In Which Our Narrator Strikes Out On Her Own


Hello, bright and beautiful world.

It’s me, Kate.

And this is Gruntled & Hinged, my Second-Ever Real Actual Blog Home. It’s been more than a year since I blogged by myself, and wow, is this weird.

The lovely FtBorg has kindly given me my own place to write, and so here I am. Many of you, I think, will have stopped by from Ashley Miller’s, where I used to write–and a place I’ve dearly enjoyed. For those new arrivals, this blog will contain multitudes…but most of them will be about psychology and mental health. The title comes from a back-and-forth I had with a friend at Skepticon about prefixes. At the time, I promised him that if I ever had my own blog it would be Gruntled & Hinged. More recently, I’ve been introduced to the relevant Tripod song:

I’m not transferring archives from any previous blog, so you’ll have to give me a few days to settle in. There will be a comment policy, a list of mental health resources, new posts, and a blogroll. Until then, hello! Hi!

Some of my old work from around the internet:
Care
Your ED Friend: Six Years Later
The Friend Manual I
II
III
IV
For Best Results, Trust God and Use Large Sample Sizes
How Not to Be A Jerk to the Future of Your Movement
Eating Disorders: The Stories We Tell
How to Be The Right Kind of Crazy

All credit for the G&H banner goes to William Brinkman, who writes at the Bolingbrook Babbler. Really, I wouldn’t have had any sort of header without him.

Comments

    • Kate Donovan says

      I think Miri *technically* claimed first by commenting on the wordpress space-filler right as the blog was created. But I won’t tell :P

    • Ally Fogg says

      oh the suspense is killing me.

      Anyway, congratulations on your own blog, about time too.

      Love the name. I am whelmed with excitement. May none of your commenters be peccable,

  1. rapiddominance says

    Hey Kate. Ed sent me over here to say “Hi”. Congrats on your new blog, by the way. Are you excited to be on your own now?

    • Kate Donovan says

      I am very very excited, and somewhat nervous. It’s been a very long time since I was the only one responsible for content on a site.

  2. Indy says

    Congratulations! Your own-blog-worthiness has been clear for some time, so it’s great to see you take the next step. Looking forward to seeing what Gruntled & Hinged will hold!

  3. Artemis says

    Hi Kate! Congrats on the new blog. I always enjoyed your posts in Ashley Miller’s blog and I am looking forward to reading more.

  4. Cuttlefish says

    Funny… I was looking through my incoming links a couple of days ago, and followed a tumbler link to an unfamiliar place. Read a bit, then a bit more, then some more, and an hour or so later, still reading, I was thinking “this is really someone we ought to get for FtB!”

    Turns out it was called “Gruntled & Hinged”. There couldn’t be two of you, could there? That was you, all along? Welcome, or re-welcome, or whatever; so glad you are here!

  5. says

    Hello, Kate! Looking forward to reading your gruntledment.

    But just to be clear, you’re saying there’s no comment policy yet? Woohoo! I can say anything I want!

    Underpants. [giggle]

  6. says

    I’m glad to see a blog devoted to mental health. I have always, since infancy, had problems with overstimulation and sensitivity to noise, touch, taste, etc. etc. I was a “difficult” baby, considered a brat for having tantrums, a “problem” for the family, and had no friends. After years of therapy, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder I by my latest psychiatrist, about 8 years ago … a diagnosis we’re told is often false.

    It wasn’t for me. It explained everything, including my wild mood swings, overspending, sensitivity, etc. I’m now 54, and my friends still don’t “get” why, being a supertaster, I won’t/can’t eat Asian food, bitter or sour food, most fried foods … why I can’t stand certain textures, and therefore won’t go to certain restaurants. People think I’m a pain, as my family did, when I ask them to turn down the volume on radio or TV. I have grown to hate going to the gym because of all the people there, and I have to wear earplugs to dim some of the noise. (It’s an ordeal, but I do anyway.) I hate being touched by strangers, even in passing, and only hug those I absolutely trust. I can never feel fully relaxed in company because I need to be able to feel accepted, and always fear I won’t be.

    IN short, most people have no clue. I’m just a pain in the ass. It’s nice to have others really understand. I know that many people believe it’s “all in your head,” that you need more willpower, etc. etc. I just wish I had drugs strong enough to help me with the problems I still have, including bouts of deep depression and self-loathing, and continuing problems with recklessness and overspending. Unfortunately, I’m taking the only drugs my body will tolerate that don’t have terrible side-effects. So, at best, my problem is being dampened, not eliminated.

    Sigh.

  7. Kevin S says

    Huzzah! I loved your posts on Ashley Miller’s blog, so having them in a new, more concentrated and condensed format HAS to be better right?

    I mean it works that way with milk, and juice, and cake, and soap, and plutonium…

    Well maybe not the last one. But still! Congrats on the new digs.

  8. says

    I’m glad you like the banner I designed for you. :)

    I look forward to reading more posts, I hope I can catch your panels at FTBCon. :)

  9. fantysq (a Radical Feminist and a Militant Atheist) says

    I’m glad you have own blog now! I’ve loved all your posts at Ashley’s place and I’m really looking forward to reading more from you.

  10. says

    Hehe Jason does make a good point there, I guess it will be nice to not be constantly confused with one another. Does this blog constitute evidence that you are not the same person O_o

    Anyway congrats on getting your own distinct platform!

  11. badgersdaughter says

    Kate, I’m happy to see you have your own blog! Thanks for your postings to date, they’ve been so valuable and welcome. Much excitement for the future.

  12. Carlos Cabanita says

    Hello, congrats on your new blog. I’ve been your reader chez Ashley and enjoyed a lot.
    I translated your Friend Manual into Portuguese (European) and published it into my blog. It is presented as a translation, with links to the original, author attribution and even your picture.
    If you have any objection to the publication, tell me and I will unpublish it immediately.
    Meanwhile, thank you for your work, my objective is to ‘spread your wisdom’ to Portuguese speakers who can’t read English.
    The link is:
    http://carloscabanita.blogspot.pt/2013/07/manual-do-amigo-i.html

  13. says

    We need to observe Mental Illness Awareness Week in 2013. We need to use this week to help raise awareness, take steps to erase the stigma, and educate people what they can do if they need help or feel a loved one needs help.

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