Jenna Berggren

“Sickness feels different when it takes place inside your head,”
― Genevieve Wheeler, Adelaide

“At this point tears begin to fall from my eyes, not because I am sad or angry, but because I have never had these dueling aspects of my personality mirrored back to me in such a matter-of-fact way. I have, at so many times in my life, felt unknowable, but here I am having me explained to me as it feels to be me. One three-hour test and I finally have objective words to demystify a tumultuous and ambivalent life experience. “We will leave it here, but I have one last thing I would like to say. The Rorschach and image testing reveal evidence of trauma associated with very early childhood development. I see a preoccupation with blood, morbidity, dismissal, and power struggles. There is a way in which you present as very sturdy to the world, yet inside you are carrying an incredibly heavy weight. There is a you inside who feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside. I feel an incredible amount of compassion for how hard each day feels for you.” “Thank you,” I say, my voice quiet and quivering with emotion. “I really appreciate this.” “Yes,” he says, “I believe you really do.”
― Anna Marie Tendler, Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir

“Criticism is still a cousin of attention.”
― Ruth Madievsky, All-Night Pharmacy

“Parents can be our greatest allies, they can fiercely love us, but they can also be the cause of our trauma.”
― Anna Marie Tendler, Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir