Invisible yet visible
Berit Haga
When creativity blooms and I flow with it
Everything in between
When everything is just heavy and the tears flow
Welcome to my blog. Here I want to talk about my everyday life, which could perhaps be described as “everything and nothing”. But, of course, neither everything nor nothing really exists. It is much the same with “always and never” – words we are very good at using simply because we are so used to saying them.
As the creative being that I am, I burned myself out after 18 years of intense work running my own business, where I designed, sewed and sold clothes and traditional Norwegian outfits at fairs and in my own shop. But it would be wrong to say that this alone is what caused my PTSD, exhaustion syndrome and tinnitus. In my case, close relationships have also played a significant role, with everything from obligations to pressure and criticism gradually taking its toll. And this will be a major part of what my blog is about, because I live with diagnoses that are invisible to people who do not “see” me.
A great joy for me is that I am now a member of the Norwegian Red Cross as a volunteer.
In my blog, I want to talk about life as an artist, author and yoga teacher, but perhaps the most important thing of all is simply being a fellow human being. It makes me incredibly happy when I am given the opportunity to contribute something that can help another person there and then, but also in the longer term. I also find it fascinating to explore how I can contribute knowledge and experience about learning to recognise what happens when those of us living with PTSD, exhaustion and similar challenges constantly compensate in order to have enough energy to do things, or simply to be seen and taken into consideration.
Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we need to learn to know ourselves, so that we can help ourselves as well as we possibly can.
I have also fallen between all the chairs because I lack formal education in the areas I am trying to work with, and above all, in the areas where I want to contribute. But I am a qualified yoga teacher, and I have worked tirelessly with myself to understand my own situation as well as I can. So my greatest wish is to be seen and, if possible, understood, because I have a great deal to contribute. I have gained a lot of life experience, even though I do not have the formal qualifications. So, really, it should not be so difficult for others to see that I have something valuable to offer within my field.