Long Time No See

I'm Alive!

And howdy Amel, I think I need your e-mail so we can talk off blog sometime.

An update: Wow, it's been a long time and this blog helped me a great deal as did everyone involved in it, meaning all of you out there and in my links and in general. I now have my masters and am teaching writing to doctors, among many other things. In fact, I'm running a poetry workshop for surgeons in a few weeks.

My mother still stalks me. I got a letter a couple of years ago sent certified mail to an address she shouldn't have (a friend figures she has a private eye keeping tabs on me) saying she would drive the 9 hours to my place and 'purge you from my system' so that's still hanging there, that being 'her.'

I recently moved for my job and the manager so far is very nice about the PTSD. I'm setting up an appointment with a therapist just for the occassional touch-up sessions. Plus to help with the move and such. Although, I haven't had a panic attack in over two years now. I've come close, real close, but never full-on.

I am writing and have two stories that are online now, you can also buy a story in a magazine or two. I'd love the novel of my therapy, of my life, to happen and am working on that with a professor this semester. We'll see what comes of it. It's hard, especially with the threat still so present even if it's 'just a threat.' And yes, that letter is documented with a lawyer.

Here are links to my stories:

The Cat Psychic

Dreaming of the Manananggal

I don't know if I ever thanked everyone. I've since learned that the most important way you can help someone heal is to just listen, and that's what you all did and I'm so very grateful. I miss the blog and the community we had together. So thank you so much.

Chicken Soup For the Soul

I'm so stoked, just got the official e-mail that a story I wrote about my dear sweet Penny will be included in this anthology. I grew up reading these, they always gave me so much hope. I'm just ecstatic that now I'll be in one for kids like me to read (and adults too!)

You can pre-order this anywhere now apparently, and it's published on September 22nd. I can't wait to get a copy in my hands and see it in print, and go to every bookstore and see the name Victorya Chase in such an inspiring tome.

Cheers!

UPDATE

Hello There! It's been a while for sure, thought I'd provide a little update.

As with all things in life, stuff happens. I did in fact have another episode, or whatever it's called now. Work got tough, life got tough, a LOT was going on and suddenly I realized I was in the spiral.

The good news? I NOTICED. I called my therapist. That's progress. Something was wrong and I could feel it.

In talking with my therapist it came out that the goal, the new goal, the forever goal I suppose is to keep the period of time between each flashback, each anxiety spiral that leaves me with stomach cramps and unable to sleep, a lot longer. And it was long. Maybe a year? While I don't hope for a next time, I will try and recognize it and hope it's very much in the far future, not near.

So Victorya Chase is back in therapy, but is back to increasing the time between sessions.

I will say there is still a big change between when I first started this blog and coming to the update. My 'Interpersonal skills' have increased. I have more people I'm closer too, which I am attributing as much to me being more open to accepting people as to others accepting me. It's so easy to say it's someone elses fault for not 'understanding you' when you close yourself off to others, which is a place I've been.

In even more news. I'm moving! I get to quit the job which is an unhealthy environment and go to a sleepy mountain town where I'll be entering grad school.