Leslie Gonzalez > Recent Status Updates

I don’t like the audio to this so I’m going to try to read it on my own. Hopefully I can get into jt a little more.

It’s so good. Justin’s mom just went to jail. I teared up at his grief.

But was also kind of jealous at the friendships he has. In a weird way.

Now Emma and Maddy are with him at the mall. I wanna keep reading but I have to go and be a responsible adult :(

Also how dare her dad make a big deal because Olga WANTED to practice a faith?
He had no place to judge her decisions when his life went to shit bc of his drug use. I hate their parents so much.

And I cannot stand their mother. She's selfish and stupid and honestly so condescending. I hate reading her letters to her children. Imo she has no right or place to comment on their lives since she 'abandoned' them for the 'greater good' wtf. Those children needed a mother. They needed a father. Both of whom were no where to be found.

I'm currently 49% of the way through. Matteo just invited Olga (unwillingly) into his hoarders den for the first time and she's not repulsed. I'm really enjoying the way she's allowing herself to be open with him. It's a vulnerability that I have been afraid of my entire life and I love reading about it from another point of view.

Started reading and it took a few chapters to really get into it but now im fully invested. What's going to happen between Olga and Mateo? Is Dick gonna be what his nickname implies, a dick? And what's going to happen with her Brother? I'm intrigued and excited to keep going.

The butterfly hug has been used to calm and soothe people caught up in natural disasters and other traumatic events. It is effective in times of great emotional distress. Cross your arms and rest each hand on the opposite shoulder. Focus on your breathing, and maybe bring to mind the image of your safe place. When you begin to feel calmer you can tap your hands alternately on each shoulder six times. Take a breath

The Safe Place Take slow breaths and focus on a safe and calm place in your mind. It could be real or imagined. Use all of your senses and focus on the sights, sounds and smells of your safe place. This can be difficult to begin with, but with daily five-minute practice you will be able to transport yourself to your safe place whenever you need to. Having a pic of the place can make this exercise a lot easier

GROUNDING EXERCISES To remain grounded during sessions, and enable you to cope w ur emotions during the weeks/months of treatment, a therapist will teach you emotional stability and relaxation techniques. Breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness, self-hypnosis, physical exercise can help you manage your symptoms, but two techniques that benefit EMDR clients in particular are The Safe Place and The Butterfly Hug.

Empowering yourself with the ability to self-soothe will help you to feel in control during sessions and it is a useful skill for the future in times of stress. Those who are able to manage their own emotions are less susceptible to trauma.

It is helpful to identify any strengths, positive attitudes and behaviors that you already possess. These can be strengthened during the reprocessing stage of the therapy and used to build your confidence when you are preparing for future events. As new issues arise during the active therapy sessions, it may be necessary to revisit this planning stage.

It is rare for a person to lose all of their memories, but gaslighting (where the target's perception of reality is subtly altered to the point they perceive unhealthy behavior as normal,) can be one explanation.

However, sometimes an event may occur that is so disturbing that it overloads the brain and prevents it from completing this all-important memory-processing task. Instead, the memory gets stored along with the physical sensations and negative emotions, where it is easily, and often repeatedly, triggered in our everyday lives.

insensitive adults, parental discord, death, and divorce Major traumas such as serious injuries or life threatening situations War trauma Abuse and assaults (sexual, physical, emotional) Emotionally charged experiences, including family arguments Work problems Stress Poor relationship choices Over-reacting to normal situations

Embarrassment Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Sleep problems, including nightmares and disrupted sleep Performance anxiety Driving issues Unresolved grief Eating disorders Chronic pain Phobias Addictions Childhood experiences, including bullying,

any disturbing memory that causes an emotional and physiological reaction is a good target for EMDR therapy.

Although EMDR has not been proved to have an effect on panic disorders or phobias, some therapists argue that EMDR can be successfully used on any event that the client finds disturbing. Examples of Issues that EMDR can treat Anxiety and panic Depression Anger Dysfunctional attachment

That’s the funny thing about dreams. You always eventually wake up from them.

I guess that’s what happens when you’re too afraid to let people in, or too afraid to love and be loved. Not because you don’t want it, but because you’re afraid of risking your heart getting broken. I didn’t want that. I wanted people to remember me long after I was gone. I wanted the people I left behind to hold me in their hearts and know that they were loved by me.

Real love, true love, is about two people entrusting their hearts to one another so that together they can become something much more wonderful.”

Ok it got a little bit better. Definitely has a little bit of spice 🌶️🌶️

Ehh, I’m close to DNF-ing this book. I need a break, it’s a little too slow. I appreciate the Mexican American culture but a whole lot of nothing is happening except for her being extremely rude to Raul and Diego. It’s annoying. 🙄