because misinformation and stigma make the disorder even worse Mental Health I've had three rounds of dialectical behavior therapy treatments. My therapists have always told me that thinking dialectically is the same thing as approaching life with a “both/and” attitude: that sometimes, conflicting ideas can exist simultaneously. As someone with borderline personality disorder, I often… Continue reading Miss Misery Newsletter #5: Ask Me Anything, Borderline Edition
Miss Misery Newsletter #4: Procrastiknitting
because my homework needles me Mental Health I’m gonna be honest, I’m a little sake-tipsy right now. In my defense, I just turned in the biggest project of the semester: a research paper based on data I collected from surveys I designed to test hypotheses I came up with. (It was a lot of work,… Continue reading Miss Misery Newsletter #4: Procrastiknitting
Miss Misery Newsletter #3: Dating & BPD
it can be done Mental Health I was hanging out on a writing Discord the other day when the topic of personality disorders came up. I was eager to share my experiences with BPD, but before I had a chance to reveal my diagnosis, a stranger began complaining about their borderline ex. Which led to… Continue reading Miss Misery Newsletter #3: Dating & BPD
MM Newsletter #2: Manuscripts, Knits, and Cat Pics, Oh My
it's what the internet runs on Hi, I’m Zoe. Welcome back to Miss Misery.blog, where I post my weekly newsletter (which you can subscribe to for free!). How many issues deep are we now? Feels like twenty, maybe thirty? Regardless, I hope you brought your own beer. Misery and Mystery, A Novel I recently printed… Continue reading MM Newsletter #2: Manuscripts, Knits, and Cat Pics, Oh My
MM Newsletter #1: Welcome to Miss Misery!
Hello! Welcome to Miss Misery - or if you're a returning reader, welcome back. I haven't updated this site in a hot second, but that's about to change, as I've just started publishing the Miss Misery Newsletter. Every Monday, I'll publish its full contents on this blog. You're welcome to subscribe to the letter or… Continue reading MM Newsletter #1: Welcome to Miss Misery!
Circadian rhythms. Do they matter?
I’ve been on this Earth for a quarter of a century, and I still have no idea how the hell anyone is able to go to bed at a consistent time every night. To put this in context, I don’t do anything consistently. I can’t keep the same schedule two days in a row for… Continue reading Circadian rhythms. Do they matter?
I can’t create if I’m thinking about creating.
I've been in therapy for 13 years, and the most potent thing I’ve learned from my doctors is the value of being aware of my own thoughts and feelings. This awareness is called mindfulness, and it’s the very meta practice of monitoring your mind's activities in order to stay grounded in reality. Your feelings are… Continue reading I can’t create if I’m thinking about creating.
Be skeptical of your gut instincts.
I think my stomach has a brain. It knew, long before I did, when the relationship wasn’t going to work. It tried to tell me as much when I had to sneak out of my partner’s bedroom night after night because I couldn’t stand his snoring or the smell of his pet rats. It knew… Continue reading Be skeptical of your gut instincts.
Love makes it easier to feel safe in the world.
When I woke up yesterday, I found I was sharing my bed with a little beetle that was crawling around just a few inches from my nose. Ordinarily, I would have immediately screamed and jumped out of bed, then run from the room. Instead, I surprised myself by examining the thing curiously for a few… Continue reading Love makes it easier to feel safe in the world.
Generalized anxiety disorder is like a phobia of everything.
I'm afraid of everything. There are many different types of phobias, and most of them are specific. Lots of people are scared of places, like small spaces or tall heights; others have a strong aversion to certain objects, like spiders or blood; and others avoid specific scenarios, like flying or being surrounded by strangers. Triggers… Continue reading Generalized anxiety disorder is like a phobia of everything.
Miss Misery 