A reduction in my symptoms of cPTSD — I’m slowly approaching the two-year mark of when I started writing on Medium. The surreal aspect of this is not so much the time that has passed, but the growth in the quality, expression, and vulnerability of my writing. When I first began writing here, I was having perhaps the…

And the day came when the risk to remain closed tightly in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to Blossom. Anonymous — Research on trauma has substantially grown over the past few decades, with its biggest rupture stemming from the ACEs study conducted by a research team from Kaiser Permanente. We’re seeing today how early childhood experiences become the overarching pattern of how we respond and cope with life circumstances.

Without self-awareness, healing cannot happen. — With the increased interest in practices such as mindfulness and meditation, self-awareness is becoming a key skill that is beneficial across multiple domains, like our social, financial, and spiritual well-being. Recently, I’ve come to learn that cultivating self-awareness does not always require a mindfulness or meditation practice — but more…

I’m trying to understand my father’s heart now that he’s gone. — I think most individuals hear the phrase “You’ll understand when you’re older” very often while growing up. I don’t know about you, but I would often question, “Why when I’m older and not now?” Just recently I went to Mexico to visit my family. Being there, I came to understand…

But instead, as we believe in my culture, I’ll become my own guardian angel. — For the past few weeks, I have not given myself the chance to write here. I accidentally missed registering for a class required for my graduate program and had to enroll almost four weeks late into the quarter. Therefore I’ve been playing a game of catch up. Within this time…

Resilience requires mind-and-body interaction. — I recently listened to the Huberman Lab’s podcast episode called Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance. It was hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman and features Dr. Alia Crum. Dr. Alia Crum is an American psychologist known for her behavioral research on mindsets and how these mindsets affect one’s physical…

If we do not ever feel lost, then we are doing something wrong. — A Sense of “Lostness” I remember a few years back I often would feel distressed whenever I subjectively felt lost in life or didn’t know what direction to take. This would often follow with chronic indecision and frustration. Now looking back, I believe that a lot of the distress I felt was due to…

To be the fire that keeps you warm when the metaphorical freezing darkness settles. — Almost three years ago, my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Initially, I remember using school and work as active distractors to help me cope with the new stressors that arose following my dad’s diagnosis. After I earned my undergraduate degree, I decided to take a year off before continuing…