Mary Cools
Discover Adytum
(Ad-it-um)
Healing through shared experiences.
My life, spent wondering at differences—at my inability to connect. My understanding of relationships warped by
misguided lessons. My love and devotion intertwined with guilt.
My life . . .
Adytum, a memoir, offers a deep dive into the complexities of PTSD through compelling narrative. This memoir's mission is to provide invaluable insights and foster a community of understanding and support. Linked to my dedicated blog, Adytum serves as a beacon of hope and knowledge.
Adytum is a transformative resource that delves into PTSD with empathy and first hand insight.
Breaking News:
Adytum, my memoir, has reached the position of #4 in Belgian History on the Amazon Best Sellers List!! OMG!@!!!!
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About The Author -
Mary Cools
At 66 years old, I have come to terms with my differences by dealing with the deaths of those who shaped me. My life with PTSD as my companion left me raw, alone and vulnerable. The love of a good and stable man brought me near to wholeness. Adytum is the story of my battles with PTSD. May my story make others whole. Visit Blog below or send me an email.
Adytum Defined:
A place within the soul which should be filled with awe and reverence for being alive.
In my formative years, what I thought of as my normal life held moments designed by war -- moments that left scars upon my adytum.
My scars were unseen by others but were sensed by my peers. I was alone. Even my siblings knew nothing of my fears and disregarded many awkward moments. But I learned life lessons well even though taught by parents who suffered greatly. PTSD wounds everyone it touches.
I wrote Adytum to come to terms with the deaths of the two people who understood my injuries best. My parents died and left me to find a way to heal myself.
Visit Blog below:
Fostering a supportive and understanding community through shared stories and experiences on this platform.
My Blog Info:
I entitled my blog: "It's NOT just me? Is it?" I named it this way because I am sure there are other people out there with PTSD of many different types -- people who need some comfort. My blog is made up of four types of posts.
One: PTSD -- which deals with information and insights about PTSD and will lead to methods of dealing with it.
Two: Adytum -- in which I give excerpts from my memoir since my experiences of contracting PTSD are quite different than most people. My type of PTSD is labelled Generational PTSD. I suffered through my parents trauma, over and over again, while listening to their horrific stories about WWII as a young child. It frightened me terribly.
Three: Cooking -- because my mother helped me to cope by teaching that cooking for others, with love, heals the soul. I am trying in this section to give recipes in order for others to feel the elixir which I myself experience when preparing food.
Four: Interesting Reads -- Here, I share varied book reviews for works I have read and found either entertaining, relaxing, informative or plain great! I am hoping you will enjoy them too and find them worth the time.
This blog provides up-to-date information on PTSD, its symptoms, and support mechanisms.
Learn about PTSD with me:
Learning to Cope with Trauma and PTSD
(advice taken from the Mental Health Coalition.org)
There are any number of ways which individuals can choose to heal from trauma and PTSD.
BUT NO TWO PEOPLE WILL HEAL IN THE SAME WAY OR USE THE SAME COMBINATION OF HEALING TECHNIQUES THAT WORK FOR THEM.
Individuals must find the methods of healing which work best for them personally. Many individuals need professional help to find these methods. Still, here are five ways to try to promote your own healing while you receive treatment from professionals, and which will assist you in feeling your best between treatments. These are all self-treatments that can be practiced on your own for free or at low cost.
Remember, not all of these five options will work for everyone. Most important to remember is that you can be a good judge as to which of them work best for you. You can always get creative and come up with options of your own.
For me, my own elected option was long walks in nature which seem to still my anxiety when triggers cannot be avoided.
FIVE WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR OWN HEALING/COMFORT:
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Connect with others. Why? Social support is one of the best antidotes to trauma and PTSD. Consider who in your life you can lean on or be vulnerable with. These would be the people you want to connect with on a regular basis. How? Video chat with a close friend to talk about how you’re feeling. OR, if you can’t think of someone, seek out a support group online. Also, if you have the luxury of having your connections close at hand, visit in person for a heart-to-heart chat.
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Connect with yourself. Why? Trauma and PTSD can disconnect you from yourself in many ways. Practice mindfulness techniques in order to find yourself again. Learn to love who you are again. How? Practice a mindful body scan. Set a timer for three minutes, close your eyes, and just notice how each part of your body feels, scanning from your head to your toes. Try to let go of any judgment. Just rejoice in who you are NOW.
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Soothe your body. Why? The trauma we experience can stay with us for years, in the body. Attention to the physical body can be very restorative. How? Find an activity that feels soothing like yoga, massage, stretching, or even a self-hug.
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Build your strengths. Why? Trauma can negatively impact the way we view ourselves. Developing your strengths can bring you a renewed sense of purpose and invigorating resilience. How? Keep or begin a journal. Record all of the positive things a friend/connection might have said about you. Record every little thing that you have felt proud of yourself for.
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Practice self-love. Why? Practicing self-love can help release self-blame. You need to develop and replenish a positive view of yourself after any trauma. How? Give yourself some positive self-talk. Think of something kind to say to yourself. And, if at first that feels hard, try simply starting with, “I am whole.”
ALWAYS REMEMBER: If you or someone you know is in crisis, having thoughts of suicide or needs a safe place to talk, you can call 988.
988 is the number to call if someone is worried about a person they know OR if you yourself are thinking about suicide.
Call or text 988 for toll free help without judgement. Support can be accessed in English or in French.
Lastly:
Kids Help Phone can also support you. Call 1-800-668-6868 (24 hours a day/seven days a week.)
OR text CONNECT to 686868
Kidshelpphone.ca offers live chat from 7pm. To midnight ET.
Previous content here has been set up as a Blog. Title: Learning About PTSD 7 -- just click the link above.
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