Tag Archives: safety
Noticing Safety in the Small Moments We Overlook
Walking home from the community garden, I saw a young man coming toward me on my street. It was Independence Day weekend and there was a local event happening nearby, so there were more people around than usual, including people … Continue reading
Posted in Community
Tagged Community, connection, moment, Noticing, safety, stranger, support, well-being
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Beyond Credentials: The Non-Negotiable Key to My Recovery
I had a years-long period when my functionality was so low that it was hard for me to leave the house. I was severely isolated by disability from repeated medical harm. My relationships with practitioners became my default primary social … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare, Relationships
Tagged connection, doctors, Empathy, healthcare, IPNB, pain, pain medicine, pain specialist, practitioners, Relational Neuroscience, relationships, safety, well-being
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The 17-Gun Salute That Shattered Me
Five years ago, during a year near death, one of the most intense stressors wasn’t the medical neglect or the endless fight for even minimal care. It was sound. The moment that shattered me was the 17–gun salute at my … Continue reading
Posted in Neurobiology, Trauma
Tagged audio-somatic Synesthesia, auditory issues, funeral, guns, hearing, hearing sensitivity, hyperacusis, safety, sound, sound sensitivity
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When the Body Sets the Pace: Trauma Integration Through Agency and Relationship
I had a remarkably powerful experience with my craniosacral practitioner after I had realized that my Moro Reflex flashbacks were also connected to the suffocation torture. It was the same posture–prone face up, arms wide, head back–and inability to breathe. … Continue reading
Posted in Relationships, Trauma
Tagged craniosacral, craniosacral practitioner, holding space, implicit memory, recovery, safety, torture, trauma recovery, witnessing
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Cues of Safety: Why Connection is Non-Negotiable in Healthcare
Cues of safety are signals we give each other that tell our nervous systems we are safe with one another. When we feel pro-social and safe enough to be authentic and truly connect, we naturally give off these cues, which … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged chronic disease, chronic illness, connection, Doctor, Empathy, healthcare, Medicine, practitioner, PTSD, safety
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The IPNB of Masking: How the Nervous System Prioritizes Belonging Over Authenticity
Masking behavior, or social camouflaging,, is the conscious or subconscious suppression of one’s natural personality, emotions, or neurodivergent traits to conform to social norms, fit in, or avoid judgment. It is commonly used by autistic individuals, those with ADHD, or … Continue reading
Posted in Mental Health
Tagged authenticity, IPNB, masking, performing, protection, safety, social camouflaging, survival adaptations
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The Granddaddy Effect: Honoring Raxley Leonard Obarr on His 140th Birthday and the Neuroscience of a Life-Saving Connection
Today, March 13th, marks the 140th birthday of my maternal great-grandfather, Raxley Leonard Obarr, my Granddaddy. He was the only grandfather figure I knew. He was also a Knight Templar, a master of bird magic, a juggler, and the kindler … Continue reading
Posted in co-regulation, Family
Tagged activism, belonging, connection, Granddaddy, great-grandfather, justice, legacy, Mental Health, safety, well-being
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Putting Our Lived Experience on the Record Can Help Build a Sense of Safety
I started bringing a printed page to my pain specialist appointments because I needed a way to communicate that worked for my nervous system and his. Each page bears the date and his name, plus brief status updates on regional … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged continuity, Doctor, IPNB, notes, pain specialist, records, Regulation, safety
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Announcing My First Book!
Of all the things I could have predicted for my life, becoming a watercolor graphic medicine artist who uses cartoon ladybugs to teach Relational Neuroscience was not one of them. But here I am. My “Della the IPNB Ladybug™” books … Continue reading