Who By Fire

My so-called C-PTSD life and Leonard Cohen bathtub breakdowns

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Quick note: I’ve been feeling heavy with grief this past week and wanting to address some deeper topics. Sometimes my way of coping with uncomfortable/painful feelings is to bring a touch of humor and levity, so hoping this strikes the balance in a way that honors my own feelings, the collective sentiment, and offers a silver lining to anyone struggling with prolonged trauma.

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Hey everyone,

Since this is a lifestyle newsletter, I thought it fitting to discuss my C-PTSD life/style. I’d call it a journey, but at some point, it becomes a lifestyle—because there’s no end to trauma, except death (which sounds way too bleak). But hey, why just be traumatized when you can be sexy and traumatized? Live, laugh, love, and manage those trauma responses!

Living with C-PTSD has shaped every aspect of my life—how I work, how I love, and even how I practice self-care. In fact, it’s the reason why I’m so great at what I do: I’m an expert at running from my problems. In 2018/2019, I had a pretty damning self-care addiction where I blew all my money on spa Groupons and 20-step skincare routines because there’s nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub for a couple of hours while pretending your responsibilities don’t exist. But here’s the thing: you can’t run away from your problems forever and it’s unsustainable to walk around carrying so much heavy emotional baggage (And why not with modern orthopedic support and CBD topicals? I say go ergonomic).