Cancer is not a “one size fits all” disease. There are many types of cancer and there are many different forms of treatment. The advantage of any type of cancer treatment is that it may help patients conquer their disease. The disadvantage is that it may cause unpleasant side effects. One of the side effects that can result from radiation and/or some types of cancer surgery is a permanent condition known as lymphedema. Patients who have lymphedema suffer from a build-up of fluid, which causes swelling. This usually occurs inRead More

Gaslighting is an insidious erosion of your sense of reality; it creates a mental fog of epic proportions in the twisted “funhouse” of smoke, mirrors, and distortions that is an abusive relationship. When a malignant narcissist gaslights you, they engage in crazymaking discussions and character assassinations where they challenge and invalidate your thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and sanity. Gaslighting enables narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths to exhaust you to the point where you are unable to fight back. Rather than finding ways to healthily detach from this toxic person, you are sabotagedRead More

At my last birthday in November, I received a cheery pink-and-white card from a close colleague who had died months before. Startled, confused, I checked the handwriting and the return address. All legit. I immediately emailed a mutual friend. She had received one on her birthday, too. No, this isn’t the prelude to a tawdry murder mystery. Our well-wisher had apparently hired a mailing service, which to my knowledge she had never done before. I had to wonder whether she was already planning her exit when she signed the cards. Like Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain,Read More

Previous research has suggested that narcolepsy may be an autoimmune condition. Now, a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications finds additional evidence that this may be the case. Narcolepsy involves ‘sleep attacks’ that can interfere with daily activities. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition that affects a person’s sleep-wake cycle. The condition makes people feel excessively tired during the day. It may also cause them to experience sudden “sleep attacks,” during which an overwhelming desire to sleep can interfere with daily activities. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders andRead More

Narcissists view their children as possessions and often have extremely close, exclusive and possessive relationships with them. The narcissist will have complete control over their child and will feel resentful and jealous if the child wants to break free from their clutches and create a life of their own. A narcissist will put the child down to make them feel inferior and worthless so that they struggle to maintain the level of confidence needed to exist independently. A narcissist will successfully brainwash their child during the early years and switchRead More

I’ve recently written about my experience with a narcissist, and regularly I see the same comments. “What about when the narcissist is a parent?” As I have researched and studied this subject in depth, I have decided to write about what happens when the narcissist is a parent. I aim to provide guidance and understanding for both someone who has a narcissist parent, and someone who is co-parenting with a narcissist. Narcissists have many sides and they choose very carefully which side they wish to show depending on how it will benefit them. Therefore,Read More

Empathy is the ability to feel the feelings of others. An Empath, as I understand it, is a person who possesses a natural state of the heart that is particularly sensitive to the feelings of others, even those others who’ve not openly shared their feelings. An Empath feels the feelings of those in their vicinity and even the feelings of those distant.  It can be a great burden and very trying and tiring. This kind of empathy can be a Super-Power, but too often becomes a detriment. Too many Empaths find themselvesRead More

Will see their interactions with you as a game: Narcissists are weak. They have no real substance and because of this, they are more likely to play the social game much more than other people or people who are genuine and confident. You most likely have seen this type of narcissist. They appear so very friendly to everyone and may use their unfortunate circumstances to gain social prestige, attention, or compassion. Once they receive this and have everyone fooled, they turn on those who truly know them and would rather stayRead More

For most people, their belief is that narcissism is “easy” to spot because laymen and pop psychology characterize narcissism as selfish ambition, arrogance, cockiness, inconsiderate of others, and a strong desire to be at the “top of the game.” But narcissism is truly difficult to spot in everyday life because some of the kindest and nicest people could be a narcissist hiding under a facade. Narcissism doesn’t always shine through the moment you meet someone. In fact, narcissism may not fully bloom until you’ve married the person, accepted a job fromRead More

Couple this taping method with the basic pumping action of muscles as they move and fluid moves with greater ease. Unlike general massage strokes that can compress the tissues, kinesiology tape offers a gentle treatment option. The most common application is the edema strip method used to alleviate swelling and aid in recovery. In addition to kinesiology taping, IASTM has grown in popularity within the massage therapy community for a number of good reasons. IASTM for lymphedema can be an additional option for treatment if used correctly. Just as weRead More