"She is a shrewish, overemotional female whose path to success is via a man."

Feminist antimanifesto? That is the most anti-feminist biased and bigoted stereotypical statement I've heard here. What a bunch of tripe. (Hmmm...Is that you, Rebecca T?)

And good luck getting a woman elected "in spite of her gender, because what she stood for was so wonderful that her gender was irrelevant". What fantasy land do you live in? Because in your wildest dreams, that ain't going to happen. Good God, look at what's been happening here. Look at the craziness and sheer bile that's being hurled around here. Why? Because a woman is running for president, you dolt! Wake up and smell the garbage because your stepping in it. Gender is NOT irrelevant here.

Wow! Skylark...You took the words right out of my mouth. I turned off the computer and was getting ready for bed, but I couldn't stand it. So, here I am ready to say we would have the chance of another woman president in MAYBE another 20 years. And you said it for me. Thank YOU!

But I have something else to say. Yes, Hillary Clinton is coming in on Bill's wings, but what so-called-feminists and other fools like Ms Kissling and RebeccaT don't realize is the chance of Hillary getting to this position or any other woman getting to this position close enough to become president on HER OWN INITIATIVE is pretty damn nil. And they're fooling themselves if they think otherwise. Why!!! Because of the very shit that flying back and forth about this right here and right now and because BIG DADDY glass ceiling is firmly still in place to make sure that won't happen. And women who care about women's rights KNOW THAT!

So, Ms. Kissling and RebeccaT, if you are EVER going to vote for a woman for president, you damn well better take the opportunity now, but if Hillary loses, it AIN'T coming around any time soon again. At least not in this lifetime.

And how many, HOW MANY, have plans somewhat known, have the financial backing, the sheer amount of connections, etc. it takes to accomplish this? And THINK, God Damnit, 8 years for the next president (probably male), and maybe a woman thinks to run but doesn't make it to the primaries and then ANOTHER 8 YEARS for the next president (oh, yeah, probably male) and then ANOTHER 8 YEARS FOR THE NEXT. Let's see, THAT'S at least 24 years! Get a Freakin' clue!!

Hi LW,

I'm a therapist and I work with people with trauma and dissociative symptoms such as yours.

High stress is the number reason for people who prone to dissociation start to have a worsening of those symptoms. I think your job at the newspaper is too much for you at this point. I think you are also aware of that. I would suggest seeing if you can reduce your responsibilities there to say half. Perhaps you can then use that extra time to relax and start writing your novel. Regardless, you very much need to cut the stress from this job down to a manageable level for you.

I would also suggest, as a previous poster noted, that you create a schedule for your writing. For people with dissociation, scheduled and structure work, play, etc. is extremely helpful in maintaining a here and now focus that is needed. That schedule and structure in your writing will also be self-reaffirming (very important for YOU!) that you are fulfilling your "duty" as a writer. You sound like you have a wonderful husband who desires that you fulfill yourself as a writer and a person. Listen to that.

I also think the job to job thing has got to stop. It's obvious that at some point anxiety builds up and you leave that job. For people with dissociative problems, shifting environments creates havoc anyway. No wonder you don't know who you are. But I think the issue here is that you're not allowing yourself to deal with the anxiety that builds up staying in one place. Doing that will challenge you to explore the issues that come for you AND help the changing self/identity piece to calm down.

And you know, guilt is over-rated by people with depression and other depressive disorders (and anything related to trauma from childhood). I say that because I find that "guilt and shame" are the deadlocks from a traumatized past or childhood that keep people held victim to whatever they suffered. Talk to your therapist about whatever guilt or shame you might feel about what happened to you as a child. I know you already have but I suspect that "core" pieces have not yet been fully dealt with. Usually, I find that once those core pieces/areas are fully explored in minute detail, the shame/guilt and a lot of "trauma" energy is released and people begin to heal.

Last, as with Carey said, it's very important that you take care of yourself. More so than with people who don't have the issues that you have. You need to create "how do I take care of myself" guidelines that encompass your emotional, physical and stress aspects and give yourself coping skills that you know work for you.

And get writing!

Overall, most women can't afford good healthcare compared to most men.

Well, revoke the tax breaks to millionaires in this country that Bush so lovingly gave them, end the war in Iraq that's going to cost a trillion and I'd say we could more than afford it.