Ashley Nestler, MSW
Bio
Ashley Nestler is a Bibliotherapist and a survivor of Schizoaffective Disorder, OCD, Quiet Borderline Personality, Fibromyalgia,multiple eating disorders, and C-PTSD. Ashley has dedicated her life to books and advocating for mental health.
Stories (58/0)
3 Tips for Handling Shopping Urges
Now that we are in the midst of the holidays and all of the sales that come with them, let’s talk about a symptom of Borderline Personality Disorder that is not often addressed but is just as damaging as some of its other impulsive actions: binge shopping. I personally struggle with shopping when my emotions are high (which, let’s be honest, with BPD my emotions are generally high ALL OF THE TIME) and my shopping gets particularly bad when the holidays roll around and sales begin to pop up. My resistance is not very high, and I have gotten into serious trouble with money in the past due to my spending habits. My excessive spending is not a symptom I like to talk about very often due to the stigma that surrounds money and credit card use, but it is something that I think is important to talk about around this time of year as we are struggling with various impulsive behaviors, such as eating, substance abuse, and of course, spending. To help with this, I want to give you three alternatives you can try out if you suffer from a shopping addiction and begin to feel the urge to shop during this time of year. My hopes are that they help you out and make managing this symptom that much easier on your own.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW3 years ago in Psyche
The Unexpected Hobby That Helps My OCD
For as long as I can remember, I have suffered from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – however, it was not until this past January that I was diagnosed and came to realize that my behaviors were linked to this disorder. OCD is one of the more highly stigmatized disorders in our society, and it is because of the beliefs I had surrounding OCD that I didn’t think that my behaviors qualified for a diagnosis. That was, until my psychiatrist explained me to what OCD really is.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW3 years ago in Psyche
Author Interview with Opa Hysea Wise
ABOUT THE BOOK “No Place to Hide” Against hope, Smythe Windwalker Daniels’ anonymity is compromised, and a threat has been made against her life. The danger impacts not only her life but the lives of those around her. She reluctantly accepts the FBI’s protection, hoping to testify and bring a promise of justice to a community. Smythe is a woman with vision in her eyes and fire in her soul. From a young age, Smythe was discriminated against as a mixed-race girl in a predominantly white neighborhood. She travels to Hawaii to escape the corporate rat race, only to get entangled in a pesticide poisoning cover-up attempt by a mega-corporation. While on the run, she seeks to find meaning in events that now threaten her life. Through a series of misadventures, she discovers how all events are all woven together in this tapestry called “life.” As she uses her past experience to find meaning in her present, she begins to see beauty in the midst of chaos. But the harder she tries to hide, the more difficult it is to survive.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW3 years ago in Journal
Coming Home
The town was silent, only the sound of rain crashing down on the cobblestones reverberated in her ears. Emily kept her gaze in front of her as she continued down the walk, her speed slowed down by the use of her cane. She had injured her leg a year ago in a sword fight and her leg was never the same again. As a pirate captain, Emily carried the shame of the lost fight with her, and she vowed to never be taken aback like that ever again.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Horror
Purgatory
“Ann, it’s time to wake up, sweetheart,” Harris said, rolling over and rubbing his wife’s shoulder. He slid out of bed and shuffled to the window, pulling back the curtains so that the Colorado sunrise would stream in. A candle sat flickering in the window that he had forgotten to expire before they went to bed. He took his fingers and pinched out the flame before turning back to his wife. But when he looked at Ann, he noticed how she was still sound asleep. He decided to give her time to wake up and went to the bathroom.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Horror
Healing a Bleeding Heart
Having my heart broken is one of the worst experiences I have had as a person living with borderline personality disorder (BPD). When my heart is broken, I can’t describe it as “feeling sad.” I honestly don’t know if I have ever just felt “sad.” Rather, I feel like the pain is tearing me apart from my core, inside out, and my only thoughts of reprieve from the pain are suicidal.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Psyche
An Impulsive Mind
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness classified by nine different diagnostic criteria, five of which an individual must meet to be diagnosed. However, there are various other signs of BPD that add to the complexity of the condition.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Psyche
The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen by Ray Smith
Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: “You’ve seen the woman in the photo. The woman screaming . . .” So begins the story of Molly Valle, who at forty-eight thinks she knows all that life has to offer a single, middle-aged woman — namely, men’s dismissal and disrespect. But when handsome activist John Pressman arrives in her Mississippi hometown, he challenges her self-doubt along with nearly everything else in her world. Soon, Molly discovers a strength and beauty she never knew she had — and a love so powerful, it can overcome the most tragic of consequences. The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen is a love story, an adventure novel, and a self-realization journey. It reignites the truth that many women — and men — have unconsciously extinguished: you are special and worthy of love, and it’s never too late to make your dreams come true.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Humans
The Billionaire's Secret by Ravina Hilliard
Synopsis Serena Aisling has made it to the top as a high-powered executive all on her own merit. No thanks to her millionaire father who’d abandoned her at birth to be raised single-handedly by her mother. She has come a long way, so she’ll be damned if she allows him to have a hand in her career by dangling the CEO position of the Mäkelä Group in her face. When Serena’s company coincidentally assigns her to spearhead a revolutionizing project run by the same corporation, she ends up working alongside the innovator himself—tech guru, Matias Mäkelä. The savvy, self-made millionaire is moody, ill-tempered, arrogant, and a giant thorn in her side, yet she can’t deny that he’s irresistibly handsome and stunningly delicious. A malicious traitor very close to Matias is divulging company secrets, and they must work together to uncover and shut them down before it’s too late. When Serena uncovers the culprit, fearing Matias will not believe her, she keeps the discovery to herself and acts on her own, landing herself in hot waters with Matias. Waters so hot and flaming that she ends up tangled in his sheets, intoxicated with a desire that threatens to engulf her in an uncontrollable fireball of ecstatic delights. As untold discoveries, secrets, and schemes unravel, Serena and Matias find themselves on a wild and unending tide of colliding together before being ripped apart again. Will their feelings for each other be enough to survive the diabolical intrigue that threatens their very lives? Or will they crash and burn?
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Filthy
Interview with Aneesh Chaudhry
ABOUT ANEESH CHAUDHRY Aneesh Chaudhry is the founder of SoulPhysio Lifestyle, a brain health clinic and integrative healthcare network that specializes in treatments that combine both Eastern and Western Medical techniques. Chaudhry holds a bachelor’s degree in Neuropsychology from Wright State University and a personal training license through the Cooper Institute.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Longevity
INTERVIEW WITH FORMER NEW YORK TIMES JOURNALIST, LISA LUCIANO
ABOUT LISA LUCIANO Former New York Times sports reporter, Lisa Luciano has a unique perspective into the icy world of competitive figure skating, which she writes about in her debut novel, The Chosen Ones. The book won multiple awards in advance of its release in May 2020 including Best Sports Fiction in the NYC Big Books Competition. Luciano was also a television producer and director who received national recognition for excellence in educational programming. A teacher with 40 years of experience, Luciano taught English, TV Production, Technology, and Digital Literacy and most recently worked as a Library Media Specialist. She currently resides in Connecticut.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW4 years ago in Journal