Dr. Culber's trauma healing storyline on Star Trek Discovery hit me right between the eyes, even moreso now than when I first saw it.

I've described the Lindsay neurodivergent experience as "running uphill, gasping for air, with no breaks, hungry, never getting a chance to rest or eat." As a result, my mind collapsed right as COVID was starting to get bad, followed by a couple years of constant anxiety looking for stability and sanity.

Then I got a miracle, and now I'm able to focus on my content and my recovery, thanks to the generosity of a friend who appreciated my work, and had the means to do so.

This has come with a profound sense of "survivor's guilt." Most neurodivergent people suffering from trauma and burnout never get a chance like this. Why me? Do I deserve it? Should I give more, share more, do more, so I feel worthy of this unimaginable good luck?

But we can't pour out of an empty cup. I am lucky as hell I have this opportunity to replenish myself, but that's exactly why I should USE it to replenish myself.

Once I have the strength, that's when I can actually pay it forward, and help others in a way I'm simply incapable of doing at the moment. And according to a lot of comments I receive, I've made some positive impact already.

It was awesome to get to meet Wilson Cruz at Rose City Comic-Con last year and geek out with him about Dr. Culber's moving, compelling story arc in person!

For more trauma healing content, follow my other account: @lindsaymakesvideos

#startrek #startrekdiscovery #traumahealing #drculber #neurodivergent #actuallyautistic #burnout #selflove #selfcare

🖖🏻 Picardy Party Continues 🖖🏻

Continuing the celebration for Picard Season 3, enjoy more quotes from Seasons 1 and 2!

"Fear is fear. It doesn't speak in riddles."

"To say you have no choice is a failure of imagination."

"To be alive is a responsibility as well as a right."

"History's darkest moments can be a tipping point for change."

#startrek #startrekpicard #picard

🖖🏻Happy Star Trek Picard Season 3 Day!🖖🏻

To celebrate, here is my favorite quote from Star Trek Picard so far:

"It's what’s special about humans. When something inside you is broken, it stays with you. You live in the past until you're able to reconcile it, even if it's painful. You do the work... because you want to evolve. I almost forgot how unique that is in the galaxy."

Sometimes carrying around our trauma is excruciating, especially living in a culture that gives us no tools to address it. But as Guinan points out in this lovely quote, the pain is our brain and body reminding us that there is a problem we haven't solved yet. Until we face and resolve our trauma, in a way, we are still children. If we don't face our most painful realities, we are incapable of learning from them. Don't be ashamed of your trauma, everyone! If we have the bravery to shine a light on our darkest places, safely and gently, we empower ourselves to come out of it wiser and stronger than we can currently imagine. Do the work! Evolve!

Can't wait to dive into the new season. 😁 Please be loving and don't spoil!

#startrek #startrekpicard #picard #guinan #traumahealing #traumarecovery

⚠ SPOILER WARNING! ⚠

🖖🏻 Star Trek The Next Generation Season 2 Episode 21 🖖🏻

Data's inner conflict in this episode encapsulates a common autistic experience with perfectionism, black-and-white thinking, and self-trust. ♾

First of all, despite his claim here, Data absolutely does have an ego. Our ego is nothing more than the "person suit" that we wear, and hold ourselves responsible to live up to every day. Data pretty explicitly points out in this scene that his "ego" is 'an officer that Picard can rely on,' and by proving to be vulnerable, he is not living up to his expectations of himself in that role. He just doesn't recognize that as an ego-based expectation because our ego is often so intertwined with our processing of reality, we treat it as a fish treats water.

Similarly, oftentimes as autistic people, we have an expectation that we don't have the right to feel certain unless we are infallibly correct. If we prove not to be, we believe the feeling of certainty has thusly proven to be unreliable, and it is only logical to distrust our feelings and ourselves.

As many ST fans know, at the end of this episode, Picard says, "it is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose." It is vital we learn it's okay to trust ourselves - in fact, we must learn to trust ourselves - even if we are capable of being wrong. Otherwise, we will be incapacitated by uncertainty, as Data is in this episode.

💔🩹💖

#startrektng #data #startrekthenextgeneration #startrek #actuallyautistic