐WE CAN ONLY BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS, AND MANAGE OUR DAILY LIFE WITH GRACE, IF WE ARE LIVING AS A SYSTEM!!!!!!!
WE CANNOT FUNCTION AS A SINGLET. IT'S A LIE!!!!

Remembering this throughout the day EXPLAINS SO MUCH and actually makes life LIVEABLE.
We CAN and SHOULD be SWITCHING to HELP & PROTECT & HEAL EACH OTHER, as MEMBERS OF ONE WHOLE!!!!




prismaticbleed: (held)

focus on the good!


GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0518
1. Absolutely gorgeous almost-summer rainy day, cool & foggy & green. Celebi weather.
2. Father P.'s front garden is now FULL OF LAVENDER COLORED IRISES
3. Ate a full 1050K, including bonus cucumber, & didn't purge OR panic

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0519
1. Confirmation Mass! We got to sing the prayer "Veni Creator Spiritus" which was beautiful
2. Got to watch the homily from the National Basilica in D.C. (our "second home") LIVE while exercising today!
3. Some really good worship music recommendations, keeping my spirits up

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0520
1. Read my FAVORITE PSALM today, which I needed so badly to remember
2. Another night drive with music straight to the heart; I need this
3. CLEANED THE SINK at last, which makes my house & head both feel cleaner

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0521
1. Went to THREE food drives for Jade. It was arduous but absolutely worth the effort
2. Didn't gripe or complain over extra errands & phone calls, but cooperated with kindness
3. That BEAUTIFUL APPLE at the food drive that looked like God had painted it with a brush by Hand. We literally just sat and admired it up close for at least five solid minutes

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0522
1. Really convicting/ important lectures & Bible study today; thanks Holy Spirit
2. SONDAE JUST RELEASED A NEW ALBUM AND IT'S BLESSEDLY AMAZING
3. Fought addiction HARD on behalf of my brother; sacrifice ego for love of other

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0523
1. Got to visit my brother at his new place, & meet his friend & their kitten!
2. Had a hospital procedure for ~5 hours which was actually great downtime; I needed a break
3. Ate a "normal breakfast" thanks to the hospital procedure & didn't panic or get nauseous; thanks God!!




OBSTACLES TO JOY THIS WEEK...
1. NOT taking time to do this list
2. Internet distraction/ distress
3. OBSESSIVE & COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR

JOY SPARKS TO KINDLE NEXT WEEK...
1. JOURNALING!!! TALK IT OUT
2. Seriously FINISH READING
3. You NEED to decompress at night




prismaticbleed: (held)

focus on the good!


GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0512
1. Visited DAD! ♥ We had a POSITIVE conversation & he gave me a birthday card
2. Got a surprisingly relevant & touchingly sweet birthday card from mom
3. The May Crowning kids at church were SO CUTE & there was that GORGEOUS Latina girl & her fam too

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0513
1. FINALLY did the laundry! We DIDN'T get overwhelmed & our timing was perfect!
2. Cleaned up that huge stack of church bulletins that's been piling up by the altar since mid-April
3. Finally got back into the exercise routine, & got a solid hour in, with music!

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0514
1. Wonderful therapy session, FULL OF SCRIPTURE HOPE!
2. Refused to stop praying, no matter how scared/ stressed I was
3. Didn't give in to compulsive spending behaviors, THANK GOD

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0515
1. Didn't go back to bed when I woke up, despite depression wanting to
2. Smokie Norful album discovery; BEAUTIFUL songs = EXACT prayers I needed
3. Didn't starve myself OR binge; ate normally & was brave

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0516
1. Got to go up the old house with mom & SMELL THE WISTERIA
2. Also got to smell THREE COLORS OF IRISES at the house & at church
3. Used morning confusion to our advantage & put away winter clothes

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0517
1. BOTH major family issues from yesterday/ today were resolved well
2. Finally starting cataloguing the bookshelves, while listening to Sondae
3. DIDN'T PURGE when I was afraid "forbidden" food had "poisoned" me



OBSTACLES TO JOY THIS WEEK...
1. EATING DISORDER HELL
2. TUMBLR/ FACEBOOK BRAIN INFECTION
3. TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY
4. TOO MUCH SALT YOU MORON

JOY SPARKS TO KINDLE NEXT WEEK...
1. NIGHT TIME WITH THE SYSTEM
2. LISTEN TO SYSTEM MUSIC
3. GET BACK TO JOURNALING!!



prismaticbleed: (held)

focus on the good!


GOOD THINGS ON WED 0501
1. Posted my reflections in the weekly WOF Book Club & it was received positively
2. 1/3 into the year and we've done every daily Bible+Catechism In A Year study so far faithfully
3. Spent some time reviewing old inspirations/ poetry on our Tumblr loveblog to "set the stage" to return to it in earnest

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0502
1. Finished my online audio studies on the Saint Paul Center; now we can move forwards to the next kind
2. Started reading the next fairytale ("The Light Princess") for this month's book club
3. The trees outside my window are green with leaf buds & they looked so beautiful against the clear blue sky... especially since that exact color combination reminds me of both Celebi & Chaos 0

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0503
1. Discovered a new worship song that put words to exactly what I needed to pray
2. Started a new religious lecture course and it is already both deeply inspiring & shockingly educational
3. Worked up the courage to voice my opinion in the WOF book club although no one else shared my views

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0504
1. Got to SMELL THE WISTERIA regrowing up at the homestead-- the exact same from my childhood (it didn't die and neither did we)
2. Beautiful spring rain all evening, with that "emerald" scent that wet forests have-- it was 100% Celebi and went straight to my heart
3. Started a new book (The Princess and the Goblin), even if only the first 5 pages, and I'm already fascinated

GOOD THINGS ON SUN 0505
1. First Holy Communion at church, so it was PACKED, notably with kids and families, which was lovely to see
2. The lilacs by the church (the pastel colored ones) are in full bloom & they smell so beautiful
3. Saw Father P. out planting seeds in his garden & wearing pajama pants; it was such a simply sweet human moment, it meant a lot

GOOD THINGS ON MON 0506
1. Managed to get a full hour of exercise in (I missed yesterday)
2. By a crazy sequence of "not quite coincidences," I GOT MY CHILDHOOD FAIRYTALE BOOK BACK!!
3. Driving LATE (9PM) to pick up mom, & listening to music on the highway

GOOD THINGS ON TUE 0507
1. Got a "happy birthday" phone call from dad AND texts from ALL my siblings!
2. Indulged my sense of childlike wonder/ joy/ affection & got mom an "I love you" balloon
3. SURVIVED TO AGE 34!!! Seriously BY THE GRACE OF GOD, may He guide & protect us still!!

GOOD THINGS ON WED 0508
1. MOM'S BIRTHDAY! Genuinely moved/ struck with thinking about how much I really do love her
2. Let my body sleep in a bit for once; we were so exhausted we needed it
3. Seriously convicting Bible study, but we needed the severe honest correction

GOOD THINGS ON THU 0509
1. Ascension Thursday! ♥ Mass was during the "golden hour" and everything looked so beautiful
2. Unexpectedly heard my favorite "night song" from college on the drive home & everything felt transcendently bittersweet
3. Found some more good music while biking today; I'm learning that I don't "have to like everything" blindly

GOOD THINGS ON FRI 0510
1. AMAZING counseling session; completely unexpected. HUGE insights into habitualized trauma behaviors
2. Ran several errands for mom that she later genuinely thanked me for; proving I CAN be kind & reliable
3. Synchronicity with night drive music giving me MASSIVE consolation & brought me to tears

GOOD THINGS ON SAT 0511
1. Talked to my choir director about my debilitating struggles with scrupulosity lately; he deals with it too so he UNDERSTANDS & CARES
2. Had a very honest confession concerning the scrupulosity discussion, and ACTUALLY felt freer when it was over; powerful grace to keep trying
3. In prayer after, FELT like Mary DID LOVE ME. No fear. That's SO SIGNIFICANT for me. Don't ever forget this; keep praying!



OBSTACLES TO JOY THIS WEEK...
1. "GUILT/SHAME" over feeling any happiness
2. Undermining "the bright side"
3. Giving in to "monotony despair"
4. STOP WASTING TIME ONLINE!!

JOY SPARKS TO KINDLE NEXT WEEK...
1. TALK TO THE SYSTEM MORE OFTEN
2. PUT ASIDE EVEN 10 MINUTES TO READ AT NIGHT



prismaticbleed: (held)

focus on the good!


TUES 0430
1. I got to see all the flowers coming up in mom's garden (especially that RED TULIP)
2. I got to take a night drive to pick up mom & listen to some favorite music 🪐❤️
3. Got three of my childhood formative books back from the attic (the last Animorphs ones I was missing); now I can start reading the set




feb notes

Feb. 15th, 2024 01:56 pm
prismaticbleed: (shatter)

0208 = I'M TERRIFIED OF SPRING NOW (grandma death)

0209 = I CANNOT pay back what I stole. THEREFORE I must be "SOLD AS A SLAVE" to the persons I am indebted to = GOD AND MY FAMILY!!

0215 = "I LOVE YOU" translates to "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME OR KILL ME"



122623

Dec. 26th, 2023 10:57 pm
prismaticbleed: (shatter)
 

TRAUMA NIGHTMARES. literally the worst they could possibly be.
Violent lesbian rape, forced feeding & terrified vomiting, family hatred & verbal abuse, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, and missing Mass on top of it all.
Bizarrely, at the very end, we were FINALLY leaving the family house (where ALL THAT HELL HAPPENED), and it began to snow?? And JEWEL FRONTED. She was "Sonic-skating" on the snowy road like it was a skaterail, and when she got to the crest of the hill (which is MUCH steeper & longer in dreams, like low airplane height even), Mewtwo was flying above her (below the sky ceiling, which was STILL THERE) and she asked him(!) to "fly her down" to the city, where we live? And he did, although he complained at first, but by the drop-off they were interacting clearly as good friends.
So... yeah. That extreme juxtaposition of events & moods says a LOT about our subconscious experience of both places.

Had to go to church, needed the consolation, after such a hell night
BUT THERE WAS NO CHURCH??
We decided to stay anyway, and went upstairs to pray before the Tabernacle... and ALL OF THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WERE ON IN THE DARK.
It was so stunningly beautiful it felt like a dream. Pun intended, perhaps. But that's why God brought us here, despite the nightmares, despite no Mass. This was such a profound consolation, this beauty in the dark, the Baby in the manger shining brightest of all. This was a clear, visible, tangible reminder of what Christmas was really about... and a reassurance that yes, it did apply to me, too.

Got home for 830.
Laundry day since we actually had time & we had THREE LOADS TO DO

Knock shrine online mass
Intrusive hateful thoughts (ego dystonic!!!) are SO LOUD when we watch other people??? Its SUPER DISTURBING.
We reject the thoughts actively, we refuse to entertain them, we recognize them as wrong and cruel and shockingly ugly, but THEY KEEP HAPPENING and they are INSISTENT. So its very distressing and we never know what to do. You can't really "resist them" when they're constantly shouting around your ears. We can't turn them off. But we can at least say, over and over, "no, I do not agree with that, I refuse to judge, what you are saying is evil, I have no part of it." Etc.
But we still have to confess this every week. It doesn't stop. It's as mentally exhausting as it is morally frightening. ARE we really THAT EVIL?? Why won't it stop? Why are we like this?

Likewise, we CANNOT STOP PANICKING ABOUT POSSIBLE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, especially with neighbors like Paul who like to talk. Its not his fault. We just literally will screamcry, selfabuse and throw up if we talk too much to ANYONE. That, too, happens EVERY BLOODY TIME no matter how hard we try to "smile and wait it out" or "play the part patiently" or whatever. The family holidays were proof of our inability to stop the fatal consequences of overstimulation, as were the nightmares.
But we can at least AVOID going up the house. We cannot avoid the unpredictable encounter of a neighbor.
...
Social media is worse. I seriously want to delete our Facebook. I HATE that website, honestly I do. Maybe we should just junk it. We'd finally have peace.

Immediately after laundry, we bravely went to the candle shop for mom. (Waiting another day would put our anxiety through the roof, but going outdoors closer to noon has a very high risk of talkative social encounters)
Got her the Pumpkin Chai as it smells like tea & isn't oppressively sweet.
There's one thats "Tobacco & Oud" that we think we like? We're still trying to figure out what "we" ACTUALLY do like, as opposed to what is programming, what is imitation, and what is a foni giving their own opinion, haha. The latter instance is the only acceptable one.
But this won't solidify without a solid Core. That's inevitable.

OCD is only kicking in when we PRAY WITHOUT FELIX???
Also we're thinking he is GREEN, not yellow-- there may be a name spelling change to match. Yellow was blurring him with that rude humor guy with the goggles. Besides that color was only assumed because of name synaesthesia. But his VOICE is GREEN!!
In any case he has NO "body" yet, in innerspace. His case is unique-- for his role to work, he HAS TO BE AN ANDROID. He cannot be organic or it would MAKE HIM DANGEROUS, since his role is to SPEAK!!!
I'm wondering how this affects Algorith?? Especially with her original function roots, as one of the martial Retributors.

ADELAIDE IS SHIFTING PINK??? Like a powdery pink. She FEELS more stable moving that way.
Still, wondering about this concerning what Spice said about Browns the other day. But we can't deny that Addie was miserable?
I also think she seriously wants to work WITH Audrey, or Julie. She doesn't want to be alone with the somafoni.
Is this the first time a foni "rejected" a function assignment and Chose to move, and was ALLOWED to without dying??? Is that something ONLY Browns can do, because of their neutral nature???


While watching lectures =
If people cry or get choked up while talking TO ME, and ESPECIALLY if they are trying to smile or be dramatic, it makes me feel ANGRY & FRIGHTENED & CONFUSED. It feels like they're FORCING THEMSELVES ON ME. I don’t know why, but it does. It's like I'm cornered, towered over, helpless, and they are climbing on top of me.
...


Evening =
It's getting so hard to concentrate on anything, or retain any information input. I think our poor brain is fried.

Trying to relax on couch but as usual we WON'T LET OURSELVES RELAX. It's exhausting.

122523

Dec. 25th, 2023 10:56 pm
prismaticbleed: (drained)
 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
WE SANG SIX ENTIRE MASSES BOYYYYYYY

When people tell me I have a talent for singing, and I DENY it, saying "no, I'm not very good," or the like, THAT'S PRIDE!!!!!
I'm effectively saying, "I won't consider this a gift UNTIL I'm spectacular!" THAT'S ARROGANT. God HAS given you a gift, however unusual it is shaped, however small it may be, and because its from HIM its PERFECT FOR YOU EXACTLY AS IT IS, because guess what else? IT'S GIVEN IN ORDER TO BE USED FOR HIS GLORY. SO HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT IS NEEDED TO DO THAT. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR EGO.


House E.D. relapse
EVERY TIME I GO UP THERE I HAVE A MELTDOWN OF SOME SORT.
ESPECIALLY ON HOLIDAYS.
It's spiritual warfare.
I prayed so hard for help. I begged God to do something with this, to not ruin Christmas with my sin.
And actually, I feel sick & tired & scared & wrecked, with no hope but Jesus. And I'm clinging to Him.
Somehow this is more Christmas than any gifts or food could ever be.





122123

Dec. 21st, 2023 10:38 pm
prismaticbleed: (angel)


Still SO WEAK & IN PAIN.

Mom morning again! Food drive stop, people still encouraging us to keep singing at church, which means a great deal as we might have to sing SIX MASSES OVER THE WEEKEND SON!!
Walmart stop to get some basics. Genesis dedicatedly keeping me from blacking out from stress & overwhelmed confusion; there were SO MANY PEOPLE our brain was literally shutting off just to cope.

Left off Jade's Christmas card at work! It's so glittery haha, they'll know exactly who it's from

Car talk is a blur as usual but we were discussing mental health & such? EXCEPT WE'RE A MISERABLE CONVERSATIONIST, all we do is complain & point fingers & discuss problems. NO WONDER EVERYONE HATES TO BE AROUND YOU, YOU ASS.
I ask, yet again: WHY ARE WE LIKE THIS.
Is THIS what we turn into when we DON'T TALK AS A SYSTEM????? This is EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN CNC after all!! With no Spectrum communication, we somehow turn into an absolute nightmare of a gloomy griping git. We apparently CAN'T BE POSITIVE AS A "SINGLET." That's all we can figure.
Why? Because we ARE A MULTIPLE SYSTEM. We are SUPPOSED to live TOGETHER!! When the somafoni deny & suppress & avoid & attack that fact, or when they go even further and try to outright kill us-- well, that says a LOT about why THEY are the way they are.
But... new year's resolution. Daily journals. Monthly Xangas. Weekly headspace "meditations". And all of it shot through with REAL CHRISTIANITY.
THAT'S something we realized today, like the floor dropping out of the world. We're treating our religion like a college class. We're making it all about words & essays & quizzes & studying. We've turned Jesus into an idea. Our whole faith is "on paper"-- on a phone screen, on a bookshelf, in a notebook.
Guess what? THAT'S NOT TRUE CHRISTIANITY.
Jesus is a PERSON. The Kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU, AMONG YOU, in the streets of the tangible world, in the faces of the most needy & forgotten. You can study all you want; but where is your oil, foolish whore? Where are your good works? You're too damn busy comparing translations & blabbering nonsense to realize the Bridegroom you've read about is literally at the door, expecting you to get off your ass and join Him and the rest of the crowd!! Would they even know who you are?? Who are you serving? Are you tending the vineyard? Are you feeding the sheep? What have you done with your bloody talents??
No wonder we're miserable.


One bit of good news: we ARE having a small but real "family get-together" on BOTH Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day. Dinner, presents, music, even a tree. Of course we immediately but silently freaked out about food scheduling & options, scared of variables & allergens, but mom EXPECTED our anxiety?? Because she just as immediately told us, on her own, that she WON'T cook any shellfish, WON'T coerce us into eating dairy or gluten, and WILL allow us to actually bring our own food. WHAT THE SHARK I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT WAS ALLOWED. The amount of sheer relief we felt was STAGGERING. We didn't realize how SCARED we were until suddenly there was an "escape hatch."

BK @ 3pm son 😂 Laurie is not happy with the OCD delays

Reading Matthew's Gospel instead of typing. I'm sick of the commentary. I'm tired of the thriskefoni & somafoni running the life. For the new year, everything needs to change.
I seriously think we will do the "Bible In A Year" study from Ascension. We actually started it this year, but stopped for some unknown reason. We'll try again, with sincere determination, and PRAYER for perseverance, you proud rat, stop thinking you can power your puny ass through your aspirations; no wonder they all crash and burn.


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adoration thought =

I've realized what I struggle with concerning forgiveness =
How can Jesus "take my sins away" if they still happened?
They still exist in history. Their consequences still endure. I'm still damaged and so are many others. How can Jesus redeem me from them if I am still shackled to those daily consequences?
I want to know. I genuinely want to know because Jesus DOES forgive me of the guilt, somehow. He DOES redeem me from the slavery to sin. I do believe that. And yet, even there, I still struggle in a daily war with kakofoni. I'm not a slave anymore, but then why am I still in prison? Why all the nightmares? Why this trashheap of a personality?
God i don't understand. Please help me.
But yeah, THIS is why I get so frustrated when people say "Jesus died for your sins!" WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN.
I know He died BECAUSE MY SINS MURDERED HIM. That is obvious. But then where is my hope? If His death "took those sins away," why am I still haunted? Why do those sins still actively affect every moment of my wretched existence?
The problem is on my end, I am doing something wrong, I don't understand and I want to.

DUDE READ THE CATECHISM
I'm SURE it says something about this.

Psalm 98???
"O Lord our God, You answered them. For them You were a God who forgives; yet You punished all their offences."
...

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VOTD = Psalm 100:2.
"[God always keeps His promises.] Therefore, even when hardships persist, we can serve the Lord with gladness and come to Him with praise. No matter what happens to us in life, God is always worthy of worship. But worship is a choice, and we have to decide to be confident in God's Word, to preach to ourselves, to keep waiting for and trusting in God... God has unfailingly proven His faithfulness throughout history, and Advent is the greatest testimony of this-- because the Birth of Christ was-- and is, and will continue to be-- the perfect fulfillment of all God's promises."
1) Hardships have no power against God. This is because, as even we mortals can attest, hardships are powerless against LOVE! In fact, love practically thrives in hardships-- tough times are the glorious battlefields in which Love the Invincible wins its greatest victories... and the ultimate Victory of Love is the Cross.
2) Seriously, familiarize yourself WITH God's Promises!! Start that notebook for the New Year. Write it ALL down. Then you'll KNOW what you can specifically anchor your praise and patience and hope and gratitude into.
3) This actually implies, correctly, that if we don't trust in God during hardships, we cannot serve Him. I say "at all"-- because if we aren't serving gladly, then we're grumbling & morose, or distracted & anxious, and those very dispositions DON'T SERVE GOD.
4) Likewise, we cannot praise God if we don't trust Him. Do you see how important true faith is?
...
5) WORSHIP IS A CHOICE. It's not automatic. It's not a program to run. It cannot be faked or forced, copied or compelled. It is a freely willing decision of the heart, or it isn't worship.
...
6) confident
7) SELF PREACH
8) KEEP waiting & trusting
...


The questions are POWERFUL =
"How will you worship the Lord today?
+By celebrating His blessings with my community.
+By intentionally giving Him the best of my time.
+By bringing my grief to Him and trusting Him with my pain."

THAT'S ALL WORSHIP????
Man why don't we Catholics talk about this??? This sort of perspective is literally the way to sanctify one's ENTIRE LIFE, every little detail and aspect of it, seeing the opportunity to praise & honor & serve God in ALL things and at ALL times, and simply yet faithfully DOING SO. That is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND ESSENTIAL to being a Christian at ALL, for heavens sakes!
1) Outside of general Mass, I've never done anything like this, because it was never offered or even imagined as a possibility! People around me "kept their faith to themselves," outside of church services. And no one got together JUST to celebrate GOD! And yet HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT WOULD BE!! And how my heart and soul are YEARNING for it, now that they are able to discern & voice this previously unrecognized need!!
2) We need to seriously ponder & discuss this one. What, truly, IS "the best of our time"? What are the ACTUAL criteria?
...
3) ...giving God my grief is worship. How. I need to understand this; that changes everything.
Oh wait, oh man hold up, the prayer on the very next slide SAYS how=
"God, You make all things beautiful. You bring beauty out of ugly situations, and You can turn mourning into joy... I will view my pain as an opportunity to find fulfillment in You, and my blessings as opportunities to praise You."
1) I daresay that, without God, nothing is beautiful. Yet His Presence alone brings true beauty to anything-- because the ugliness that is sin & death CANNOT exist in His Presence!!
(REMEMBER THE UPMC SUNRISE!!!)
...
2) God also "brings beauty OUT of ugliness." Nothing is inherently ugly except for sin. God created everything Good. So, He can recreate everything Good-- and He DID exactly this IN CHRIST.
God's very Presence TRANSMUTES things.
...
3) Christ is also the ultimate example of transmuting mourning into joy. Isn't that the Cross? Isn't that the "happy fault"?
Remember the Beatitudes!
...
4) Pain & fulfillment. This is deep.
What causes us pain? Death. In one way or another, great or small, it's death. We suffer loss, disappointment, decay, injury, illness, grief, trauma... All of it is a death of something. 
All death, deep down, inspires our hurting hearts to look beyond this world, to hope for the eternal, to blindly grope towards God. Christianity gives us the Light of Faith, to lead us out of that darkness.
But fulfillment is the key word. We won't follow that Light if we treasure the shadows.
(You're babbling. The "talk around the topic" girls are out. Pause this until WE can speak; otherwise they'll just bury the point beneath distracting fluff.) 


KVOTD adds to this topic with some very interesting thoughts =
"God's plans can take us by surprise, and even shock us. But no matter how big or wild or strange His plans seem to us, or how many impossible obstacles seem to be in their way, we can trust that God will make ALL His plans come through-- because God can do anything, and He can perform miracles to keep His promises."
MAN WE FORGET THAT, DON'T WE??

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

A thought =
Something can still be an "idol" even if you're terrified of it. Just look at actual pagan worship. Their "gods" are not necessarily "good" whatsoever-- but they still demand sacrifice & worship, else they lash out in violently offended pride.
The True God isn't like that. He never has tantrums or fits. He never does spitework. He is always honorable, just, and righteous.
Nevertheless... you still react to Him as if He was like a pagan idol. Why? Are you unknowingly worshipping an idol and thinking it's the Lord? What are you so terrified of?
The thought that started this topic =
I am still too obsessed with food. And I'm obsessed with food because I "need" to control exactly what & when I eat. And I "need" to control it because I'm afraid that otherwise I will be forced to eat poison or allergens. And I'm afraid because then I will die an unholy death, spasming mindlessly like an animal, dehumanized by careless gluttony. 
I'm so afraid of food killing me.
I'm so tired of this unending terror.
But I'm MOST afraid that it would be JUST, that God would LET it happen if I WAS so nonchalant about food, instead of practicing ascetic denial & strict control. No luxury, no novelty, no feasting, no exceptions. If you do take that carefree chance, and you die from it, then it serves you right.
I'm scared to death. I cannot take that risk.

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

121923

Dec. 19th, 2023 10:34 pm
prismaticbleed: (angel)
 

Bad night again.
Midnight fire alarm
Horrible flashback-adjacent nightmare. SLC & CNC both fused.
Very disturbed upon waking (4am) from what it revealed about my mindset in those situations.

Mom shopping
3 HOURS for two stores haha. At least i got to spend time with her.
Still we ALWAYS TALK WRONG. We say things that aren't true, we exaggerate, we play side against side, we never remember what we said afterwards. We feel legitimately possessed, like someone else is in our body. Our voice and mannerisms even change. It's disturbing and we can't seem to stop it because WE DON'T HAVE ANY AWARENESS UNTIL HINDSIGHT.

BK @1520 😂

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOTD = Psalm 47:1.
"This verse is unconditional! No matter how you're feeling or what you're going through, keep giving God your best praise. Pour out your heart to Him, and He will lift you up."
1) It really is, which I never noticed! That goes to show you how there is a proper way of reading Scripture; it cannot be read casually. It is ALIVE AND ACTIVE. When there is a command, an unconditional statement like this, it MEANS SOMETHING TO ME, NOW.
2) Don't make excuses. What is the best praise you can offer tO God, right now? It's not about "quantity," either. You're not trying to impress God, or impress yourself, with how much you can do, or how difficult the effort is. That's actually not the point. "Best" does not mean "most skilled." It means "most heartfelt." We're talking "quality". Maybe your very best praise, the highest quality you can give, is simply feeling pure gratitude for life itself in this moment. The depth of sincerity and love in that simple action, directed towards God with all your heart, even if its not "impressive," is REAL worship.
3) KEEP GIVING IT.
4) A wonderful thing happens when we praise God despite our pain and struggle... God changes our hearts. The very act of praising Him opens the door for transformation, enabling Him TO lift us out of our shadows and into His light.
...

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

KVOTD = Luke 2:13-14
"Can you imagine what it sounds like to hear an angel singing? I'm sure it's more majestic than the "Gloria" in our Christmas carol. And guess who got to hear it? The shepherds. Not the most important people, not the well-adjusted winners, but the last of the last, the lowly smelly shepherds. God's Love still sings. You have to listen for it. It's deeper than the "love songs" you hear on the radio and it's deeper than the songs that you sing to yourself. His Love still "sings sweetly o'er the plains," if you'll listen for it. Listen closely, and you'll hear "Gloria.""
...this absolutely moved us to tears.
...

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Universalis today=

"There is also, perhaps, one more lesson to be learnt from Samson: the conventional ways in which the Spirit works, or through whom the Spirit works, are not necessarily those of a ‘plaster-cast saint’. We have no right to confine the Spirit to the ways we think the Spirit should be working! Our conceptions of the ways in which the Spirit works are not necessarily the same as God’s."
1) This gives me so much hope I could cry. THERE'S NO "PLASTER CAST" PROVISO.
...
2) "Why is that so important to you?" You may ask. "Why are you so obsessed with becoming a saint?" My response: because to me, living as anything less than a Saint is a wasted life. The thought is unbearable. If my life ISN'T completely consecrated to God, and spent for His glory, can it even be called a life at all?
...
3) It just hit me, how outrageously arrogant it is to "should" the Holy Spirit, and yet how COMMON this claim is in our country. This is related to our recent topic on "not expecting to see Jesus." What conceited impudence, disguised as orthodoxy!
...

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ttywpf = Another GUTPUNCH.
"[Jesus] seems to show no mercy to those who have taken... the reality of a God Who is close, God Who is walking with His people, Who became man... and distilled it along with their many traditions and made it simply an idea, purely a precept, thereby alienating so many people... Indeed, Jesus will accuse these people of being proselytizers... They go halfway around the world to look for someone to proselytize, and then they burden them with all their laws and precepts. They alienate people [from religion and from God]. Jesus taught us another way: that of going out— going out to give witness, going out to take a concern for brothers and sisters, going out to share, going out to inquire. To become incarnate.
What is the difference between someone who makes Jesus into just an idea versus someone who shares the faith by going out and encountering others? What do their lives look like? How can you avoid making Jesus into a set of rules and instead let Him be as He Is, a Reality?"

1) God is not an idea. Christianity is not an idea.
2) I used to do this. I didn't have a relationship with God so I couldn't understand how to be a Christian, let alone how to "make others Christian." It was entirely the wrong motivation.
I really did alienate people.
..
3) Witness, concern, sharing, inquiry-- these DEFINE "incarnate"  as opposed to "idea"??? REFLECT ON THIS
That word "encounter" is key. The Pope heavily emphasizes it, and with good reason.
...
4) Am I still making Jesus into a set of rules?
5) JESUS IS A REALITY. That tiny article is essential. It makes Him personal. Just declaring that He "is Reality," however profoundly true, is still conceptualizing Him.
...


Passion =
"The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ... The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the Cross...
The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God. When we get to the Cross, we do not go through it; we abide in the life to which the Cross is the gateway.
The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened— but the crash is on the heart of God."

1) Martyrdom is "to die rather than renounce religion," or to die "on behalf of a belief or cause." This is NOT WHAT CHRIST DID. He died AS A SACRIFICE. He IS what religion worships. He IS Who we believe in; He IS the First Cause, as it were, being GOD in His very essence. He wasn't witnessing to anything greater than Himself.
...
In a way, our "crosses" are also not inherently occasions of martyrdom? The very nature of a cross is a capital punishment after all. We can't "appropriate" our trials & tribulations to that end, as they are from the Hand of God, and what is there to die for besides Him? We cannot be martyrs to ourselves, OR BY CHOICE. It is a GRACE given by GOD.
Martyrdom only occurs when there is a crisis point-- either to choose God and die, or reject Him and survive.
Jesus was not making such a declaration. He went to the Cross under a criminal sentence. He was going in OUR PLACE. He was not putting Himself in a position of righteous testimony; He invited no sympathizers, made no statements.
...
Our crosses only become "martyrs crosses" when they are united to CHRIST'S Cross, accepted for HIS sake... otherwise they're just our deserved instruments of execution.
They don't "just happen" to us either, but for different reasons-- we do not have the right to refuse or avoid them. We deserve them. God gives them justly. We cannot choose them on our own.
...
2) I am forever astounded by the FACT that Jesus was effectively SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. His Incarnation and Crucifixion are outside of time
...
3) The Cross exhibits God's Nature BECAUSE it is the door of unity.
...
4)...


MDE =
"When she was walking up to communion, she said to herself, "In a few minutes, I am going to meet Jesus. I’m going to take Him in my hand and I will ask Him for His help.” While she was a Catholic who received communion often, this time she looked at the sacred Host and said, “I know You are really here. Today, when You come into me, take away this fear. Heal me if You want, but please do something for me.” ...That woman was healed. I wonder how many of us come to the Eucharist only physically present, without any expectant faith, any excitement over what we are doing. Perhaps we come to the Eucharist only for what we get out of it and we do not thank God or praise Him for giving Himself to us."
1) The simple and direct INTIMACY of her statement amazes me, as does her CHILDLIKE TRUST.
2) her prayer, and its reliance on His Presence
3) ...Where is my expectant faith? What am I to be expecting?
4) Am I excited or afraid? Am I scared to admit the intimacy of what's happening? Am I afraid I'm signing a contract that I never actually read? I can't say no, I don't want to say no, but what exactly am I agreeing to? Why am I so scared? Am I projecting all the sxtrauma onto this??
...
5) ...oh wow what a distinction. I AM coming for "what I get out of it"; but it's fearful. I'll die and be damned and go to hell if I don't, if I even miss it once. Where's the recognition of the Self-Gift of God?? Where's my gratitude for such generosity? Where's my love in return for infinite Love?


EGJ =
"Are we willing to be like Joseph, who committed his life to loving and raising a child toward whom he had no obligation?
This is a big day, a potentially life-changing day. Sit in silence and listen to the Spirit whisper one small way you can share love with the least among us. Commit to it not just once, but at least once a month for the next year.  Whatsoever you do for the least around you, you do for Jesus. How you treat the least around you, you treat Jesus. How you respect the least around you, you respect Jesus. How you love the least around you, you love Jesus."

1) Arguably, we all have an obligation to each other by virtue of just our common humanity-- even moreso as fellow children of God! But there is no exception in truth. We may not have a "legal" obligation, or even a sentimental one, but all such ties are far less binding than our common DNA, for heavens sakes. So. TREAT PEOPLE LIKE IT. You ARE obligated to love and support your fellow man, because he IS a fellow man!
...
2) And yet Saint Joseph takes it a step further: to deeply personal commitment.
...
3) EVERY day is a big day. EVERY day could change someone’s life. Ponder that, seriously.
...
4) Who ARE the "least" in my community? Do I know?
...


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catena tonight was very thought-provoking so I'm NOT QUOTING IT. All this pasting is lazy. I'm going to put things in our own words, as we were affected, to drive the core message home.


Suffering only ever comes to us as the will of God? As in, it cannot happen to us "by chance or accident." Suffering has purpose, but more humbly, it is "just"-- we are sinners, and such is the result of sin, even if we are ultimately redeemed from its tyranny. We still sin in our weakness. No man can deny that. It's in the Bible, 1 John 1:8-10. Same with Romans 7.
But... 1 Peter 4 speaks powerfully. It means that, even though this world & body damaged by sin will inevitably suffer because of that damage, those who cherish sin will run from suffering at all costs?? Such people seek luxuries & pleasures & parties & fun, all sorts of entertainment & comforts, running from pain & trouble & death at every turn. They deny sin. They reject penance. They therefore see no purpose to suffering and that scares them the most.
...
There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between suffering as a sinner and suffering as a Christian. That distinction is key, here. We CANNOT "endure our suffering patiently" if we ARE suffering for sin, because our offended pride will refuse to submit to it.
...
However, there is a greater danger even than fleeing, and that is fighting. That is active refusal, violent opposition to God's will, just because it hurts. That is rejection of the Cross, blind denial of its Truth and Power, because of its scandal. To fight suffering is to say not only "I do not want what God wants," but "I do not deserve this pain." So we do everything we can to stop it, unable to rest, miserable in our struggle. The problem: we are not God. We are all helpless mortal men. We have no power to come down from our own cross. So will we be Gestas or Dismal? Only one of those tortured thieves found peace despite the pain, despite death itself, and it had nothing to do with his own strength or effort.
To put this very simply: patience is a virtue, and a powerful one, but human power can never achieve it. All the might & muscle & mindpower in the world cannot conjure up an ounce of patience, especially not when suffering strikes. Patience is given, not gotten. But then how do we receive it? First, we must stop fighting. We must surrender.
Whoever insists "I can handle this myself" is closing the door on God. Such a person cannot endure suffering, for he cannot stop trying to stop it or control it. He refuses to see or admit God's Will in the situation, and sees suffering only as an obstacle to overcome, a problem to solve. He cannot let go, because he cannot put things in God's Hands.
This sort of person has no faith. They do not trust in God. They don't trust His Plans in suffering, because they don't trust His Character; they don't see God as Good, or Wise, or Merciful, or Just. They don't have faith in God because they don't love Him. And that is the greatest suffering of all.
...
If we love God, then we trust Him like a Father. We have faith that He will always be Good to us. So, when we suffer, we recognize that HE is still watching over us, protecting us, helping us, and we CAN bear all suffering with patience & courage, in surrendering obedience to His Will. This endurance strengthens our own will to do good, not of our own doing, but through the grace we received by the faith that enabled such endurance to begin with!
Another perspective = when we love God, then we even rejoice in suffering because it unites us more closely to Christ. We cannot share fully in His Life if we don't share His Passion! Through this, suffering even becomes a cause for joy, as it brings us to the Cross Itself, the very floodgates of grace, the Throne of our Compassionate King.
...
When, through the grace of charity, we have dedicated ourselves to do God's will, and to submit in trust to whatever He sends us, then we will suddenly find the grace to triumph over human weakness-- as Christ did in Gethsemane. Although we naturally fear pain & death, when we say in loving trust "Thy Will Be Done" and accept the Cup as a profound blessing, that love and faith will overcome our mortal frailty with the Spirit’s power. "Love conquers all"; the Cross is the very means of victory; why then would you fear it? 


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121423

Dec. 14th, 2023 11:16 pm
prismaticbleed: (shatter)


Got barely 6 hours of sleep. God allowed this. Deprivation wakes up the kakofoni so we can SEE them and RESIST their subtle evil

Morning food obsessing and panic
Talking to Jesus about it in Mass & Adoration
True food vs luxury
NONE OF IT MATTERS IN THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS!!!
THAT'S THE "COUNSEL & TEMPERANCE"

Also spoke to SPICE about it!!
She gave data on why those foods were useless, then pointed out FEARFUL foni, we realized their reactions ASSUME DOOM??? LIKE "NO" IS NEVER AN OPTION OR EVEN POSSIBILITY????
Spice also said "don't forget the original reason I exist" = PAIN BUFFER

Asked CHOCOLOCO for assistance in resistance but he said THAT'S NOT HIS DOMAIN??? But he IS keeping us from buying anything chocolate peppermint, so thank him

Making OCD "vows" in desperation, hoping that would "force stop" the insistent compulsions. But it didn't.
ONLY MOURNING DOES?????
We forcibly "wanted" the gingerbread cereal, even if the monkfruit makes us sick, even if we're scared of cinnamon, even if we detest the taste of sugar, even if we were genuinely terrified at the thought of actually swallowing the stuff-- none of that could stop the compulsion. Even shaking with fear, and miserably helpless, we couldn't say no; we "had to do it." We "wanted it," with no explanation or evidence other than blind & violent insistence.
And then we suddenly remembered that grandpa loved ginger snaps, and before he died, the lotophagoi stole and ate one of his bags.
The shift was IMMEDIATE. The unbearable guilt & shame & SORROW completely killed the maniacal gluttony, replacing it with a bluetone self-hatred that INSTEAD made us want, just as violently, to THROW UP and possibly kill ourself.
THIS IS INSANE. WHY ARE THE ROOTS FOR THAT ENTIRE BULIMIC-ABUSIVE HELL STILL IN OUR HEAD?????
At least we can RESIST them now, THANK GOD!!!!


BTW remember yesterday's HOMILY GLANCE that INSTANTLY & TOTALLY "reconciled" Fr. E to us.
He was saying something about the "my burden is light" gospel, i forget what, i can never remember. but he said something like, we often think God is harsh with us, or that He won't comfort us? something negative. "but that's not true," he added. something like that. "God isn't like that." and he looked straight at us.
mind you we are the only person who sits on that side of the chapel altar. he did that on purpose.
and instantly, it felt like the burden had been completely lifted from our shoulders.


today, Fr. J said THIS Antiphon right as we were struggling with the E.D. =
"O God, who gave the Priest Saint John an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial and love of the Cross, grant that, by imitating him closely at all times, we may come to contemplate eternally your glory."
It was a clear direction for us. We humbly & gratefully realized & accepted that in the very moment, however shakily.
1) SELF DENIAL. That's the bottom line. No matter how loud the E.D. is with its demonic desire for "dainties", we MUST STAND OUR GROUND FOR CHRIST. 
2)
3)

Terce's Psalm 119 was immediately applicable to our morning warfare too, as we dwell among the manipulative lotophagoi and belligerent kakofoni who all hate peace and will never work for it.

Adoration for 90m as we "lost" the first 25m to hypochondriac food allergy terror.
Did a lot of talking with Jesus though, and He LITERALLY SHUT DOWN THE ADDICTION COMPULSIONS with gracious reason??? He didn't "wave a wand" as it were. He knows how mental we are. We discussed the struggle, and by His Words and His Love together, somehow the obsession just STOPPED.
It's oddly fitting that I can't remember how.
...


Shopping day again, as we had non-EBT funds. Exhausted but had to do it. Only local though thank God, the unwanted "compulsion" to do stupid luxury shopping was thankfully ANNIHILATED

Brain just NOT WORKING AT ALL today. Probably the lack of sleep.
The fact that we haven't gotten sick yet is a miracle.

3PM BK WTF.
OCD rituals are TERRORIZING again

Evening=
Mom car switch, she was infodumping about Longwood again, haha. She really loves it. We consciously chose to pay genuine interested attention to her, resisting the stupid devil temptation to empty distraction. We WANT to listen to her, dummy!
What was that old quote... "who is the most important person in the world? Whoever you are with right now. What is the most important thing you could possibly do? Being completely present to that person right now." That's the gist of it. We think about it a lot.

Mom then SHOCKED us by saying out of the blue, "when the January doldrums hit, remember, we're going to start watching DOCTOR WHO!"
OH MY GOODNESS I THOUGHT SHE HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN OR CHANGED HER MIND IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS.
But... no coincidences, dude. Last night we started uploading 2017 at long last. That's when & where WE first met the Doctor, and we are forever grateful. Honestly we are, and always have been... but tragically I don't know if we ever expressed that to TBAS before we stupidly "bailed" on our friendship, twice. What a jerk we were.
Nevertheless, we'll always be grateful. And Eleven will always make us think of them with utmost affection.

Night=

well.
we forgot that when we try to feed this poor body after 8pm, no matter how careful we are, it WILL collapse into a bingepurge.
those stupid beans did not help, let me say that much. we put like one tablespoon of them in with the broccoli, and within minutes, we were worriedly wondering, "why do we feel so nauseous?"
WELL BUDDY THERE IS LONG-STANDING DATA THAT SAYS THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU ATE THE BLOODY THINGS BUT NO ONE CAN EVER ACCESS THAT DATA WITHOUT A BRUTAL RE-TRIGGER FOR SOME ASININE REASON.
seriously WHY. why can we NEVER remember that something is painful or dangerous or otherwise a trauma trigger until we literally re-experience it and make the trigger even WORSE???
in any case, we had a hell of a night. it was agonizing.
oh yeah, and WHOEVER BOUGHT WHITE CHOCOLATE NEEDS TO LET GO OF THE PAST.
that poem does not define your life, no matter how kind the author's original intentions were. you are putting so much power in their hands, based on a snippet they wrote over a decade ago based on, what, an hour of interacting with you? and you just clung to it like a liferaft. why? is it because you were so desperate for q & y to write about you, to hear anything from either of them, some proof of love, but nothing ever happened? so when you got this unexpected thought from a total stranger, comparing your voice to an easter confection, you took it as the word of God.
stop. please. it doesn't translate to reality. you cannot be forcing our poor body to eat that stuff anymore, in the tragic frantic hope that you can become someone worth loving, someone worth writing about, as a result. whatever you're trying to do. i don't know. i'm not the one who did it. the compulsion is too blind anyway. it's the terror that if we don't buy and eat it, we're rejecting that "only hope we had." we're invalidating the only scrap of affection we received in our own language. et cetera. dude you need to work through all that stuff, it's been literally over ten years, why is it still not settled?
but now isn't the time.
all i want to say is that, please, stop letting the lotophagoi buy food. they adhere to obsessive obligations, not nutrition or sense or even system data. everything they do is in order to appease someone else, or to obey some random new rule that they read on the internet. it's all driven by fear of disobedience, fear of punishment, fear that if they don't do what the other people are doing, they will be even less human than before. something like that. i can't phrase their feelings very well, they're too raw. that's something they would have to express on their own, and we can't get that deep right now. no time. no leeway for exploration, not tonight.
God please we need time to go inside ourselves again. that's keeping us stagnant. and it's feeding these bad nights, pun horribly intended. i wonder if that's playing into it as a hidden motive somewhere. who knows.
all i know is this:
DON'T EAT LATE ANYMORE, DON'T EAT ANY CANS OR CANDY, AND DON'T EAT WHEN YOU'RE SOCIALLY OVERSTIMULATED YOU IDIOT.

there's no memory of the before or after, as usual. there's only one or two flashbulb of "during," both panicked lucid snaps when we briefly realized that we were on a highway to hell and the brakes weren't working.
but we survived. apparently. thanks be to God alone, all credit to Him. we don't know how to recover, it's always two seconds away from calling an ambulance. all we can do is try our best and pray, and when the Spirit talks, do what He says.

praying right now that we feel stable enough in the morning to go to Mass. promising God that if we do, we will. hoping He will answer that prayer. the thought of not going to Mass, even for one day, is so unbearable it's unthinkable.
no matter how stupid and foolish and afraid and sad we may be, even if we messed up bad again tonight, twice in one month, that's frightening-- no matter what, God is there in the Tabernacle waiting for us, to heal us, to give us strength to try again.
that's hope enough for everything.


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The first reading at Mass today was one we actually love, and on this particular morning it spoke straight to our wretched heart anew. It was Isaiah 41, with that liturgical opening line that guts us every time.
Here it is straight from the NASB =
"‭For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you people of Israel; I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."
And here are our favorite translations =
(Verse 13)
"‭‭‭For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.""
‭"For I, Yahweh your God, am grasping your right hand; it is I who say to you, “You must not fear; I myself, I will help you."
"I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you."
‭"For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am The One Who helps you.”

(Verse 14)
"Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm, Israel, puny mite...Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you maggot Israel!"
"Others may say, "Israel is only a worm!""
"Fear not, O worm of Jacob, you who are dead within Israel."
"You are as small, lowly, weak, despised, powerless, unimportant, insignificant, and worthless as a worm..."
"‭Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob? Don’t be afraid. Feel like a fragile insect, Israel? I’ll help you. I, God, want to reassure you. I am The God who buys you back, The Holy One of Israel. I’m transforming you from worm to harrow, from insect to iron..."

And the last=
"Don't worry, don't be frightened... I Myself will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel... I am your Savior, Defender, and Protector."
Do you see how much richness of mercy & power & love & humility & grace there is in those two verses alone?? Every translation reveals more nuances of God's Heart towards His people; worms though we may be, we are saved and even cherished by the Holy One Himself!!

Honestly verses 8-20 all feel so personal it aches.
...
The Universalis commentary to that reading today was just as unexpectedly headspacey as the reading itself, so actually i should comment on its clarifications alongside the raw text.
A DISCLAIMER = I am in no way appropriating this. I fully accept and honor the actual, original, divine meaning and historical application of these words of Scripture. They are not to be removed from their context. HOWEVER. God's Character does not change, and Scripture is living & active. What is true here for ancient Israel is also "true" for me, in a real yet symbolic manner, both as a member of "spiritual Israel" through my Christian baptism, and also as a mere human being experiencing the same archetypal events as they. So I apply this to my own life as a microcosm, as my own individual share in the eternal Truth of this Scripture, because if God responded to His people in this situation in this specific way, then He must respond in kind to His people in like situations in this modern age-- after all, it is HE Who orchestrates all the events of time to begin with!
So I can trust in His Word to hold true to my own foolish little life, too, as worthless and useless a worm as I am. God has still helped me. And therefore I must tell of His unchanging Goodness.

1) Isaiah 41 is "promising the ecological transformation of Israel, a sort of pledge of the return of Israel/Jacob to the land devastated by the Babylonian invaders."
My first thought? Headspace. Our innerworld was DESTROYED after CNC and never rebuilt. We've never actually returned as a result. We're living in ruins, in scraps of memory...
The "Babylonians" here-- the pagan invaders-- were not a specific person, but a military force. So too with us. Our REAL devastation, what TRULY shook our city to shambles, was wrought by what CAME INTO HEADSPACE-- which can only be the most deadly thing of all: a thought. That's all it takes. One cancer cell starts the whole takeover. One small insect starts the whole infestation. And a thought is more virulent than either.
...
But we're missing the whole point.
This entire prophecy is God PROMISING TO TRANSFORM THE LAND.
Our city is in ruins. Our forests are in ruins. Everything is devastated. God is promising to bring THE LAND back to life so we can live in it. Because let's face it-- unless He does, it is utterly uninhabitable; not just because everything has been crushed and shattered down to dust, but also because even when it was still standing, all the foundations were totally wrong.

2) "This [transformation] will NOT be the work of Israel/Jacob itself-- which receives only the uncomplimentary names of ‘worm’ and ‘insect’-- but it will be accomplished by [God alone]."
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE IN FIVE YEARS.
We were destroyed BECAUSE we were "trying to do everything without God." It's impossible to rebuild from that same vain mindset. Those rotten foundations need to be torn right out of the parched earth and completely re-set, just as the soil itself needs to be completely rejuvenated before it can grow anything. You get the idea. We can't do any of that ourselves. We don't have the knowledge OR the means OR the manpower; we have nothing, nothing. We're utterly bereft.
But when we can admit that and turn to God in trust, then HE will do EVERYTHING, for HIS glory. And what better glory is there, but glory to Love and Light and Truth as they REALLY are? We ignorantly and proudly thought we had those things, back in CNC, with our glitter-guts and sparkle-sins that blinded us to how base of a beast we were. we were injuriously iridescent. a pernicious prism. etc etc. the surface was all shimmer but beneath it was just scum.
what am i even rambling about. oh yeah. we were vermin. just a big worm. just like the tempter himself. good for nothing but to be crushed underfoot, wings plucked off, sprayed until spasming in suffocation.
i'm in a bad state of mind, forgive me.
the point is this. we can't transform ourselves, or our land, or anything. but God can. and God wants to. and here, in this prophecy, for the chosen people and we hope desperately for us too as members of the Church, God promises to.
and God will transform US, too. and THAT will be glorious.

3) ""The LORD, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer"= These three titles all express the special closeness of God to His people which is so predominant in this chapter.
‘I am the LORD, your God’ takes us back to the revelation of the Divine Name to Moses at the burning-bush; the giving of a name is itself an expression of intimacy.
‘The Holy One of Israel’ is Isaiah’s special title for God, used liberally throughout all the parts of this Book; it bespeaks the awe and reverence in which the LORD must be held.
Finally the ‘redeemer’ or go’el is a special family word in Israel. The go’el is the closest family member, who is bound in family love and lore to bail out his nearest family member if the latter is in dire trouble. The LORD can be relied on absolutely, just like the family member, to bail out Israel. This is the first time the concept has been applied to God; it is frequent in this second part of Isaiah. Clearly it is an important part of the concept of the LORD at this crucial moment that He can be relied on to deliver Israel from the captivity."

I've noticed that God really loves to use personal possessive pronouns, and it's... it's so deeply sweet, it shocks you speechless. "YOUR God," He says. "yours." and He says to us, "you are Mine." so on and so forth. it's not possession of objects. it's so intimate, so affectionate, it's almost incomprehensible to admit that this is being said BY OUR CREATOR.
What shocks me even more, and what actually hurts in light of headspace, is that bit about the bush. God shows up, reveals His existence personally to Moses, and what does He do? He gives us His Name. He ACTUALLY tells us Who He Is. I can't repeat it, I can't. But that's proof of its truth. And seriously, think about it! Who would ever think that Divinity Himself, the God of Gods, the ultimate Source and Preserver of everything, would give His Name to an old shepherd in the wilderness? To say the least. But He does. And why? Because they are His people, and He loves them, and He is coming to save them. So of course He gives them His Name. How strange, that the impossible becomes the essential, now that God Himself has declared the relationship. "I am your God," He keeps repeating. Yours. There is a belonging here, something determined by God Himself, a covenant of promise that He Himself holds faithful through all eons of time, because He wants to be ours. And that's why Jesus has a Name, too. How much more vulnerable and sweet and true and holy is that, for God to take a human name to Himself and sanctify it forever-- a name we can speak, we feeble humans, our clumsy languages and careless mouths, God has taken a human name so we can talk to Him as humans. There's so much sincere intimacy in everything God does, it's astounding.
Even so, He is ALWAYS THE HOLY ONE. Note the "the" and the "one." There is no other; there can never be any other. God is GOD. He IS holy. He is utterly beyond comprehension and description. To see Him with human eyes is to be struck dead. To touch the sacred things without His explicit command is to be struck dead. It's not by whim, it's by transcendence. Our mortal bodies and minds just shatter at the exposure, by design. Again, this is why Jesus is so amazing-- He IS this One True Holy God, but visible, tangible, comprehensible.
...



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"Today, what is one way you can love God through your obedience?
+ I can spend intentional time in prayer, seeking guidance and wisdom from God.
+ I can choose to show love to my enemies.
+ I can confess my hidden sins and bring them into the light."

1) ...oh boy, that does not describe our prayer times. Yes, still. That's genuinely disturbing. We're just so scared-obsessed with "getting all the dailies done" that we can't rest, and "talking to Jesus doesn't count" unless we're at Adoration.
...
2) My first thought: what counts as an enemy? Must it only be people? Or could it be our OCD? Because "choosing LOVE" would indeed change the game, and (if done right) defeat the enemy. Love isn't sentimental feeling, it's not romance, it's not sappy silly sensual garbage. Love is RIGHTEOUS and TRUE and PURE. Love is self-sacrificing. Love is merciful and just. Love is GOD. But then how do we "apply this" to our situation? Only through Christ.
And therefore, we must also recognize the true context of love, which is relationship. That requires PERSONS. We cannot "show love to" a disorder. But we CAN manage it in a way that shows love to GOD, in how we show love to His Son, Who has made us into part of His Own Body. Christ enables us to love our enemies because He died for them too, and if we are OF His Body Crucified then we are NECESSARILY bound to express that love TO His enemies, SPECIFICALLY, in both generous purity of undeserved grace AND the sincere hope to convert their hearts to Him through such unconditional compassion.
...
3) I personally think there is a KEY difference between "confessing" a hidden sin, and "bringing it to the light".
...

The written reflection today is very beautiful.
"We imitate those we love. As all of us grew up as kids, we imitated those around us so that we could learn and grow. During that process of growing, we naturally gravitate towards certain people we want to be like."
Let me pause here because this is something we never thought about and there's a LOT of weight in this observation.
First, though, consider this: we were isolated. We didn't have a "selection" of people to imitate. We had no neighbors, no friends, no social groups, et cetera. And yeah, we did prefer that. Even as a child, when we were given the opportunity to socialize, we rejected it with utmost distaste. We would much rather read and draw and talk to our imaginary friends.
...and really, THAT'S who we were imitating, for the most part.
Yes, we definitely did imitate our grandmother and father as a child. I can see bits of them in our personality even now. But as for the vast majority of our growth? We were copying fictional people.
It never ceases to stun me, when I pick up a piece of media from our childhood to revisit, and suddenly it's like looking into a mirror. Vocabulary, mannerisms, fashion, behaviors, interests, etc. It's jarring, to be honest, to realize that we were cobbling our "self" together from the media we were exposed to, because we had no physical people to imitate... at least, not anyone that... that we...
...We didn't want to be like our family. They fought a lot. They scared us a lot. We were punished and beaten and threatened and mocked and bullied. Oh of course we also had BEAUTIFUL days, so many good days, but... there were enough bad days and nightmares to make us afraid to imitate those people, knowing what we would be "taking into ourselves" by proxy, almost.
...
...did we truly love our family, as a child? how did we reconcile the fear alongside it?
God that makes me want to sob. did we ever learn or recognize what love truly was back then?
...


"Someone you know is grieving the loss of someone or something. Reach out and let the love of Christ touch them through your kindness and compassion."
Oh this is hitting a lot of bruises.
1) That "cold-hearted" part of us, whyever it's there, immediately reacts to this with a sneer. It thinks grieving is stupid. It thinks losses are deserved. It has no patience for mourning or tears. "Get over it," it snarls. "So what if you lost it? So what if they died? It was bound to happen. You can't do anything about it. It is what it is. Man up and move on." et cetera. empty, heartless words. where did that come from? it's not us. but it's in our head. we don't want it.
we WANT to be compassionate. we WANT to be able to see grief and not panic in fear, or scowl in disgust. why those two responses?
2) it's not about us. we have to let THE LOVE OF CHRIST work through us. and what does that say about compassion? what does that say about what REALLY IS RIGHT in this situation? If GOD reaches out to touch the hurting one, to give kindness and compassion, then to NOT do so is outright demonic.
sit with that. let it scare you. then beg for grace to stop being so evil.
3) but why are we evil. we WANT to be kind. we yearn for it ourselves, as well as for others. we see people in tears and we WANT to comfort them, but the very thought is terrifying, and then we shut down and turn cold. is that the chain of events?
...


"God, in life’s dark nights, let Your love rain down upon me. In life’s dark nights, let Your love stir the heart within me. In life’s dark nights,
let Your love reach others through me."
...this is so absolutely headspace relevant it is breaking my heart.


"By the example of the saints you inst
ruct your faithful in the ways of wisdom and love; through our pastors, help us grow to the full stature of perfection."
*immediately shows this to Chaos 0*
seriously though this is heartachingly beautiful. this means that true perfection is wise and loving.
...

120323

Dec. 3rd, 2023 09:18 pm
prismaticbleed: (angel)
 

ADVENT OFFICIALLY BEGINS!

...

I had to put my phone on do not disturb while we eat because I know I had to put my phone on Do Not Disturb while we eat because I know that, If we are  Interrupted by a phone call, It won't shut us into social mode and we will end up being a Whiny miserable crying irritable wreck. We will end up sinning and offending the family and ruining everyone's day.
The guilt is unbearable but if we leave the phone open the Anxiety is equally unbearable. There's literally no way to win. But the smartest thing to do is to put it on Do Not Disturb. Or is it? I don't know.  All I know is that the very thought of the phone ringing is making me want to screamcry & vomit.
...Nevermind. I prayed to Jesus about it a day He said, "don't be rude." "Turn your phone back on," He said, "and trust Me." I prayed the Surrender Novena prayer, and obeyed.
The anxiety is still lingering, still wringing its hands and trembling, but Trust in God is standing by her, strong arms around her shaking shoulders, warmly reassuring her that "God's in control of the situation. He won't let any harm come to you. Trust His timing and plans. We aren't in any danger as long as we stay close to Him." Anxiety panics, "ARE we close??" Trust replies, "if we keep our phone on and leave the details up to Him, then yes. Keep talking to Him about it if you need to. You can't be far away from Him if you're in a conversation."

Update at 1452:
Jade just called and although we were irked at first, instinctively, we actively chose & strove to be as kind as possible. And the anxiety CALMED DOWN. We just met the call as a courageous task, but not a burden-- as something to rejoice in, as an opportunity for kindness & service & friendship, GIVEN BY GOD.
We're always scared of saying things "automatically" and without thinking "to be polite" or "say what is proper" BUT then we make promises we CANNOT KEEP, or assert opinions we DON'T HAVE, et cetera. It's an act, a facade, and it's as evil as it is wrong as it is programmed.
We need to pray about it, AS a "we," because THAT'S where we can receive the help for ALL of us, even the poor Socials.
...


It's beautiful weather outside, I just want to note-- our "favorite" before snow comes. Everything is foggy & shining with rain, the trees all copper-stellated fractals against the fine silver sky.


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VOTD = Psalm 130:5.
"The season of Advent reminds us that regardless of who you are, where you're from, or what you've done, you can cry out and wait on God. He is trustworthy, He is faithful, and He always makes good on His promises."
🎶As long as You love me...🎶 Seriously though, that's the actual message here.
Why do we cry out? Because at heart we're helpless. We're wounded & frightened children. We hurt and we're scared. We cry out for help, for rescue, to be found, to be delivered. It's the most basic instinct we have, the first action of any infant the moment they enter the world. And once we have cried, we wait. We must wait; we have no other option, as a response is never immediate nor even guaranteed... that is, unless we're crying to God.
God ALWAYS hears us, before we even draw breath to cry; He hears the instant the very impulse rises in our troubled minds. And IN His very hearing He responds. There is no hesitation, no debate, no wondering with God. Why? Because He IS faithful, He IS trustworthy, and He HAS PROMISED to care for us.
(Scripture verse to support this? Otherwise,)


"As you wait upon the Lord during this Advent season, know that He wants you to come close— so that He can be your strength, so that He can give you comfort, and so that He can provide everything you need."
This phrasing struck me. AS you wait, COME. The waiting IS a movement. The stillness and expectation IS a coming towards those very hopes. But the very motion reveals that our hopes are ALREADY realized-- because ALL of our hope, all we are waiting for & expecting, IS IN GOD. He, Himself, IS the fulfillment of every Promise. And He calls US to come, to wait and yet to have... to come to Him, and to come close.
That's the most amazing word: "close". God wants us as near to Him as we can get, and infinitely nearer.
...
And in that very closeness, we receive strength, comfort, and provision, because God IS those things-- He IS every hope, and far exceeded.
...


The questions are very helpful, perfect for Advent=
"As we begin this Advent season, how can you actively cultivate a sense of waiting and expectation?
1) I can meditate on the attributes of Jesus Christ.
2) I can commit to more intentional prayer times with my family.
3) I can seek to serve others as I remember the ultimate sacrifice of God sending His Son."

1= Its very different to wait for a stranger than it is to wait for a friend. It's very different to wait in hope and joy than to wait in boredom or impatience. We need to know Who Jesus IS, and what He is for us and the world, before we can truly EXPECT and AWAIT Him as we ought, as He deserves. We need to get to know Him as a Friend.
2= Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is an active reaching-up to Him.
The word "commit" echoes marriage.
The word "intentional" demands your personal presence.
Lastly, FAMILY.
3= This is such an unexpectedly powerful application of the Advent message. Who, in need, is waiting for God's Presence right now?
God gave His Son to us through Mary. He put Him in a manger, a food-trough. Are you not part of that same Christ now, through the Church? Jesus seeks to fill the empty Manger even now. Who can you feed today, through the grace of His Presence in you? Who can you "become food" for? How can you give yourself as Christ gave Himself, humbly and totally and with tender love?
...

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KVOTD on John 3:16 is STUNNING me with unexpected insight.
"Christmas is the time when we celebrate the Gift God gave humanity-- which is the Life, Death, AND Resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus rose again, it means we don't just get the "Gift of Jesus" on December 25th, but every day! Eternal Life, His Peace, His Patience, and His Love... we receive the gift of God's Presence every single day. Eternal life starts here and now."
Easter and Christmas are FUSED AT THE HEART and we don't typically think about that beautiful and terrible truth!! Even in Christmas, there is the Cross... but that means that even in the Cross, there is the very birth of Life Himself. It's gorgeous.
But THEN there's the RESURRECTION, which means ALL of that is ALSO RIGHT NOW??? Jesus LIVES, and He Lives FOREVER, both in time AND in eternity-- although now we do "wait for Him" to return, He IS HERE, in His Spirit, AS LIFE, THROUGH LOVE.
...

Then, they gave the verse with a "fill in the blank" like THIS=
"For this is how God _____ the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
1) loved
2) rules
3) created."

THEY'RE ALL ACTUALLY CORRECT???
God loves us by giving us Jesus, of course, BUT Jesus is ALSO our KING-- our King OF LOVE, and the Loving King Who LITERALLY CREATED THE COSMOS. God gave Him to us in love, and when we believe in Him AS our King, as our Lord, even truly as our Creator, then we are re-created in Him, through His Divine Authority and Love, and thus we have eternal life-- HIS Life. It's amazing.

The questions are deeply moving too.
"FILL IN THE BLANK: "Love is _____." =
1) Putting other's needs before your own... like Jesus did!
2) Being patient... like Jesus is!
3) Never giving up on someone... like Jesus never gives up on me!"

And I just had to sit with this in light of the video and realize that 1 Corinthians 13 really is just describing Jesus.
"Love is basically laying your life down for someone, which means JESUS IS LOVE." 
And yet, how often we forget what that definition truly is!!
1= Jesus HAD NEEDS. This is mind-boggling. As GOD, He didn't need anything and cannot need anything. But AS A MAN, Jesus had the SAME INNOCENT HUMAN NEEDS as the rest of us. He needed food, water, clothing, shelter, rest, companionship... and Jesus readily and willingly forsook those needs for Himself whenever it meant He could therefore fulfill those same needs for someone else.
Do we do the same? Are we even willing to try?
2= Jesus is patient. Read that again. Jesus IS patient. It's a CHARACTER TRAIT for Him. God isn't fickle, remember!
Think of how He constantly exhibits this. Yes, He trusts God's plans & timing; He looks at all events through the lens of eternity-- but this exact perspective affects how He treats people. He never "reacts" in haste, He responds deliberately & with respect. He exemplifies "longsuffering"; He never complains about others, never forces others, never rushes people. When people let Him down, He gives them another chance, with no griping. He meets sinners right where they're at. Are we patient with others, patient like Him?
3= Jesus NEVER gives up on people. No exceptions. This ties into both His patience, and His Self-sacrifice. Jesus DIED to save EVERY SINGLE SINNER, if they would but accept Him. And He gives them that chance to accept Him EVERY MOMENT, literally until their heart stops and they stand before Him in person. But up until that final instant, Jesus offers unlimited forgiveness and love. Every day He goes out searching for the lost sheep. Every day He is up on the hill watching for the prodigal son. Every day He is preaching repentance and mercy both. Every day He is on the Cross.
THAT is our model for love, and perseverance within it. If Christ NEVER gives up on ANYONE, to that astonishing an extent... how could we, who are called by His very Name, ever dare to harden our hearts and do anything less?


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Oh man I almost forgot we have ACTUAL ADVENT DEVOTIONALS for today =

LBB=
"Spend today’s time with the Lord writing your ideas on how you can spend [Advent] well. Your plans can include items that are spiritual, (deciding where and when you will pray each day), practical (your gift list), personal (sending a Christmas card to someone with whom you've not been on good terms), or charitable (doing something for the poor).
[Before you write anything, spend a few quiet moments with the Lord and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.]"

Honestly I should print out that last instruction and tape it to my phone. We NEED to get into the habit of quietly pausing & praying, even for a moment, BEFORE we do ANYTHING, and specifically asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us IN that action. Otherwise we're effectively going at it alone, failing to give Him a decent thought, and we WILL justly crash & burn.
So, having asked for His inspiration, insight, and guidance on this-- and ALSO praying to be given the grace to be OPEN TO HEAR & RECEIVE that from Him-- let's do day one.
Our initial ideas on how to spend this Advent well include =
1) SPIRITUAL = Start reading BACE again at last, especially since we STOPPED at the Nativity originally. Take time to READ more of the actual Gospel. Do this during free time periods: hour after BK, hour before bed. When you are too tired to think and instead need to rest, listen to Christmas hymns & edifying carols, and reflect sincerely on their message. Do NOT overwork yourself with devotionals, especially typing; the key is to REFLECT more, to PREPARE YOUR HEART for Jesus's birth by MAKING ROOM, not to make more of a mess with overexertion clutter & rushing.
2) PRACTICAL = put new lights on the tree. Follow through on your yearly wish to RECORD A CHRISTMAS CAROL, even if it's just vocals over an FLKeys track. But do something, and do it worshipfully.
3) PERSONAL = give Christmas cards to ALL family members, and to at least every neighbor that gives me a card (I do not yet know anyone else; if I do, include them).
4) CHARITABLE = Fulfill one tag on the SJE Giving Tree. Actually go over mom's house to help her bake cookies, and ALSO go up the homestead to help her clean. Donate at least one book & chaplet to the Church. Don't avoid Paul if you see him about.


"The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus... all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, [are invited] to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least [to] an openness to letting Him encounter them; [we must all] do this unfailingly each day."
This is it. This is actually it. This is what we're lacking in prayer. This is what we want-- need-- to do for Advent.
We need an actual personal encounter with Jesus.
Our soul is starving. We could weep from how badly we KNOW we need this.
...


The other devotional book (EGJ) has THIS devastatingly gorgeous reflection as an intro, that literally had us reeling =
"Can you even get your head around this? Is there room in your heart for it? The entire distance separating heaven from earth, God from humanity, the Creator from the creation is about to be erased. All barriers standing between you and the full embrace of God’s infinite love are on the verge of disappearing forever... All that’s required is a heart opened wide enough to let all the love in God’s universe flow in, dwell for a beat, and then flow out again, over and over, again and again. It is the most amazing gift imaginable, and it has the potential to rock our world, so we’d best get ourselves prepared. Ready?"
DUDE THERE IS NO WAY I COULD EVER BE READY FOR THAT, it's too divine, too pure, too beautiful, too intimate but THAT'S WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN, and thank God for that!!
...man but that is Infi talk. One hundred percent.
...

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WE'RE READIN' SON!!
We actually have these 2 books from the 1940s full of Christmas stories that I've never heard of, and I really want to read them because it reminds us of our childhood, when our mother would read us stories in bed about "the long white winter" when it was snowing outside. I can still see the cardinals and pine trees in our mind's eye. There was such a perfect cozy silent quiet precious beauty to all of it that I treasure with my whole heart. Christmastime and Easter are when our family actually did feel like family, and our home actually did feel like a home. Considering the fact that we've lost virtually everything in that respect over the past 5 years, we really need a tangible reminder, however small and private, in this year when we're struggling to even remember who we are, not just what this season truly means.

Book one is "The Fireside Book of Christmas Stories" by Edward Wagenknecht & Wallace Morgan. Its super fat and super old-- 1945 and 659 pages. It's a red fabric hardcover and there's nothing on it but an embossed image of three Church bells and it smells like a library. I don't even know where this thing came from but I love it.

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I always catch up on the Church bulletins on Sunday, and this is what we got from those=

"There are many things to take care of and to get accomplished in our preparations [for Advent]! But keep in mind the necessity to prepare spiritually first and foremost! ALL we do stems from the sense of "gift" and joy, and sharing and believing! In order to do that, we might need to do one of the most difficult things of the season... Slow down, breathe, experience! ...Enjoy the moment, live in the present! ...The scriptures call us to stay awake and alert. That mindset may help us to be aware of Christ's Presence here and now, not just waiting for His Birth, but realizing His immense Presence in our lives every moment of every day. Let's try to really make this a new beginning. Let's not miss a minute but prepare our hearts for Christmas in a way we may not have thought of or had time to do before. Allow God to enter in, and take comfort in His ever-present love and grace. [That] will show us the way through these days of Advent and help us to make Our way to the feast of joy we all prepare for and await!"
1) Like the LBB said today, EVERYTHING we do MUST be done WITH the Holy Spirit. Everything we undertake must be consciously brought into the spiritual dimension, by bringing it to God in prayer BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE. We never learned this before, and from rightly humiliating pride we never "thought of it on our own." We must humble ourselves in deep gratitude now and thank God for this new & most essential instruction. There is ONLY ONE WAY to prepare for ANYTHING-- and that way is PRAYER. Real prayer, not mindless babble like we do. In any case, the true reality of physical things IS spiritual; for anything we do with & within it to be true, likewise, we must actively involve that deeper dimension.
2) A beautiful way to do so: act from a sense of GIFT. Again, the EGJ devotional referenced this very thing! "
...
3) IT'S NOT A SIN TO ENJOY THE MOMENT. IN FACT, IT'S SPIRITUALLY NECESSARY!!
...
4) This is really shaping up to be our personal Spirit-ordained theme for Advent: Christ IS Present with me, right here, right now, for real, and i NEED to start LIVING LIKE IT.
...
5) ...this can be a new beginning. Of course it can be, with Christ "arriving anew." He is "never changing, always new"; He "makes all things new"... it's because "death has no power over Him." Every encounter with Christ is a new encounter with Life. It's inevitable. He never changes, He is always the same, yet He is inexhaustible in depth & richness, always new yet eternally unchanging... it's beautiful. But that's just the context for our point. Jesus gives you a new beginning in every moment with Him. YOU can change, after all, to become more like Him-- each time one step higher up an infinitely ascending height of goodness & truth.
...
6) Never forget the MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT ADVENT = you are preparing your heart for Jesus Christ to enter in and be "BORN" there. He's not just "arriving," like holiday visitors from out of town. He's not showing up like Santa Claus. Jesus isn't something outside that stays for the season then returns to whence it came. No, Jesus is a child being born, making your very heart His cradle and home, calling you to imitate His very Mother. Jesus wants you to prepare for His Birth while He already resides within you. He wants to enter your life in a brand-new way, a life-changing way, a way that involves all of you forever, a way that makes you specially His and makes Him specially yours.
I may be rambling. But Christmas isn't just a memory-- like the Eucharist, it is a memorial, a making-present of the Greatest Present possible-- the Presence of God.
Advent is about preparing our hearts to receive that very Presence more deeply & truly than ever before...
7) ...and step one is ALLOWING it to happen. THIS IS ALL GRACE. You cannot will it to happen on your own. You cannot force it, schedule it in, orchestrate it, et cetera. It is not in your hands. This is all God's glorious work, and we are to echo Mary, "May it be done to me according to Your will." And if God leads us to a cold and distant cave, outside of town, in the middle of the night, then so be it.
This "allowing," this joyfully humble trusting surrender to the flow and direction of grace, is what will lead us not only through the surprises of Advent to the unexpected yet blissful Manger, but also through the ongoing Advent of the Church as she waits for the Second Coming of Christ in the equally unpredictable future. May our every heartbeat be a preparation for Him, in this season and ever onwards.


From a different church, on this same vital topic =
"In both the first reading and the Gospel, we hear of how Shepherds tend their flock, caring for the sick and the lost, eventually judging and separating them. In the first reading from Ezekiel, God is that shepherd, rescuing the sheep from harm, seeking them out when they are lost or strayed, healing them when they are sick or hurt. Throughout his ministry, Jesus was that shepherd, the Good Shepherd-- calling his sheep, feeding his sheep, tending his sheep. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells his disciples that they, the sheep, are now to tend one another, and that He can be found in the least of their sisters and brothers. We, His disciples, are now the ones who must feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and care for the ill, visit the imprisoned. As we celebrate Christ the King, may we recommit ourselves to our calling so that one day we can face our King, our Good Shepherd, knowing that we have served Him in our brothers and sisters in need. What corporal works of mercy will we do this week? How can we better see the Lord in our neighbor in need?"
1) What hit me the hardest = don't get stuck on the corporal mercies alone. Look at the big picture, just in this reflection, and let THAT sink in-- we, in imitation of our Shepherd, must rescue each other from harm. We must seek others out when they are lost or straying. We must heal others when they are sick or hurt. We must call others to community, we must feed others who hunger, we must tend to the most basic needs of others with attentive care. This is the "spirit of the law" even within that list of works. Now do you grasp more clearly just how deep and sincere and outgoing our love must be? We must SHEPHERD each other, and we CAN because we, the Church, the very sheepfold, ARE the Body of Christ the Shepherd! This is WHY He is in not only us to SERVE as Shepherd, but He is also in the beloved "least ones" to BE SERVED as King... while never usurping or replacing any precious human life. Yes, Christ is in all, but it is a relationship; it is a unity, a sharing, a love. If you neglect the one Christ loves so much, even that very least one, then you neglect Him. If the King cherishes the most wretched beggar so dearly as to leave the 99 and seek him out and carry him home and live in his heart, then who are you to overlook that treasured soul, in whose dirty face the very reflection of Christ is visible? Did not Christ live as humbly and poorly as they? Did God not identify Himself with those that the world rejects?
There is a profound unity of love here. It MUST be acted upon.
2) Don't get overwhelmed by the immensity of the task. It is not yours alone to do. Ignore your ambitious pride. You are but a sheep, a single cell of a Body. You are insignificant, yet irreplaceable, and you are necessary, and there is a work that only you can do. Pray about it. Be like Jesus. Serve those around you right now. Seek the most needy right where you are and serve them, even if you can only help one person. You are still bringing God's love to that soul, and that is priceless.
Be realistic yet diligent. Set a timeframe! What CAN you do this week, with no transportation, no food you can share, no money in your wallet? What do you have? Always yourself. Always time, always an ear, always your presence. Do not tremble & complain at this. Pray for grace, and do what you can. Set a concrete goal. Start small. But give



113023

Nov. 30th, 2023 10:54 pm
prismaticbleed: (shatter)
 

So exhausted and confused sick. Body crashing i think

Mom call about Jade
Drop-off around 1130
Forgot OJ. Guilt crushing

BK at 230.

So burnt out dead, can barely think. Want to cry from sheer fatigue

Evening =
We are legit addicted to high-resistance biking. It must be another trauma-coping response. It's emulating the terrified hyperarousal and "run for your life" reaction.
But I've noticed something else, something very interesting and alarming.
Since we started doing this high-resistance biking, we've become distressingly emotional. We're having angry-helpless crying paroxysms, having mini tantrums from sheer frustrated despair. It's like we're a teakettle screaming all the time, unable to release anything but pressurized steam.
WHY IS THE BIKING DOING THIS????
Not only that, but IT DOESN'T EXHAUST US ANYMORE. We get hungry for MORE effort, and we don't want to physically eat at ALL, although our body does. We're constantly angry and weeping, wanting to destroy everything violently and then sob so hard it tends the very rocks. What on earth is going on.


Mom called the INSTANT we sat down to eat. AGAIN. Honestly it is uncanny how her phone calls LINE UP with our mealtimes, and that's not a good thing because then we get DELAYED by like 20 entire minutes and that's a HUGE chunk of time. Then we can't sleep, can't bike, etc. Why is our schedule so watertight that the slightest "interruption" throws us into an absolute panicked fit? Our poor mother has to deal with that from us CONSTANTLY because she always wants to do stuff and take us along, and we just want to stay home and have everything be controlled & predictable & tidy & efficient & ordered properly. No room for variables. No unexpected events tolerated. No spare time allowed, everything must have an assignment. I repeat: WHY ARE WE SUDDENLY LIKE THIS?
But... we don't want to snub mom. We need to spend time with her and we want to, both as her child and as a Christian. But our bloody schedule keeps getting in the way.
We have to go to mass. We have to say 2 hours of morning prayers. We have to exercise. We have to prep our meals all at once. We have to eat all at once, alone and quiet and uninterrupted. Et cetera. Remove a "have to" from our routine and we quickly nosedive into a nervous wreck, desperate to flee and quickly "catch up" to time lost.
We cannot cooperate or compromise like this. We have no real flexibility. We can't be spontaneous. We cannot even leave the house except for church functions.
I don't know what to do about this yet. We can't solve this problem from a mindset entrenched in it. Still... God keeps having our mother invite us to things. We'll have to say yes, and just... surrender the details to God.
We need to involve God more. How ironic. We never think of asking Him for help or direction or advice with our schedule stress. It's because we're afraid He'll say, "well you SHOULD be spending another two hours in prayer, you know," or "you don't need to exercise, you could be reading the Bible," etc. We're terrified that He WILL "make it worse," because God NEVER gives "relief from suffering"; He WANTS us to suffer & struggle so we have something to "offer up". To seek ease & relief from tribulation is to reject the Cross. So if we DO dare to ask, then He will justly respond with a chastisement. If we whine about the weight, He will make it heavier, to humble us. That's how it works.
...It's so sad though. Sometimes I really wish I could talk to God about this, without being humiliated & ashamed & guilty for feeling frightened & overwhelmed & confused in the first place. I'm so afraid of being sternly scolded & then "marked" as the "problem child," the one who will take a mile if you give her an inch, so give her extra discipline to keep her in line. It's for her own good. She's too weak; she mustn't be coddled or given reprieve.
And you know what? I DON'T WANT TO BE, DARN IT. I'M SO BLOODY TIRED OF FEELING TYPECAST AS LITTLE MISS MILKSOP. THAT IS NEVER WHO I WAS AND YOU KNOW IT. I was always the tomboy, the firecracker, the jester, the spitfire-- I never wanted a princess life, I rejected everything dainty, why the hell are you writing me as a pretty pansy now??? Why is THIS what happened when they killed all the "man" in me, because "good Christian girls" must be TOTALLY dependent on and subservient to men???
THIS IS THE EXACT SAME DAMN THING THAT CAUSED ALL THE ORIGINAL SEXUAL TRAUMA BACK IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOU HEATHEN!!!!

ALSO DON'T FORGET "YOU'RE" MULTIPLE AND HAVE BEEN SINCE CHILDHOOD YOU IDIOT


Night =
Noticing snowflakes, "glitter in the dark". Made me think of Mimic. Accidentally pinged him so strongly he actually looked in, half asleep, asked what is reminding me of him now? I pointed to the snowflakes, he gives me the look and says "why."
I said its because you wouldn't think they would catch the light at all in the dark, it was surprising to notice, and only visible way up close. But it was beautiful to see.
Mimic said nothing for a moment, then generally stated "well, you said it, so I won't argue" and walked back out with the subtlest smile
I then added, basically, "Laurie, i would say that you're like that too, but that's not actually true. You're not so dark anymore. Now you're like the daylight."
Her expression in response was just... gold. Thank God we still feel this.


BTW don't forget Spotify wrapped today, and the unexpected sword-to-the-heart chronological snapshot it gave us

We get 20 MINUTES TO SIT DOWN THANK YOU GOD because tomorrow is First Friday and family is also busy so we're gonna be crushed with exhaustion. Lord get us through it. You always do.


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Universalis today.

"After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from Him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother. Notice what Andrew said to [Peter]: "We have found the Messiah, that is to say, the Christ". Notice how his words reveal what he has learned in so short a time. They show the power of the Master Who has convinced them of this Truth. They reveal the zeal and concern of men preoccupied with this question from the very beginning. Andrew’s words reveal a soul waiting with the utmost longing for the coming of the Messiah, looking forward to His appearing from heaven, rejoicing when He does appear, and hastening to announce so great an event to others. To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, of loving kinship and sincere affection."

1) The life of a Christian is one of fellowship & sharing from the very beginning. Nothing about our faith is meant to be "kept to ourselves-- and especially not Jesus Himself!
2) We must hasten to share what we learn from Christ. This should be an instinct for us, a drive, yet freely & willingly done, with all eagerness. We must love God so much, and our neighbor so much for His sake, that the very thought of depriving our fellow man of the joy we have received is intolerable. We must evangelize because we love. It is like a fire in us, seeking to give light and warmth to all it can. My point is: if we receive this treasure of faith and don't feel any impetus to share it, but cling to it privately, then our 'faith' is a selfish & impure & cowardly thing. It is a lamp under a bushel.
3) "FOUND." He had been looking for the Messiah, with the ardent hope and goal OF finding Him. He hadn't been looking "just to look," out of curiosity, like so many modern "seekers" do. 
4) Andrew was convinced of the Truth by Christ Himself, long before He had any public influence or status or testimony. All he had were John's direction, and the Lamb of God. That was all he needed-- no philosophical arguments, no stories of repute, no political acclaim-- just Jesus alone, Himself the only Witness required to His Own Truth. And how? By BEING. That's the Power Christ alone has. All His Words and actions, however good & true in themselves, are but expressions and emanations of Who He IS, beyond all language or human deduction. Andrew was convinced because his heart had been sincerely seeking God, and suddenly God was there in flesh before him. His very soul recognized Him, inevitably so. He knew he had found Him. He was convinced by grace, because he was open to receive it when it came. And how?
5) Zeal, concern, & preoccupation!
I think it's safe to say that, on a very real level, Andrew's daily life was constantly focused on seeking God. It would have to be, for him to "find" Christ at all-- you don't ever stop searching for your heart's treasure, even for a moment, if it is truly your treasure; you will always be preoccupied with it, however quietly. So was Andrew, searching for Christ.
...
6) Waiting with utmost longing, Looking forward, rejoicing, and announcing
7) Spiritual support is TRUE goodwill & brotherhood!!
...


"Immediately Andrew heard the Lord preaching, he left the nets by which he earned his living* and followed the giver of eternal life. ℣. Andrew endured his suffering for love of Christ and his law,* and followed the giver of eternal life."
1) the nets. Nets are meant to catch things, things get tangled up in them. The world is a net. But Andrew "earned his living" by them. So do most of us. Our jobs, our careers, our life pursuits become "nets" that just tangle us up, and keep us trapped in the world, even if they "put food on the table" they are eating us alive at the same time. That's what's so important about Andrew's reaction-- he left the nets. He abandoned his "daily bread" to obtain the True Bread. He left the world to follow its Creator. He untangled himself in the very act of choosing Jesus instead. He gave up his earthly way of life and found the Way of eternal Life.
2) giver vs earning. Andrew labored with his nets day and night, "earning" his living by the sweat of his brow, the very curse of Adam. But Jesus gives life. He removes the curse. Andrew no longer has to "earn the means & right to live," as it were, in a cutthroat world. He no longer has to worry about how he's going to survive. Christ now gives life entire, imperishable, free of charge, bought with His Own Blood, and the Life He gives is His very Self-- it is not money, it is not privilege, it is not anything earthly. Life is a Person, a relationship, that lasts forever, and Andrew does not have to do anything but follow Him in trust.
3) Andrew's endurance was his following. the keyword is "love." This is how we follow God, only love, and love is proved the most clearly and powerfully in suffering.


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Books

MDE is beautiful =
"To be able to become bread! To be able to nourish the whole world with His Flesh and Blood! I am terribly selfish and fearful when faced with suffering, but if I could become bread to save all humanity, I would do it. If I could become bread to feed all the poor, I should throw myself into the fire at once.
No, the Eucharist is not something strange: It is the most logical thing in the world, it is the story of the greatest love ever lived in this world, by a man called Jesus.
When I gaze on this bread, when I take up this bread into my hands, I gaze on and take up the passion and death of Christ for humanity. This bread is the memorial of His death for us. This bread is the trumpet call of the Resurrection, through which we, too, shall one day be able to rise.
This bread is the living summary of all God’s love for man. From Genesis to the prophets, from Exodus to the Apocalypse, everything is yearning towards this terrible mystery of God's tragic love for man. God, who made Himself present in the first covenant and yet more present in the Incarnation, becomes still more present in this mystery of the bread of life."

1) I love how simply yet profoundly the first line is phrased; it puts into shockingly clear perspective just what the Eucharist is and does. Jesus becomes bread. He becomes food for the whole world.
2) It's a true sign of the spark of God in all of us that we have this instinct, despite all our selfishness, to want to become bread too. Ask any parent. Ask any lover. Ask any child, even. If we could "become bread" to save even one soul from starvation forever, we would do it in a heartbeat. This is the impulse of God. This is what the Eucharist is, to infinite perfection.
3) "It is the most logical thing in the world." It really is. People talk about "love languages" and half-joke about "peeling oranges" for others but it's true. Look at a matron cooking meals for her extended family for hours on end, day after day, with a smile on her face. It's such a basic need, such a primal gesture of care. "I will feed you because I care about you, and I want you to live, and I love you." Of course God would become food for His people. But for Jesus to do this so literally, so perfectly, to become bread-- it's the most beautiful thing in the universe. It's the purest and profoundest love.
4) PRIESTS GET TO HOLD HIM LIKE THIS.
5) The Eucharist is a sign of the resurrection. That shocked me. Of course, it is a sign of His Death, and that is inseparable from His Resurrection-- but how we forget that so easily!
6) "this terrible mystery of God's tragic love for man." What a gorgeously aching sentence.
7) The Eucharist is covenantal. It is the most perfect Presence of God to man, even moreso than the Incarnation. Think about that!
...


"St. Irenaeus asks, “How can anyone say that our bodies, which are nourished on the flesh and blood of Christ, are brought to perdition? Our bodies, tasting of the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but have the hope of resurrection.”"
That's astounding. THEY ARE NO LONGER CAPABLE OF CORRUPTION. This is "common sense" when you realize WHY-- it's because THEY HAVE FED ON CHRIST. The literal atoms of the Eucharist, the Real Presence of GOD, have nourished these bodies and become an actual physical part of them. The Flesh & Blood of Christ, inseparable from His Soul & Divinity, have been our Bread. He CANNOT decay or corrupt or fade away, ever. He IS eternity, He IS Life, He IS salvation. He IS the Resurrection! And when we receive Him in this most blessed Sacrament, WE TAKE ALL THAT INTO OUR BODIES. It's amazing. It's on purpose. God WANTS that to happen. This is how He saves and transforms us most directly, most astonishingly. He changes us from the inside out, by the power of His Love, embodied in His Son, Present in this Sacrament, and now in us.


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VOTD = Psalm 119:2.
"We have a revelation of God's ways when we make His Heart our passion-- when we say, "God, I don't want to just know about You, I want to know You."...There's a lot of us who know God's faithful acts, but take the challenge to press in further, and ask God what is His Heart, so that you would know His ways. When you know His ways, then you know how He will respond-- and you can respond like your Father."
Every time I read something like this I want to cry.
We want this SO BADLY. Honestly I think in a very real but suppressed way we ALREADY HAVE THIS. Deep down, when we stop hiding and running and doubting the truth out of fear of feeling, we must admit that YES, HIS HEART IS OUR TRUEST PASSION. We aren't living that truth as completely as we want to, no. But it is the truth. It's the kernel at the center that cannot be denied.
We're so tired of mechanical praying. We're so tired of spending hours every day just reading articles and "doing the dailies." We're HUNGRY FOR GOD. WE WANT TO KNOW JESUS. We want to TALK TO HIM. We want to sit down and READ ABOUT HIS LIFE. We want to HEAR HIM SPEAK. We want to HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. We're so sick and tired of just this intellectual awareness of Him, this historical education, this ironically heartless datahoarding. The thriskefoni that bury themselves in prayer cards and chaplets and religious emails don't know Jesus as a PERSON. It's so sad. But we never knew Him before, especially not growing up. We never realized you COULD have a relationship with God, let alone that such a thing was ALLOWED, until very very recently-- again, probably the past two years, tops, and with the past year alone being one of the most spiritually potent we've ever had, if not the absolute trophy winner.
But the point is... we're still running circles around the goal. We're still avoiding our heart's desire. WHY.
It's because it's too headspacey.
Read that next line. Press in further. Ask God what His Heart is.
As far as we know, the thriskefoni cannot do that. Their anchor, our religious upbringing and experience, don't include that sort of intimacy. It's banned. It's blasphemous. It's sinful, to even consider-- to them, ANY intimacy, ANY closeness of that sort, is WRONG.
And it's absolutely one hundred percent what the System is ABOUT.
That's why there's this "civil war" going on. The religious voices want to declare a crusade and coldly erase all of us from existence because "we're not God." Whereas all of us inside, although we aren't as "pious" as they are, truly love God AND each other and we WANT TO GET CLOSER TO GOD.
...this is why the Cores keep begging God to give Infinitii "back." It's not something we'd ever do for a human. Headspace is different; people do die, but they die in order to be reborn. Even Laurie reminds us of this constantly-- her axe isn't meant to ruin, but to reset. If she ever does cleave someone's skull in half, it's so it can be put back together better. That's what "death" is for a nousfoni-- it is a hope, in the direct wake of despair. If we die, it is because we have failed to do what we were made to do, or we have committed a grave sin, causing permanent damage, et cetera. Death for us is a swift and direct "penalty" for our loss of light, but it also is, in and of itself, a solid hope of resurrection. ALWAYS. Thanks be to God. We don't die unless there's a real hope that we'll be remade as a result.
So the Cores are asking God to do that to Infi. Why?
Because Infinitii was the one of us who most ardently knew what it was like to love with one's entire heart and soul.
Infinitii COULD TEACH AND ENABLE US HOW TO LOVE GOD LIKE THIS. And believe me, ze DID... Jay still has very clear memories from church, that he clings to constantly, as they are the only way he can feel anything like it. NO ONE ELSE can get that close, without being shut down or pushed away.
It's too much to talk about in depth now, but the important thing is: Infi wasn't scared of opening hir heart, or letting anyone else into it. That was what killed hir, in the end, but it is also hir biggest hope of rebirth, if I can hope the same on hir behalf... because to use that great grace properly, it must first and foremost be directed TOWARDS GOD.
...The last bit up there, resonates with the Jay bloodline. "You will respond like your Father."
We have... weird issues, with fatherhood. We love our biological dad, dearly so, but... we never really knew him growing up. He was always at work, or distant, or uninvolved, or-- as the years dragged on-- out drinking. We had no idea who he was as a person until he moved out and got remarried, and started talking to us from that separate living space. We were no longer "in the same family" in a sense, although we were permanently bound by blood; we no longer shared a roof, my mother was no longer his wife. But that new "distance" brought us closer than ever, and continues to do so, oddly.
The point is: we never had an example of fatherhood in our life until now.
It's still something we glean only in flashes. We're in our 30s; he can't be our "dad" in the way our child-heart still unconsciously yearns for. But now we can recognize that there IS such a yearning, which we NEVER realized before, not until we got old enough to realize that hey, families AREN'T supposed to be terrifying, and by the grace of God started to realize that everything beautiful the Bible says about GOD is what fatherhood truly takes its essence from. God is THE FATHER. And that just... changed everything.
And yet, way back around 2011, Jay wanted to be a father more than anything in the universe and his heart caught that truth long before anyone else could even postulate its existence or semblance. Jay knew what fatherhood meant. He WAS a father. And it was beautiful.
When the bloodline was shattered by the CNC corruption and we lost that entire awareness with the Tilly takeover... it gutted us. We're still not-quite-alive in the wake of that loss. Yes, Jay is still (miraculously) alive, but he's a flickering light now, barely able to front, barely able to hold a form inside. There's "too much of a threat of him becoming a Core again," apparently, and "Cores aren't allowed to be male anymore." But those boys had such good hearts. They understood, somehow, "how God would react" even before we were religious-- long before we were consciously able to trust God, let alone even know Who He was.
...is it possible for the new compulsively-female "Cores" to respond like their Father? Or will the binary-forcing keep them, and therefore our body existence, fatally disconnected from God's Heart?
I don't know. This is something we need to sit and feel and talk about as a System, together, not something the thriskefoni can "reason out" or even truly pray about-- their hearts wouldn't be in it at all; they wouldn't pray for us anyway, sadly. We have to do that ourselves, even if they don't want to admit we can.
I'm sorry, I don't want to sound condemning. It just hurts so much, that they refuse to feel, at least anything but fear and panic that masquerades as obedience and devotion. We want to help them, too. We want ALL of the foni in the Spectrum to be together, like the Church; for heaven's sakes we're all one soul in the first place. We need to be united; we need to be family, we need to be as one, even in our multiplicity. It's possible. That's the beauty of it.
...I guess this is a bit of that Father-feeling, actually. The Prodigal Father, up on that hill, looking out for the lost son. It feels like we're doing that for ourself, in our most fragile and tender moments. God give us the grace to always keep our arms open to ourself, as You always do for us, so that we may all be gathered into Your embrace.



The prayer really stood out to me:
"God, I want to seek You with all my heart. You are my everything— so let my actions match my words. Each day, help me to draw closer to You. Guide me through each decision, and inspire me with new dreams and pursuits. I want to honor You in all that I do."
1)The prayer is admitting, "I confess that I'm not seeking You with all my heart, but I WANT to"... "You are my everything, BUT my actions don't match those words"... and then that striking plea, "LET them match," silently echoing "LET me seek you with all my heart." It's stunning. The focus is on our absolute need of God's gift of grace-- our total dependence on God empowering us in order to do ANYTHING good, because we have NO power on our own.
...
2) Likewise, "HELP me to draw closer to You." It just struck me how unique this is. Unlike between humans, I cannot approach God on my own; I cannot "draw near" physically or mentally, emotionally or spiritually, by my own efforts.
...
3) EACH DAY, and "draw closer." This is gradual, ongoing, and unending. It's never all at once. There is never a finish line.
4) The "guide me" follows the petition for closeness. The very "helping me draw close" IS CONNECTED TO the "guide me through"!
5) Again, "I WANT to honor You in everything I do... but by myself I don't know how." This is why the prayer asks for inspiration and guidance immediately prior.
..
6) INSPIRE ME WITH NEW DREAMS.


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KVOTD = A really sweet thought on Revelation 4:8!
"Imagine your favorite thing to do, and getting to do that every day forever... what if every day was the best day ever? ...Well, [this verse shows us that] in the Throne Room [of heaven], they never stop praising God. It goes on forever and ever and ever and ever. Every day they celebrate and worship Jesus-- they celebrate the God Who loves us forever. Every day is the best day ever. Every day we can praise God here on earth, too, and make it the best day ever! So how will you praise God today, to practice for Eternity?"
1) The simple childlike thought that the Ophanim are having the "best day ever forever" because praising God is their "favorite thing to do" is so, so sweet, and deeply touching. Lord, I pray to be blessed with such grace to feel the same.
2) The angels are worshipping JESUS, not just the Father!
3) When we worship, we echo the joyful songs of eternity here on earth. That's ASTOUNDING.
I love the analogy of "practicing." That hits so strongly and endearingly it hurts.
...

The prayer =
"God, thank You for the hope You've given me. One day, I will get to worship You in Heaven forever! Until then, please help me to be creative and find new ways to show You how much You mean to me. As I worship You, I know it will show everyone who knows me how great You are."
1) Cling to this hope. Make it the undercurrent of your life. Sing in your heart, like your Patroness, at all times, forever echoing this holy refrain. Let this hope anchor your soul to heaven.
2) This entire concept of personal creative worship is not something I ever heard as a Catholic, but it is so beautiful and important to me. It's joyous. It's liberating. It means I CAN worship God in COUNTLESS ways, to countless people! It means my faith and love and joy and hope are not imprisoned, not caged, not bound and muted!
3) Worship SHOWS. It is inherently public, praising and proclaiming. It is naturally evangelistic, an outpouring of inspired zeal, an act of grateful witness to the Breath and Fire and Living Water.
4) Worship changes how people see me-- it shifts the focus TO GOD!! Worship redirects the attention to HIM, not me! It makes me Christ's instrument, and He is the song-- it makes me His canvas, and Him the masterpiece. The Spirit paints, the Spirit performs, and God is all in all. I am nothing; that's the bliss!

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scrupulosity articles hitting a bullseye over and over again =


"Feeling apathetic, lethargic, or careless about religion is understandable when you struggle with an anxiety disorder that is constantly trying to crush you with toxic spirituality, overthinking, and burnout. The apathy that we experience with OCD is not a true spiritual distaste but is a rejection of the overwrought, overly intense type of spirituality that OCD presses upon us."
THIS IS LITERALLY OUR EXACT PROBLEM. THEY ACTUALLY PUT IT INTO WORDS. Reading this, every lightbulb went on. We've NEVER heard ANYONE sum it up so clearly & bluntly before-- and without having words to express WHAT and WHY you're feeling, that monster remains invisible & intangible &  impossible to deal with. NOT SO ANYMORE!!
...


"Just because I have one bad day doesn’t mean my whole life is going down the tube. It doesn’t mean a relapse is imminent. [That's] absolutist thinking. It tells me that I must never have a relapse... that, if I go back to that dark place that I once was, I will never get out. It will be eternal. I can’t handle it. What black-and-white, absolutist thinking! I can recover if I have a relapse. It’s not the end of the world. I will survive whatever life throws at me because God is beside me and He will help me."
1) In any case, we don't want to risk it. "The dog returns to its vomit." Once the tiniest speck of corruption gets into your brain, you can't get it out. We know this from hellish experience, it's why we avoid the internet & television & radio whenever possible. A relapse might very well be imminent because you LIVED like that before for YEARS, and those well-worn paths of addiction don't disappear overnight. They might never disappear; they might have dug in so deep they left scars. You do have free will, of course, but never overestimate your freedom. How compromised is your state of mind? Don't risk it.
I'm rambling. Bad mindset. Sorry.
2)
3) ...I didn't expect that last line. It stunned me.
That says a fearful lot about where our anxious brain goes.
...
But... that line also feels heretically arrogant?
....


"What about people who struggle with the apathy that they feel after having a blasphemous thought, or apathy about spiritual things? How should they deal with the anxiety that arises in response to the primary disturbance, their apathy? Again, we need to recognize that the black-and-white, absolutist thinking of OCD is trying to get the upper hand. There are NO absolute statements in Scripture that say that Christians must always feel passionate and constantly soaring with lofty flights of ecstatic religious feeling.
And as for the feeling of horror that you might think should always accompany your intrusive thoughts– well, don’t forget that you’re dealing with repetitive, ego-dystonic thoughts that are pestering you every few minutes for months (even years!) on end. It’s natural for the brain to reach a point of emotional shutdown. You can only experience emotions like horror so many times before the mind tries to block out the intense emotionJust ask traumatized war victims if their emotional response was different the first time they saw a dead body, or the hundredth time.
When you think about it, emotional numbness is actually a fairly reasonable response to the intrusive thoughts we deal with. But that’s not my main point. My main point is that there are many layers in complex situations like scrupulosity. We have to avoid pinning ourselves to the wall with absolute beliefs like, “I should always experience horror at my blasphemous thoughts to validate the fact that I don’t want them.”

THIS BLINDSIDED US.
1) The Psalms especially destroy all absolutism-- and that has actually deeply disturbed me for years.
2) "EGO-DYSTONIC"
3) THAT "SHUTDOWN" IS LITERALLY THE "ESTAR PROBLEM"!!!!!!!
4) validation and trauma
...

I am admittedly very disappointed with the conclusion of this article; it got far too carefree, seeming almost flippant. "Oh well," etc.
"Oh well. If I relapse, I relapse. I’ll get over it again."
THAT'S FATALLY PRESUMPTUOUS.
But... they also say things like,
"Oh well. If I don’t have the disgust against my intrusive thoughts that I think I ought to have, I’ll just need to leave this one with the Lord and trust Him to read my heart rather than me trusting my own validation techniques."
How can you be THAT CASUAL ABOUT THE RISK THOUGH. Maybe that's our OCD talking. Even so, that's where we're at. Feeling apathy where it does not belong-- and where, "outside of OCD," it would be a grave sin & sign of a rotten heart-- and just saying "oh well, let God be the judge" is SUPER DANGEROUS. It's like hearing the fire alarm go off and saying "oh well, if it's a real fire, I'll let the firefighters take care of it." AND WE DO THIS, SO WE KNOW. THAT APATHY IS A HUGE RED FLAG AND IT IS NOT HEALTHY.
...

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sometimes, our emotions just shut down, like a safety shutoff valve. This might happen when we’ve been ruminating and obsessing about our faith for too long. Numbness and apathy might actually be the brain’s way of protecting itself from too much anxiety... what most people with Religious OCD are dealing with is not true numbness and apathy towards God, but rather a sense of mental exhaustion and spiritual burnout... it’s a pretty normal thing for people to grow numb when we go through extreme experiences. This is simply our body’s way of protecting ourselves, of shutting down the emotions so that we don’t become too overwhelmed for our own good."
1) I hate this so much. I DON'T WANT A BLOODY SHUTOFF VALVE. I'M SO TIRED OF THIS BUILT-IN COWARDICE. I'M SO BLOODY TIRED OF BEING NUMB.
...


"Elijah was suicidal. He asked God to kill him and let him sleep with his ancestors. But God didn’t do that. God understood that Elijah was experiencing burnout. He was mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted after his turmoil on Mount Carmel. God did not forsake him in that situation. He understood that the way he feels right now is not the way he really feels. And that’s a beautiful lesson for us. When we’re in the midst of our OCD struggles, and we’re burned out and feeling numbness and apathy towards God, the way we’re feeling is not the way we really feel. And praise the Lord. He understands that."
...
...God understands????

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112923

Nov. 29th, 2023 11:28 pm
prismaticbleed: https://www.deviantart.com/teacosies/art/celebi-420071633 (tears)
 

FORGOT TO TURN THE ALARM ON
Miraculously woke up at 7:08 and BOOKED IT to Mass
MADE IT ON TIME, thanks be to God!!
Morning schedule actually went perfectly normally. That was a great blessing.
BK prep immediately at 10am because SOUP & SCRIPTURE SON!!
Mass first though, of course. Man we haven't been to OLOMC in MONTHS, since before we started using the bookbag I think? But it's been ages. And we were lucky-- since it was Wednesday, we got to say the Saint Joseph novena which we love.
S&S was, admittedly, a bit disappointing. The folks first ate for an entire half hour-- understandable, this was probably their actual lunch, and I used the time to read some very timely tabbed articles (a sermon on giving one's all to God, as the widow, and then a shockingly relevant warning on scrupulosity & prophecy which we NEED to type about)-- but then we didn't discuss the actual readings. It was mostly just church chat, which has its place for sure, but... we didn't give any solid attention to Scripture. And that did hurt. Nevertheless, Father E gave us the "basics" on Advent, which was informative, and the general conversation was still amiable and positive. Honestly I cannot complain-- if I did, which my stupid selfish ego is tempted to, it would show how closed my heart was to grace, how closed my mind was to inspiration. You MUST go into these things LIKE A CHILD, with no expectations except "God is working here; I can't want to see and hear what He does!" NO LIMITS.
Also don't forget the reading referenced our favorite super-obscure hymn, and now it's stuck in our head. Good.


Got home for 145 and breakfast was PERMAFROSTED, haha. Two minutes in the microwave fixed it though, no worries. Razor called them "glass eggs" because not only did they turn translucent, but also because she couldn't cut them at first as they were as solid as actual glass. It was hilarious.

A SUDDEN REALIZATION IN REALTIME:
PHONE TYPISTS CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT IS SINGLE OR DOUBLE FINGER TYPING?????
THE SPEED AT WHICH THOUGHTS BECOME WRITTEN DOWN CHANGES THE TYPIST, BECAUSE THE SPEED DICTATES OUR MINDSET.
WHAT THE HECK THAT'S INSANE. BUT IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading the A.R.E. papers on RECONCILIATION for today, and my heart is breaking into flame because THIS IS WHAT INFI'S HEART IS REALLY MEANT TO BE. I can feel it so clearly it is painful.
Quote it.
THIS is going to be their NEW NAME, too, I can feel it.
Every time I prayed about "things being ready" for Infi to come back, I kept getting "wait for December." And here we are, with something I never would have expected, right when I was able to receive it. God knows His schedule. We needed this class, and everything else that preceded it, before the stage could be properly set for what's next. I cannot predict or guess any of it, but God's timing is Impeccable. Trust in Him.

More System relevance =
"Atone: To be in harmony or accordance; literally to bring "at one", to reconcile, and thence to suffer the pains of whatever sacrifice is necessary to bring about a reconciliation."
"Atonement: the "condition of being at one (with others)," often achieved through "satisfaction or reparation for wrong or injury, propitiation of an offended party". The theological meaning is "reconciliation", of man with God through the life, passion, and death of Christ.
"Retribution: to "give back, give in return, restore, pay back, return in kind"; "recompense, repayment," especially "that which is given in return for past good or evil." Also "making or bringing requital, retaliative."

------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evening =
Driving & weeping over Christmas loss. Parked and crumpled under it. Actually slumped over steering wheel and sobbing.

Bluntly honest in A.R.E. about confession questions.
SCRUPULOSITY CHASTISEMENT FROM FATHER!! It's actually "false humility," as it's entirely obsessively focused on SELF
...
Asked about "what if I'm haunted by the consequences of my sin, things I literally cannot change even if I confessed and repented"? Father VERY POINTEDLY used the example of alcoholism (he knows about the E.D.), and then knocked me out of left field-- he said that living with such a heavy cross, this humbling and constant awareness of what we did and were delivered from nevertheless, is a GREAT GRACE?????
He also used an example of "being cruel and bitter all your life" before gaining the grace to change, while still having the consequences and reputation of your past demeanor to deal with, perhaps permanently-- and that pinged Mimic SO HARD.

Father ALSO brought up SAINT DISMAS!
I mentioned he was my patron saint and Father said "devotion to him is very powerful"
(BTW when I got home, in the kitchen I was suddenly moved to pray to him to pray for me. I wasn't afraid to, it felt like sending a request to a real friend. Solemn but sincere, and strongly affectionate. It was surprising to feel such a trusting hope in myself, such a feeling of actual brotherhood)

Talking to Laurie, briefly, right before the class and during the first minutes. She was in tears, but soberly so, asking me with grave sincerity whether or not I actually forgave her... and asserting the affirmative on her own part.
"You bloody killed me, kid, and I forgive you completely"
I remember her notably stating that, in CNC, we basically "killed each other" by our stupid and foolish actions, but even then we didn't mean to do so. It was never our intention, although it was the awful result.
At one point she admitted this-- that her corruption and slipping directly caused my own death, and still affected me now-- and asked point-blank "do you forgive me." NOT pleading, but seeking an honest reply.
Immediately I started saying "yes, of course I do," but then I jarringly realized THAT WAS PROGRAMMING. When I actually felt down in our heart there was SO MUCH BITTER PAIN EVEN AT HER???? And it was all FUSED WITH OUR OWN SELF-HATRED.
I admitted this to her. It disturbed me that I HAD to "forgive her," that in order to say "I WANT to forgive you, I WANT to be close to you again, I WANT to be able to love you without flashbacks" etc. meant that I wasn't there yet.
Laurie gave me this achingly fierce smile and embraced me just as strongly, just as painfully. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to be able to accept and return it in total freedom. But there is a wound in the way. God help us. Please. It's been five years. We NEED to heal. We NEED to forgive ourselves.

...Laurie said she would much rather I say flat-out that I don't forgive her, but want to work that out together, than to blindly smile and say everything was fine, there's no problem, etc. and not actually heal anything-- because she KNEW there was damage, no matter how much we may try to hide or deny or suppress the severity of it.
...I'd rather bleed with her. I want to. I have so much pain that I've never felt and it's not even mine.
So much of it belongs to people who have died.
What do we do about that?



Home for 8, thanks be to God, we actually get to eat dinner

Mom leaving off a box of Jade/Viral's stuff because THEY'RE OUT OF THE PSYCH WARD TOMORROW. So we can't go to Bible study as we planned because our whole daily focus has changed.
Is that a sin? We are being relied on to help a family member in need, and if we want to feed our stupid body as well, we can't spend the whole morning in church. I feel like throwing up and scream-crying just saying that. What a girlish response. What on earth is wrong with me.

Anyway. We're giving so much it hurts. We can't do any less. That's just honesty. It's natural. I guess that's a grace too. Thank You God.

But poor mom. We ended up STOMPING in frustrated helplessness when talking to her, because she said "you keep scarring all your therapists away, I know what you tell them!" But she doesn't, or are we wrong? God I'm so sorry.
Unprocessed trauma is making us into a monster. 8+ hours if religious rituals every day is not healing those wounds. That sounds sacrilegious, but our disturbingly repetitive confessions say otherwise. We need to actually stop using religion as an excuse to run away from life, to run away from ourself.

I have no idea what to do. "I" still want to puke & scream & weep. I have no idea where that's coming from, or what to call such an emotion, other than overwhelmed helplessness. I want to cry. I want to sleep. There's too much to do. I'll see you tomorrow.


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOTD =
"God's character is unchanging-- He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. The God who loves us and gives us grace today will do the same tomorrow."

Please, repeat this to yourself. Remember it. It's true.
He's not going to suddenly stop giving you grace & love, because guess what? He HAS given us grace, through the Sacraments, and He HAS given us Love, through His Son and through the System. We have PROOF that such gifts HAVE been given, and therefore, since God doesn't change, He WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM.
I know that sounds insane and impossible but it's TRUE. God isn't a human, or a mortal, or a creature. He is Perfect and Good beyond our ability to measure or comprehend and you're just gonna have to get used to that, haha.
...

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KVOTD =
The prayer fills this out beautifully, and builds on the VOTD too=
"God, You are good. No matter what happens in my life, I know that You are perfect and holy in every way. Please make me brave so I can praise you in every situation-- I know it will change things when I do."
1) A vital reminder of God's unchanging Goodness, expended and deepened by the simultaneous truth that He is also HOLY and PERFECT... whatever He allows to happen to us. That REALLY makes you awestruck. It's one thing to be in a crisis and say, "God is still Good. He is still using this for Goodness." It's another thing to say as well, in that crisis, "God is still PERFECT. There is no possible flaw or oversight or misstep in His allowing this." And ultimately, "God is still HOLY. Even as I am suffering greatly, even if I am being tormented by the effects & consequences of sin, God is forever holy, and He sees me in this state, and He is perfect and good and He loves me even now." Et cetera, with all reverence. Take it further, "in every way." His timing is perfect. His methods are holy. His purposes are good. His instruction is perfect. His chastisement is holy. His silence is good... There are so many layers. Honestly, pray through them when you're in distress, one by one. It will center your mind and heart in truth, and thus give you true peace.
2) Bravery is really a GRACE. Being "brave" by human standards often ends up bring arrogant and/or foolhardy instead. What we truly need is FORTITUDE. We need MORAL COURAGE. And we cannot obtain such manly virtues unless the Holy Spirit gives them to us. We must be MADE brave.
3) Real bravery, by definition, cannot be self-serving. If we pray for that grace, we will receive it only if our intention is directed towards God. We must desire to be brave for God's sake, not our own.
4) Why do we need to be brave? To praise God in every situation. That's HEAVY. It means that praise is soldier's work. It means that we will have to fight against fear, doubt, scandal, heresy, and other such vices that do violence to God's honor. It means that sometimes praising God will be the most difficult thing we could possibly do in some situations... and it means that, without the grace of bravery, we cannot praise Him. So do not take it for granted.
5) Praise and worship CHANGES THINGS... paradoxically because God never changes.
Worship brings His perpetual Goodness and Holiness and Perfection into whatever situation we're in,
...

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112523

Nov. 25th, 2023 10:29 pm
prismaticbleed: (angel)
 

Allergy panic HELL.
Looked up garlic symptoms, got LUPUS SCARE????
Actually ordered an online intolerance test. Now I'm panicking about the prep. It's ridiculous. But I've decided to do it all on Monday.
Besides now I will have ACTUAL DATA, that I can compare to old tests, to check consistency.
God can still use this for my good and His Glory. I just need to keep putting it into His Hands. I must surrender entirely.
But my thoughts are my worst enemy.

Almost passed out on bike???

Mom call distraction. That's one of my biggest sins I've noticed.

CONVINCED we were going to DIE if we ate the carrots. Literally shaking & panicked sobbing over it.

Accidentally burnt the eggs, again, from dissociatedly messing up the cooking temperature. Ate them anyway as penance. Reminding ourself that our soul could've been burnt instead.


Evening =
Library printed the intolerance test packing slip, now we don't have to worry and can mail it Monday.

Panic setting in DURING MASS. It really has to be the color of the twilight, but there's still that "you are going to die violently and imminently" terror. WHY. What is in our history that caused this??

Holy Spirit pushed us to make a House stop to get old Suzuki books & B's extra sketchbooks
Being there SHOOK US UP?? Our brain ACTUALLY REGRESSED CHRONOLOGICALLY. It was bizarre. We can never stay "conscious" there, our immediate memories of the visits feel as unreal as dreams, and we never know WHO we are there. Worst of all, then we get the "shivering flashbacks" for the rest of the day, and we can't relax or focus.
Which is why it took us 30m to get undressed when we got home, and then we immediately biked at high resistance for 40m to "cauterize" our brain. Biking is the only thing that staves off panic attacks. It's why we used to run laps all the time when we did live at the house, plus night biking. Man. We never realized it was a COPING MECHANISM. Arguably so was the bloody eating disorder,  in its own awful way. But that's not a discussion topic for tonight! Right now we're too darn scared of dying from eating these carrots, seriously WHAT THE HECK.

...
God FINALLY had mercy and LET US SIT DOWN tonight. Our body is DEVASTATINGLY EXHAUSTED.
Lord please get us through tomorrow.

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ttywpf = Read it during intense carrot panic. Hit like a blow. I must paste the whole thing for full impact.
"God thinks like the Samaritan who did not pass by the unfortunate man, [not simply] pitying him or looking at him from the other side of the road, but helped him without asking for anything in return; without asking whether he was a Jew, a pagan, or a Samaritan, whether he was rich or poor: he asked for nothing. He went to help him: God is like this. God thinks like the Shepherd who lays down His life in order to defend and save His sheep."
"How does God exceed our understanding of love and forgiveness? In what ways have you seen Him go above and beyond your expectations to help you? How can you live out this model of mercy?"

I need to break this down bit by bit.
1) God sees us bleeding on the road and He does NOT pass us by. EVER. But even more striking than that, what I STRUGGLE with, is the FACT that God ALSO DOESN'T JUST "STAND THERE AND WATCH." Yes, He sees me. Yes, He stops and doesn't just keep walking. I can grasp that much. But then I feel like God just looks at me from the other side of the road. "I pity your sad state, but there's nothing I should do, because you deserved these injuries," is what I fear He says. But by writing it out I KNOW it's false. God has too tender a Heart to ever just feel a distanced pity. No, God ACTS.
2) God IMMEDIATELY HELPS with "everything at His disposal," like the Good Samaritan, holding nothing back, sparing no expense or effort.
3) GOD ASKS FOR NOTHING IN RETURN. Think about this. Sure, gratitude and honor are just responses, but God does not "ask for them." He leaves it up to our free will. That's not the biggest point, though-- the point is that God SEEKS NO REWARD OR BENEFIT. He needs no recompense, needs no recognition. He seeks only one thing: TO HELP. His motivation is utterly pure and loving, always.
4) GOD DOES NOT "ASK IF YOU DESERVE IT"-- either the beating or the healing!!! He NEVER puts conditions on His compassion. "Sorry, but you're a pagan; I can't help you, it'll be scandalous!" NO. HE NEVER SAYS THAT.
5) I reiterate: God comes to us to help us. Pure and true and simple.
6) THE SHEPHERD EXAMPLE is STAGGERING. I actually never considered how sheep CANNOT "give back" ANYTHING to their Shepherd for saving them!! The Good Shepherd literally DIES to protect them, and they are just "dumb and foolish animals" who may not even realize they HAVE been "died for." They can't say thanks, they can't recompense, they can't eulogize him, nothing. Sheep are just sheep. But the Shepherd loves them and sacrifices Himself for them regardless of their response, because of His love.
...
7) God exceeds my expectations because my expectations are disturbingly unloving. That actually shocks me into asking, "then what the heck IS my understanding of love and forgiveness???"
...
...
8) ...God constantly goes above and beyond my expectations because I expect His "help" to be... punishment, or exacerbation, or just watching from the side of the road. When I ask for help I literally "expect" Him to say, "my NOT doing anything IS helping you!" "NOT comforting or consoling you IS what you need most!" "The best way TO help you is actually to give you MORE suffering!" And those ARE VALID RESPONSES. The problem is, there's no alternative. There's NEVER an option for gentleness, because "I AM being gentle with you; if I wasn't, you'd be in the ER right now."
...
9) How can I model this. Yes, me. How can I live out this mercy I have received?
Step one: recognize that you have received mercy. I mean REAL mercy. Disentangle it from fear & terror that it is "only temporary," or "conditional," or "an exception."
You seem to fail to realize that real mercy requires love. Only through love can mercy admit the undeserving state of the recipient and gently set it aside, because mercy exists to triumph over justice alone. Mercy and love see farther & deeper. They count no cost and keep no score. They both exult in giving themselves liberally, freely, without fine print or conditions. They are the glory of God and God alone, for they flow from His Heart.
...


abbodfer = "Your brain us your greatest weapon. Protect it!"
Immediately my brain thinks of this image, haha.
...

MDE = one about consecrated life, the other about Saint Gemma and her amazing love for Christ in the Eucharist. Both really hit hard, both convicted me of pride & fear, both gave me hope that God can still change me. Both moved me with the absolute beauty and power of REAL LOVE, which CAN ONLY COME FROM GOD and which ALSO CAN ONLY BE FELT FOR GOD!!!

About the nuns=
"One of the most thrilling, beautiful and heroic scenes that I have ever been privileged to witness is that of the consecration of a young lady to Christ— the scene of a nun’s religious profession. The entire consecration is spread between two ceremonies; between the two is interposed the period of her novitiate. She enters the chapel for the first time clothed as a lovely bride, white-robed, veiled, carrying a gorgeous bouquet in her arms. She comes forth for the second time a somber nun, clothed in black, her body entirely garmented except for her face. She has almost lost her identity, even to the extent of changing her name. Now she is called Sister. But the sister of whom? The sister of Him Who is called the First-born of all the brethren, our Brother, Jesus Christ. The human being has suffered a mystical death; there is born of that act of consecration a new being, a spouse and lover of the divine Christ.
This act of consecration of a nun, this transformation, usually takes place during Holy Mass. It is a sacrifice within a sacrifice: a small Calvary erected side by side with the mystic Calvary of Christ. This act of consecration and change, this transformation takes place at Mass because it is through the Mass that each of us can and must be changed into the likeness of Christ. Through the Mass we must "put on Christ" that we may be able to say: “I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me.” And this transformation of us into Christ can be effected only by suffering and by sacrifice."

1) The identity loss is actually a paradox. She still has a name, but it is an echo of a saint and not of herself, utterly detached from her past and no longer even her primary mode of address.
2) This is HEROIC. 
3) She is now a Sister OF CHRIST. I somehow never realized this. But, this means she is also the Sister of EVERY Christian in the Body of Christ, in a special way?
4) The "mystical death" DIRECTLY RESULTS IN A "MYSTICAL BIRTH." Death is NEVER the end for a Christian!
5) Her death IS HER CONSECRATION, just like Christ.
6) She becomes a "SPOUSE & LOVER" THROUGH THIS "DEATH"???? I struggle so much to understand marital language in the church, but this is important.
...
7) The Mass parallel is strikingly beautiful & momentous. Each Mass is an event of "consecration, change, and transformation," and that happens THROUGH "suffering & sacrifice"-- literally through "mystical death," however "small", united with His.
...
8) THIS TRANSFORMATION AT EVERY MASS IS OF US BEING MADE INTO THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST. This is not a replacement or supplanting; this is no newage "Christ consciousness" heresy. There is ONLY ONE CHRIST, in all truth. Adam was not a deity, just because he was "in the likeness of God". This still applies to all humanity, no matter what modern humanism declares. Man is not God, and man cannot be God. But God became Man, in order to lift man up INTO God, through Himself alone. I don't know this well enough to talk about it. But, Christ is Present in every Mass, Present through His Sacrifice that reconciled all humanity to God and made us able TO be reborn, even recreated, in Christ's likeness.
9) Birth requires blood. That's the summary of it. If Christ had to bleed & die in order to redeem us-- if His Passion is an integral part of His Character, as it were-- then to be remade in His Likeness evidently requires that we must share His Passion. Again, I am too uneducated to discuss this further.
10) THIS TRANSFORMATION IS MANDATORY FOR ALL CHRISTIANS!! We cannot do it alone, we can barely fathom it. But we can go to Mass with this intention and offer ourselves wirh Him in a surrendering spirit of love. Christ will do His work in us. We just need to be willing to die as He did, and as this nun did, before we can be resurrected, reborn in His likeness, and able to love Him properly.


------‐-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

VOTD = Numbers 6:24-26.
"For God’s Face to shine upon someone is for the grace & favor of God to be on them. But for this to happen, we need to be in relationship with God. We ought to spend time with God each day, learning from Him and receiving His grace through His Spirit... through a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is the primary way that God blesses us today. When we have faith in Jesus, we begin such a relationship with Him, and the Holy Spirit lives within us and empowers our new life."
1) Jesus Christ IS the "Face of God."
2) RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS ALWAYS BY COVENANT. This is the ONLY WAY we mortal creatures CAN be on such unique & close terms with Him. GOD MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE.
3) We cannot keep the original covenant, due to sin. So now we can ONLY be "in a relationship" with God THROUGH JESUS? He IS the New and Eternal Covenant, IN HIMSELF, AS RELATIONSHIP?? He alone fulfills the Old in Himself and thereby sublimates it in His Person? THROUGH Him we enter into real relationship with the Father AND the Spirit!!
4) Also, not only IS Jesus God, as the Son, He is also HUMAN, and therefore CAN be in close relationship with humans???
5) We "spend time with God" through prayer, Scripture, Mass, and devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration. These are all literally direct ways to contact God,
6) RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS THE SOURCE AND MEANS OF BLESSINGS!!!!! This changes EVERYTHING and it annihilates the "prosperity gospel". When we seek and receive mercy, peace, comfort, justice, wisdom, truth, purpose, guidance, clarity, hope, love... ALL those SPIRITUAL blessings, which are REAL & ETERNAL, unlike temporary gifts, EXIST AND ARE BESTOWED WITHIN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, and will ALWAYS NECESSARILY BE REALIZED AND RECEIVED both THROUGH AND AS HIM. I cannot emphasize this enough.


The guided prayer is EXACTLY what the Ttywpf was talking about =
"God, thank You for blessing me and always keeping me near You. Thank You for looking upon me with delight and love. Thank You for showing me mercy. Thank You for seeing me through every challenge and bringing me peace."
1) Blessing= Count them. This is your gratitude list.
2) Keeping near= As Laurie always says to me... "Kid, I never leave." That's what God is like, infinitely moreso.
3) Delight in= This is SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
4) Look with Love= ...This is so beautiful it seems impossible.
5) Mercy shown= note the ACTIVE VERB. God doesn't just "talk mercy," He SHOWS IT. 
6) Seeing through challenges= You're not dead yet, right? Seriously, that is PROOF of God's faithful protection.
7) Peace= I love the verb "bringing" with this. It gives the feeling of unexpected generosity, of a surprise gift. It's like bringing flowers or a meal to someone sick. The very word "bring" suggests an anticipated yet unvoiced need graciously met.
...


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The KVOTD today was Psalm 136, simply yet strongly emphasizing GRATITUDE, notably that "thankfulness is a COMMAND, not a recommendation!" That's because our thankfulness DIRECTLY REFLECTS OUR TRUST IN GOD'S GOODNESS-- whether we have such trust or not. God doesn't change. He cannot change.
"We must be thankful at all times, not because of what we have or don't have, but simply because GOD IS GOOD."
That COMPLETELY shifts our focus OF gratitude, away from things & circumstances and onto GOD... JUST GOD. THAT'S the duty of a Christian!!
...actually oh my goodness I JUST REALIZED what Psalm this is!! We pray it in the Divine Office sometimes and it always strikes me as so interesting, worthy of meditation, because EVERY SINGLE LINE ends with "for His mercy endures forever," EVEN if the preceding line doesn't seem merciful to the mortal mind. BUT THAT'S THE DEPTH. THAT'S THE POINT! GOD NEVER CHANGES. No matter how we may debate or argue or question or doubt, HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER, and that mercy is therefore JUST AS OMNIPRESENT A PART OF GOD'S CHARACTER AS HIS JUSTICE.

The prayer today had some powerful insights =
"God, thank You for challenging me with Your Word today. Thankfulness isn't a feeling I experience-- it is a continuous choice I make every day! Please help me to choose to be thankful to You no matter what is going on around me. I know You deserve it."
1) What a beautiful opener. "Thank You for challenging me." THAT'S recognition of God's Character! But this recognition is deepened by the MODE of challenge-- GOD'S WORD. Truthfully, that's the ONLY WAY God will challenge us, because IT APPLIES TO EVERYTHING.
1.5) A challenge is etymologically an accusation, a charge of wrongdoing, a rebuke, a legal complaint. It is a calling-out of sin. That is EXACTLY what Scripture does, and for Christians that IS something to be grateful for-- because we have an ADVOCATE, a Great High Priest, a Redeemer, Who is ALSO our Just Judge. "He wounds, but He also heals." His Word which challenges us in our evil also points us to deliverance from the same. Note: a challenge is also, by definition, always difficult. A challenge also "calls us to fight"; it "calls us to account", forcing us to choose our ground and stand there. But where we plant our feet and flag depends on where our gratitude lies. If we thank God FOR challenging us, we will surrender to HIS side, and fight against our own sin, even at the expense of pride and comfort. But if we are ungrateful... then we will die on our molehill, claiming we are a mountain, and we will lose everything. God challenges us in order to PREVENT such doom.
2) GRATITUDE ISN'T A FEELING!! IT'S A CHOICE!! Oh man this is a GAME-CHANGER and it's PROFOUNDLY CONSOLING. It completely disarms emotion as a false standard of truth. It absolves struggling hearts from moral panic. It frees us from the prison of waiting on whims. Gratitude doesn't "just happen," it isn't inherently "warm and fuzzy," it's not "lost", and it IS POSSIBLE EVEN NOW. It's a posture of the heart. I finally understand that phrase! Real thankfulness is oriented SOLELY AND TOTALLY TOWARDS GOD, and when it is, then its INVINCIBLE.
3) We still need God's grace to do this. It isn't "humanly possible" otherwise.
4) God is always, perfectly, eternally, entirely Good. Therefore HE DESERVES OUR GRATITUDE. It's basic justice. If you need more "reason" as to why God deserves all our thanks, read the Bible. Go to Church. Look at nature. Hug your family. Take a deep breath. Et cetera. God gave you ALL OF THAT freely because He IS Good. Be humble, be joyful, and be grateful.


...There's been such a heavy and unignorable focus on relationship and gratitude lately, in our daily devotionals. The Holy Spirit is absolutely trying to get His point across. The two are mutually inclusive. I cannot have a true relationship with God if I'm too selfish, scared, or stupid to be actively grateful FOR HIM, not just what He does!! ALL of God's actions are a DIRECT EXPRESSION OF HIS CHARACTER. And if I'm still afraid He's waiting to crush me... then I don't properly know Him. I cannot properly thank Him, if I'm only thanking Him for "not killing me today." And if I cannot thank Him, because I don't truly know Him, then I cannot be in relationship with Him.
THIS IS A DEADLY WARNING. PAY ATTENTION.

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Finishing up that Catholic Answers article tonight.

"...we [ought] to care for the bodies of those we love, which they wore far more closely and intimately than any clothing! For the body is not an extraneous ornament or aid, but a part of man’s very nature."
I still am so new to this truth. Because yes, it's a TRUTH, not an idea or concept. The human body is SACRED and DESTINED FOR IMMORTALITY. It's not just junk flesh, it's not a prison, it's not "someone else who i happen to be trapped in." My soul is apparently BOUND to this thing BY DESIGN.
...Death does not turn the body into trash. It doesn't. That body may decompose but it is still marked forever as a Temple of God.
...

"Why do we worship the incarnate Jesus? After all, “the King of ages” is “immortal, invisible, the only God” (1 Tim. 1:17).  The people of the first century could no more see Jesus’ divine nature than we can see it today. They saw his humanity, and those who believed saw, through his humanity (so to speak), to his divinity... Jesus’ humanity is therefore both an image of his divinity and associated with his divinity. Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.” That’s the first reason we worship him in his humanity: his humanity is imprinted with divinity. But the second reason is that Jesus’ humanity is perfectly united to his divinity and that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). In other words, his humanity is the instrument of our salvation. In that sense, it's... why we worship the Eucharist AS the Body of Christ. [Remember, ] we don’t worship... the Body of Christ as flesh. Rather, we worship God in (or through) [it]."
...DUDE WHAT
This is making me dizzy. It never ever even occurred to me that we DO worship His "Body", BECAUSE HE IS GOD INCARNATE.
1) ONLY God is worthy of worship.
2) Jesus is God. Jesus is ALSO a man.
3) Jesus "took on flesh," uniting His human soul & body TO HIS DIVINE PERSONHOOD.
4) Therefore, by this unity, Jesus's human Body is worthy of worship, but NOT AS just a body-- it is worthy ONLY because it is literally "made part of God," in the Person of the Son?? And so when we worship His Body we are directing that worship not to the Body as "flesh" but TO GOD, as through HIS Body of flesh BECAUSE IT'S UNITED WITH HIS DIVINITY???
Man this is rewiring my entire brain. This is amazing.
5) BUT THE EUCHARIST!!!!! Suddenly that gains even DEEPER meaning, as it IS JESUS'S BODY, and if the body is not extraneous but essential to one's being, if the body is made FOR the soul and CANNOT be separated from it even in death... then yes, suddenly the words "BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, AND DIVINITY" gain profounder depths-- that my mind cannot fully grasp at all, not yet. But now I can FEEL them. Now I know there IS MORE to it. Now I can meditate on it, pray about it, open my heart to learn more.
This is perfect timing, too, as we have Adoration off & on all day tomorrow for Christ the King.
6) Jesus's HUMANITY is the instrument of our salvation. That has me reeling. Even if I can only comprehend the bare surface of it yet, its true. His BODY was intrinsic to the Plan of Salvation. That same Body is inevitably eternal, permanently part of God, if only for the fact of the Cross. Our Redemption wasn't accomplished by the mere abstracted will of God. It wasn't won by Jesus's Soul alone. It REQUIRED HIS BODY, UNITED TO HIS SOUL, UNITED TO HIS DIVINITY. It was ALL essential, TOGETHER!
After all, don't forget the achingly important bit-- Jesus needed a Body in order to have a HEART, and in order to BLEED. He needed a Body so He could sacrifice it.
There's so much terrific beauty in that. I want to just contemplate it for a while.


------‐--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last =

"Mary lived in the presence of Jesus. She paid attention to him. She contemplated him. She found a focus and a center in him. It is the same for us who come before the Eucharistic Lord [especially in Adoration], as we simply stay with him, watch him, focus ourselves on him and find in him a center for our lives. This form of Eucharistic adoration both stems from the Mass and leads us back to the Mass."
This helps me so much, to understand Adoration better in light of Mary's perfect example, as I admittedly never really knew "how to adore properly".
This is... touchingly simple, but very weighty. It's demanding, as all honest love is, like a mother for a child. But it's not tedious. It's only so demanding because real love requires of itself a total giving of self, because anything less wouldn't be love. And here it's absolutely reciprocal. The Eucharist IS Love Itself. Adoration "demands" such love by justice alone, but never forces it. Love must be given freely, willingly, completely. In Adoration, Love Himself will enable us to do so in return. 



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