I think you're right F&C — the majority of the world is carrying a kind of collective PTSD, and our bodies are still trying to make sense of what’s happened to us. But what feels new to so many of us is the erosion of a comfortable reality that others have never known. What we’re living through now is what much of the world has endured for generations — instability, loss of safety, the daily work of endurance.
That feeling of distance you describe is part of the wider trauma response — a kind of protective numbing that arises when the strain has gone on too long. Recognising this shared ground, even when it’s painful, helps us keep our humanity intact. Another way is care, and I am deeply grateful for yours, especially in recent weeks.
What a fascinating essay on the nine systems and how they function. Plus, hooray for the community, which provides the comfort and strength you like to see in your circle of care. Also, thank you for unlocking the posts you featured in your archives.
I’m so glad you found it fascinating, Gloria. Exploring the body through those systems felt like a way to make the unseen effects of political stress tangible. And yes, the strength of this community continues to move me — it’s a living example of what shared care can do. I’ve kept those earlier posts open since I started writing here so the work can reach whoever might need it — a small way of offering care in troubling times.
Thank you for this article.The never-ending sense of duress and stress of our political situation’s impact on my health is something I have wondered about. Add the mental health component to the mix and quite the noxious cocktail to our well being.
I’m so glad the piece spoke to something you’ve been sensing. That constant, low-level strain you describe is very real — it builds quietly until it starts shaping both our bodies and minds. But naming it helps bring it into view, and from there, we can begin to lessen its hold. I hope some of the practices in the linked series offer a bit of steadiness as you navigate this.
You're welcome, Daughter of Danu — and I’m heartened to know it resonated, thank you. My hope in writing it was to help us recognise what prolonged strain is doing to us, so we can respond with more care — for ourselves, and for one another.
Thank you for this. I am saying similar things, and have been for months, to my clients with whom I engage in somatic work. We are trying desperately to keep so much at bay; the effect is palpable.
You're welcome, Dominika. Your clients are lucky to have someone helping them bring awareness back into the body, especially now, when so many of us are holding more than we can name. That effort to keep everything at bay takes such a toll, as you know, and the work you’re doing is so vital in helping to release some of that weight. Thank you. 🙏🏼
Thank you for this. I have issues with every single one of these systems. Being under constant stress got me POTS and chronic fatigue syndrome. I'm having a bunch of other problems too with digestion, skin, shallow breathing, nervous and immune system dysfunction etc. I've been disabled for a couple of years, but the election loss put everything into overdrive. I've been mostly bed bound since the election
I hear you so deeply, Francesca. Living with conditions like POTS, CFS, or MCAS asks so much of both body and spirit — and when political or social strain piles on top, it can push even the most resilient systems to their limits. I’ve lived with MCAS all my life, and there were long stretches when I was bed bound too. Recognising how closely stress and physical health are intertwined is what led me into this field, but it was changing my lifestyle choices — what I eat, how often I move, when I rest, and the relationships I prioritise — that gradually helped to lessen the load on my system. Those choices are the reason I’m able to function at all today.
The fact that you’re still here, still seeking understanding, speaks to extraordinary endurance. I hope knowing you’re not alone in this offers even a small measure of relief.
Thank you so so much ❤️ I'm sorry to hear you have MCAS. I know that many people with POTS and EDS have it, so I have heard a lot about it. I really hope someday that scientists and doctors find the causes of all these illnesses so that we can learn to prevent and treat them. I love your news letter and I've shared it with friends and family because it is so helpful and brings me hope. Thank you!!
Thank you, Mary — both for your kindness and for recognising that. Grief truly does move through the body; it reshapes everything from energy to sleep to digestion. I’ve been letting it move as it needs to, rather than bracing against it.
Your blessing means a great deal — and helps uplift me more than you might imagine. 🙏🏼
I am very grateful to you, Lori, for the information about how our human bodies react to this ongoing stress of being dehumanized by heartless monsters. I am scared for all of us. Especially the Democrats, in office and who have been in office! Also, this explains the health problems of many minorities. At least we can have hope for the right thing to be done...eventually. Trump has made it very difficult to impeach him right now considering all of the dumpster fires he has created. I am sorry to hear of your loss of someone dear. I wish you the best❣️
Thank you for your kind words, Teresa. Yes, the ongoing stress of being dehumanised is painfully real — our bodies register that kind of treatment just as surely as our minds do, and the toll accumulates. And you’re right, too, that this pattern of stress and harm has long shown up in the health of marginalised communities, who have lived under this kind of pressure for generations.
As for the current political moment, the limits on prosecuting or impeaching a sitting president have indeed made accountability extraordinarily difficult. The very safeguards once meant to protect stability now too often protect wrongdoing, and that’s part of why so many of us feel such deep unease. But like you, I hold to hope — not a naïve hope, but the kind grounded in endurance and collective care.
And thank you for your kindness about our loss. It’s been a hard season, and messages like yours bring real comfort.🙏🏼
An entire world (with a few exceptions) suffering from PTSD...
Reality feels increasingly at arms distance.
Lori, thank you for caring about all of us.
I think you're right F&C — the majority of the world is carrying a kind of collective PTSD, and our bodies are still trying to make sense of what’s happened to us. But what feels new to so many of us is the erosion of a comfortable reality that others have never known. What we’re living through now is what much of the world has endured for generations — instability, loss of safety, the daily work of endurance.
That feeling of distance you describe is part of the wider trauma response — a kind of protective numbing that arises when the strain has gone on too long. Recognising this shared ground, even when it’s painful, helps us keep our humanity intact. Another way is care, and I am deeply grateful for yours, especially in recent weeks.
Deep bow. 🙏🏼
What a fascinating essay on the nine systems and how they function. Plus, hooray for the community, which provides the comfort and strength you like to see in your circle of care. Also, thank you for unlocking the posts you featured in your archives.
I’m so glad you found it fascinating, Gloria. Exploring the body through those systems felt like a way to make the unseen effects of political stress tangible. And yes, the strength of this community continues to move me — it’s a living example of what shared care can do. I’ve kept those earlier posts open since I started writing here so the work can reach whoever might need it — a small way of offering care in troubling times.
Thank you for this article.The never-ending sense of duress and stress of our political situation’s impact on my health is something I have wondered about. Add the mental health component to the mix and quite the noxious cocktail to our well being.
I’m so glad the piece spoke to something you’ve been sensing. That constant, low-level strain you describe is very real — it builds quietly until it starts shaping both our bodies and minds. But naming it helps bring it into view, and from there, we can begin to lessen its hold. I hope some of the practices in the linked series offer a bit of steadiness as you navigate this.
Thank you for writing such an important timely article. We all could benefit from reading it.
You're welcome, Daughter of Danu — and I’m heartened to know it resonated, thank you. My hope in writing it was to help us recognise what prolonged strain is doing to us, so we can respond with more care — for ourselves, and for one another.
I have reread the article multiple times and just referenced it in my post with a link.
Thank you for this. I am saying similar things, and have been for months, to my clients with whom I engage in somatic work. We are trying desperately to keep so much at bay; the effect is palpable.
You're welcome, Dominika. Your clients are lucky to have someone helping them bring awareness back into the body, especially now, when so many of us are holding more than we can name. That effort to keep everything at bay takes such a toll, as you know, and the work you’re doing is so vital in helping to release some of that weight. Thank you. 🙏🏼
Thank you for this. I have issues with every single one of these systems. Being under constant stress got me POTS and chronic fatigue syndrome. I'm having a bunch of other problems too with digestion, skin, shallow breathing, nervous and immune system dysfunction etc. I've been disabled for a couple of years, but the election loss put everything into overdrive. I've been mostly bed bound since the election
I hear you so deeply, Francesca. Living with conditions like POTS, CFS, or MCAS asks so much of both body and spirit — and when political or social strain piles on top, it can push even the most resilient systems to their limits. I’ve lived with MCAS all my life, and there were long stretches when I was bed bound too. Recognising how closely stress and physical health are intertwined is what led me into this field, but it was changing my lifestyle choices — what I eat, how often I move, when I rest, and the relationships I prioritise — that gradually helped to lessen the load on my system. Those choices are the reason I’m able to function at all today.
The fact that you’re still here, still seeking understanding, speaks to extraordinary endurance. I hope knowing you’re not alone in this offers even a small measure of relief.
Thank you so so much ❤️ I'm sorry to hear you have MCAS. I know that many people with POTS and EDS have it, so I have heard a lot about it. I really hope someday that scientists and doctors find the causes of all these illnesses so that we can learn to prevent and treat them. I love your news letter and I've shared it with friends and family because it is so helpful and brings me hope. Thank you!!
Thanks for this wisdom. Blessings to you as you continue to grieve. (Which also has a powerful impact on the body, as you well know by now.)
Thank you, Mary — both for your kindness and for recognising that. Grief truly does move through the body; it reshapes everything from energy to sleep to digestion. I’ve been letting it move as it needs to, rather than bracing against it.
Your blessing means a great deal — and helps uplift me more than you might imagine. 🙏🏼
I am very grateful to you, Lori, for the information about how our human bodies react to this ongoing stress of being dehumanized by heartless monsters. I am scared for all of us. Especially the Democrats, in office and who have been in office! Also, this explains the health problems of many minorities. At least we can have hope for the right thing to be done...eventually. Trump has made it very difficult to impeach him right now considering all of the dumpster fires he has created. I am sorry to hear of your loss of someone dear. I wish you the best❣️
Thank you for your kind words, Teresa. Yes, the ongoing stress of being dehumanised is painfully real — our bodies register that kind of treatment just as surely as our minds do, and the toll accumulates. And you’re right, too, that this pattern of stress and harm has long shown up in the health of marginalised communities, who have lived under this kind of pressure for generations.
As for the current political moment, the limits on prosecuting or impeaching a sitting president have indeed made accountability extraordinarily difficult. The very safeguards once meant to protect stability now too often protect wrongdoing, and that’s part of why so many of us feel such deep unease. But like you, I hold to hope — not a naïve hope, but the kind grounded in endurance and collective care.
And thank you for your kindness about our loss. It’s been a hard season, and messages like yours bring real comfort.🙏🏼
Enjoy everyone.
The timeline of how the shutdown goes, and what happens, and how DonnyAssShitter cant stop it now.
https://thistleandmoss.com/p/the-apocalyptic-fuck-collapse-that-none-of-us-didn-t-see-coming
Fucker Carlson and Dick Fuentes share a bromance with each other.
https://thistleandmoss.com/p/fucker-carlson-dick-fuentes-have-support-and-this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things