Mental Health
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Catching Memories
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. It’s strange what you miss when you have a stroke. One moment, your… Continue reading
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Searching for Words
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. Something changes in you when your brain breaks. A stroke. Even a mild… Continue reading
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Broken Brain
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. Last February, I experienced a mild stroke caused by a blockage in the… Continue reading
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Breaking Eggs
There are many ways to break an egg. You can break an egg by cracking it on a flat surface like a countertop or the edge of a bowl, tapping two eggs together, or using a specialized egg-cracking tool. Each… Continue reading
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The Last Days of Fear and Anxiety
This essay was originally published on October 11, 2024, one month before the election that returned Donald J. Trump to power. Thanks, America. “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for… Continue reading
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DoomScrolling
My name is Antonio Ruiz, and I am a DoomScroller. There, I said it. “Doomscrolling (or doom scrolling) is the compulsive habit of continuously scrolling through social media or news feeds to consume negative, distressing, or alarming content.” Nuffield Health… Continue reading
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Old(er): An Epic Journey
Part Two “Eat Life like you’re starving. You may feel full at the end of the day, but damn, it tasted good.” antonio pedro ruiz I remember the moment I touched down at LAX Los Angeles Airport like it was… Continue reading
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America is Broken
Video evidence is everywhere. Facebook. X. Especially X. Instagram. TikTok. I’ve even seen evidence on Truth Social, a Trumpian fountain of irreconcilable conflict between reality and fantasy. You know things are horrible when the liars are lying about lying.The videos… Continue reading
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The News Is Driving Us into A Dark Hole: A Flashback
This was originally posted on November 8, 2021. As you can see, not much has changed since then, except that they’ve gotten worse. I have a daily ritual: I wake up and organize my day. I scan both local and… Continue reading
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Fear and Loathing in America
“The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are… Continue reading
