BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

Abuse changes the brain. Thank you modern science for proving correct what I have been saying for years. And the more I work with other abuse victims, the more I see proof that this is so. Abuse victims are not stupid, nutjobs, obsessive, crazy, scorned or naive . Suicide victims or contemplaters are not insane, cowardly or crying for attention. As someone who contemplated suicide a few times for a variety of reasons ( none of which had to do with attention-getting or cowardice ) and who attempted it once (to get away from the 2 sociopaths in my life who had pushed me to the edge) I am grateful to my late therapist and those who made me see my life still had value. I was stuck in cognitive loops from which I couldn't escape through shear strength of will. At the bottom of this article is a link to my friend Iddybud 's recent post on the PTSD related suicides of Iraq War soldiers/ survivors. Please read and pass on. Don't pass judgment on those of us whose lives have...

By Gene Messick On 11 December I wrote an Article for OEN about this: Opportunities to deal with sociopaths in American politics Since then, I've been collecting examples to prove my point. Just recently I discovered one of the most egregious examples to date, described in a recent Mother Jones blog by Jonathan Stine in which he wrote this: " Alberto Gonzales: Pathetic? Deluded? Crazy? Short fiction writer Alberto Gonzales is confused, asking in a recent interview, " What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?" If Gonzales is trying this unctuous nonsense in an attempt at image- rehabilitation, he needs to hire a professional PR company. If he's asking this question in earnest, he is demonstrably insane. As Think Progress points out, the answer to Gonzales' question includes: corrupting the DOJ by insiting on ideological purity tests in hiring; firing US Attorneys that refused to toe the Bush Ad...

I talk about the character disordered so much and see so much of this disorder in those around us - especially in the political realm - these days I thought I'd repost writing goddess, the late Kathy Krajco's piece on 'how to make' a narcissist. While most narcissists are male, some can be female (I should know - I was raised by one). And no, I am not one. I do have problems but this isn't one of them. ~~~~~~ by Kathy Krajco The reddest red flag is perverted behavior. Leave out the sexual connotation: I use that word perverted because it means "thoroughly twisted" or "turned backwards." Any act can be perverted. Perverted behavior is the extreme opposite of what is called for. This is behavior that goes against nature, behavior that makes you want to pinch yourself. In other words, it's a surprise, a shock, the last thing you expected. Like maybe everyone in that classroom was sitting up straight with all eyes riveted upon Teacher and you cou...

Ben Goldfarb Director, Paradigm Shift Communications We sometimes think we understand other people's motives, and more often than not, we condemn others for their words and actions. Perhaps we need to change the way we look at the world. The Talmud states that we don't see the world as it is but rather as we see ourselves. The founder of the Chasidic movement, Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (1698-1760), takes this notion one step further. He suggests that we look at the world as if looking in a mirror. When we see good or bad character traits in others, this is simply a reflection of who we are. This concept is illustrated beautifully by the following story: A traveler approached the gates of a city and, before entering, asked about the nature of its inhabitants. The guard asked him what the people were like in his hometown. The man described in no uncertain terms all the negative attributes of his former neighbors. The guard said that the people in his city were iden...

UN-CIVILIZATION What the he** is going on these days? I've heard about three shootings in the U.S. this week alone? Is that right? I was thinking a lot today about a couple other stories in the news I'd heard about in relation to the almost complete destruction of appropriate behavior in our society. I fear for my kids because it seems the world at large has become a Lord of the Flies sort of tribal system where no one is safe. People are beaten for the most inocuous or hateful reasons, in broad daylight, in the U.S.A. I wait to see someone walking through my neighborhood with an assault rifle looking like Michael Douglas in FALLING DOWN. I'm just disgusted. Seems we've become the society of: I never apologize I am never wrong Someone else is always to blame They did it too I don't like your: hair, skin color, religion, shoes, coat, purse, smell, eyes... (pick one or add your own here!) I am a depressed loser so I will shoot up a: shopping mall, college campus,...