Love Bombing & Oxytocin Addiction

Love bombing is a term widely used within the context of a romantic relationship. It’s essentially a form of manipulation that attempts to artificially create intimacy. When someone love bombs you, it means they lavish you with intense affection, attention, and praise in an attempt to win your trust and affection early in the relationship….

Surviving Trauma from Sexual Violence

When you’ve been sexually assaulted, it feels as though your world has been turned upside down. Everything you know and believe has been shattered. The person who violated your body and mind now occupies a space inside your head that you can never get rid of. You try to push the memories away, but they…

Responsible Community Response

In August 2012, I published a post on my former O. M. Grey blog, “Caught in the Cogs,” that outlines how to respond to an accusation of sexual violence so as not to further traumatize the victim. It contains examples of what to say and what not to say. The things I wrote and experienced…

Misogyny Defined

Nearly 10 years ago, I wrote a post on my alter-ego’s blog Caught in the Cogs called “Misogyny Defined.” I’d like to share that post with you today…. The meaning of the word “misogyny” is literally “hatred of women.” Although that is the actual definition of the word, most misogynists think they love women. Misogyny…

Misogynistic Myths

I’m quickly growing weary of people defending Johnny Depp. My mind spins as I try to sleep. Victim-blaming rhetoric bounces around in my brain. The words I read online are the same ones people said to me when I spoke out. Insomnia leads to loss of focus, which then leads to hyper-focus. I drop onto…

Textbook Abuse

The trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has been difficult to watch, as I suspect it has been for all survivors of male violence. In fact, some male friends that are survivors of domestic violence with women perpetrators are finding it difficult to watch, too. They see their abuser in Amber and women see…

The #MeToo Memoirs

When I was in the early days of recovery from sexual violence, I read all day, every day. I read and read and read and read everything I could about Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS), rape culture, consent culture, predators, sociopaths, and especially survivor stories. I devoured the content on the Yes Means Yes blog. This…

Cop Shows & Police Brutality Bonds

Lately I’ve been watching Lucifer. Before that, I’ve enjoyed shows like Bones, Dexter, The X Files, Marcella, and Wallander. Law and Order has been running for as long as I can remember, must be at least 20 years now! We hear Trump call for Law and Order over and over again, while sowing the seeds…

Poignant Psychosis in the Psycho Prequel

I wrote on this topic, complete with a series summary, on my newly revived LiveJournal account, if you’d like to be friends there. The post is long and rambling, but it’s more thorough than this one. SPOILERS: Bates MotelTW: sexual and domestic violence, suicide, murder, mental illness Today is Day 50 of Quarantine for me….

Resurrecting Avalon Revamped

“Every once in a while I get the opportunity to read a piece of work that makes me think, ‘This is the one the will put this author on the map of the reading world.’ Avalon Revamped is that book for O. M. Grey. It deals with some horrific truths and should be read by…