Flying on the Inside Quotes

“I believe that this ability to shift gears is a switch we all have, something we can all access when our basic survival instincts kick in. In the same way animals in the wild can, when our lives are under threat we can very quickly apprehend the source of danger in a situation and identify what actions we need to take to have the best chances of escaping intact.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“At the same time, my thought processes, my rational thinking abilities, took on a heightened sense of clarity, a greater economy and speed, as I assessed our rapidly evolving circumstances and calculated how we could best try to direct the boat to maximise our chances of reaching land quickly.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“to realise that, no matter how compelling my thoughts were, I didn’t have to listen to them and had the power to distinguish between those that were helpful and those that were not.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“I progressed in the withdrawal process, I would learn to make the crucial distinction between my thoughts and the person that I was”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“was always there, like an infinitesimal chink of light at the very end of a dark and tortuous tunnel. This was the belief that life held something better for me, for all of us. Suffering, pain and separation are not all there is. On balance, the good things – the benevolent energy, the positive, beautiful life force that infuses the natural world around us and the universe itself – are stronger than everything else.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“Something else was holding me back from crossing the final line between life and death; something that had always been in me and which kept me engaged.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“Whenever the ‘black, slimy, evil’ thoughts of killing myself began to pervade my mind, I was somehow able to sit with them. Don’t ask me how, but I was able to stay just that tiniest bit separate from them. I could see them. They almost had personalities – a council of advisors and persuaders – and it took all my might not to listen. It felt like I was locked in a battle between good and evil. I had to be on my guard around the clock. I didn’t really want to be dead, I just wanted the suffering to be over.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“My mental strength has been tested in the recounting of this story, but mostly I’m happy to report that the whole experience has ended up feeling very cathartic.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“Neuroplasticity is the science behind the brain’s ability to heal itself. It was once thought that the brain, once matured, was fixed and that there was little that could be done for people, like me, who suffered neurological accidents, such as strokes and paralysis. However, more recent advances in medicine have brought new discoveries and an understanding that the human brain is in fact plastic, that it can heal, and that we can grow new neural pathways, which, in effect, means that we can purposefully heal from many conditions by harnessing the power of the mind and the brain to form new neural circuits. My own recovery is the living proof of this neuroplasticity and completely underpins my fascination with this whole area of therapy, which purposefully utilises the power of the subconscious mind to heal both physical and emotional issues.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“Developing agoraphobia is a fairly common side effect of coming off benzodiazepines – only one of a plethora of distressing psychological symptoms which may be brought on by withdrawal, as I was soon to see for myself.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery

“Acceptance is not something that I really understand. The guilt of not having achieved enough or feeling that I have not tried harder is always running as a second voice within my mind.”
― Rachel Gotto, Flying on the Inside: A Memoir of Trauma and Recovery