SurvivingSara

Tag: Writing

  • Flowers for Sara

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    Many blog readers are probably too young to remember “Flowers for Algernon.” It’s a book frequently assigned to English class back in the day. Later, there was a movie. I haven’t read it in years and years but, paraphrasing, a man with a low IQ receives a “miracle” drug that has shown amazing results with…

  • An Alphabet Whirlwind

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    All the letters used to be under control in my head. Growing up, if I saw words, I could usually spell them correctly just like that. When I needed to work it out, looking up to the right would help me put it in context and come up with letters falling into place effortlessly. Truth…

  • There’s That River in Egypt Again

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    Do you take return trips to places you’ve visited in the past? I seem to be drawn to long cruises on the River Nile. It is beautiful. Problem is, I don’t even know I’ve been on the water alone until a friend or counselor lets me know it’s time to disembark. Good news is this…

  • What’s Up, Doc?

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    All right, readers; I’m going to do my best to to write about anything except fibromyalgia, depression, or suicide in the coming weeks. Those that follow along will know I’ve been preoccupied with an unsuccessful medication switch and return to original. Back to where I was at the beginning of September, I’ll appreciate the pain…

  • Slow Thinking

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    Sara Z
    in

    I’ve taken to sharing with people that I have cognitive difficulties when I have trouble in the midst of a conversation, usually about scheduling an appointment. A friend and fellow blogger, Ashley https://mentalhealthathome.org, used the phrase ‘slow thinking’ in her writing and I think I like it. This week, I’ve been seriously slow thinking. I’ve…

  • The Nitty Gritty

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    Sara Z
    in

    Tiny news items: Twenty years I’ve called this house my home. Today, I was puzzled by the mechanism of the front window vertical blinds. It took several minutes to achieve the desired effect. A longer pause than usual spent catching the word that’s just there, on the tip of my tongue, can be explained away,…

  • Unexpected

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    Sara Z
    in

    If I blog about not blogging, am I an oxymoron? Doing this post just so I could use that line, not gonna lie. Chronic pain and illness are partially, if not wholly, responsible for the completely blank and arid condition of my brain. I recognize that this time of year is kind of a lull…

  • Write Out

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    Sara Z
    in

    It seems as though we will have a white Christmas in my neck of the woods. My illness and pain are causing a white out in my brain. Tried to begin writing a PAV (Parent is Also a Verb) post but I’m unable and nothing else pops into mind. One of these days.

  • Tonight Will Be Better

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    Insomnia. Not just sleep interrupted by trips to the kitchen or bathroom, now I’m talking about hours tossing and turning, in addition to waking up for the day at 4 or 5 am for no particular reason. As many as three naps a day does not even things out, maybe even more discombobulated upon waking.…

  • Circle Back

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    Seems I’ve been learning the same things for all my years. Felt like I was moving through life in a linear fashion but, looking over the posts of this blog, I found something that surprised me. I see recurrent themes and topics, which is to be expected. Then, not too long ago, I penned a…

  • The Nature of My Insecurity

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    Sara Z
    in

    When I read this, my anxiety rises. My head knows it is beautiful and I breathe, knowing it should feel good to revisit. Instead, I see a list of characteristics and rate my performance on each in the back of my mind, not comparing myself to others but judging against an ideal. The first hit…

  • If I’m Honest

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    Sara Z
    in

    That phrase bugs the shit out of me. Yeah, please do. Be honest. Was everything before just bullshit? Are you letting me know that you’re not always telling me the truth? In the best light possible, it can mean you keep some things to yourself but, since someone asked, now you’ll say what you really…

  • Thank You

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    by

    Sara Z
    in

    A little over a year ago, I started this blog because I wanted to document my journey through this bout with clinical depression. I’ve had two prior battles so, even as I felt overwhelmed by darkness, I knew blogging through it might help others gain a better understanding of what depression is like. It’s become…