Michael Harris, MA, LP

Coaches #FASD caregivers & other burned out people. Teaches radical self-care & micro-dosed self-care via Positive Intelligence. A Psychologist & foster parent.

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Today is #FASDAwarenessDay.
A reminder of the 9 months alcohol can affect a developing brain.
A reminder of the hidden struggles of those with FASD.
And a reminder of the caregivers... often burning out in silence.

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

FASD caregivers don't need a spa day.

They need something that works in the next three minutes, in the middle of a real day.

April 14 names what that looks like — and why small repairs done consistently beat big ones that never happen.

#FASD #FASDCaregiving #CaregiverCapacity
https://t.co/lamXiSchWW

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

10:47 pm. Transportation form. You know you should be in bed.

But a morning with no bus costs more than these 20 minutes.

So you borrow from tomorrow. Again.

Emergency borrowing is real life. Routine borrowing reshapes it.

Tomorrow needs some of you too.

#FASD #FASDCaregiving #CaregiverCapacity #EverydayCalm
https://t.co/furkmqR4j3

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You're present to everyone else, but you can't find yourself anymore.

That's not weakness. That's what happens when you mistake constant availability for love.

Reliable presence is stronger than endless access.

Most FASD caregivers have never heard this distinction.
Click below to read the full entry
#FASD
https://t.co/JGMIusWMgR

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

He's shut down.

You sit beside him. One question changes everything.

New entry: Touch as bridge.

Read (link). Share what you discover. 💙

#FASD #SafeTouch #Connection #CoRegulation
https://t.co/BwScAQKz5I

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

I just published February 23: Parallel Presence With Your Child: Co-Regulation Without Words:

He's on the couch. Hoodie up. One question away from the edge.

What if the most stabilizing thing you could do is just... sit six feet away and exist in the same room?

New entry: Parallel presence. Co-regulation without words.
#FASD #Attunement
https://t.co/slGPMwWUys

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Your friend brings dinner.
Wrong texture for your child. And she doesn't get FASD—suggested "more outdoor time" last week.

But it's hot food. Someone-thought-about-you food.

Do you reject imperfect support? Or let it matter?

New entry: Why waiting for perfect understanding keeps you isolated.
https://t.co/EkvQMXWXqF

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You're on the phone with someone safe.

Halfway through: your breathing slows. Shoulders drop. Jaw clench releases.

You weren't doing a breathing exercise. You were receiving steadiness.

For FASD caregivers, this is survival, not luxury.

New entry on co-regulation and why safe people matter.

The link is below. Share who steadies you. 💙

#FASD #CoRegulation
https://t.co/rG2ztVOXdM

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You're asked: "How's your son doing?"

Door One: Explain everything. Watch them minimize. Leave more alone.
Door Two: "It's complicated, but we're managing."

Your chest eases.

New entry: Why strategic deflection isn't avoidance. It's survival. Not everyone has earned your story.

Read (link in comments). Share your boundary. 💙

#FASD #Boundaries #SelfCare
https://t.co/1gAYPsvRNy

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You reached out: "Struggling this week."

Reply: "Have you tried a bedtime routine?"

Your stomach drops.

This is the fork in the road for FASD caregivers—withdraw or stay grounded?

New entry: the biology of social letdown + the "Voo" breath to recover before deciding what it means.

#FASD #SelfCare #Connection #Caregiving
https://t.co/p0FfByjlOa

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Three days without real conversation.
Then another FASD parent texted: "Hard day."
I replied: "Same."
Two words. No explanation. No performance.
And suddenly I wasn't alone anymore.
Read what happened when connection required nothing but witness:
#FASD #SelfCare #Connection #MentalHealth
https://t.co/Xd3L0Da0mW

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

🧵 Your phone rings. You see the name.
Before you consciously think anything, your stomach drops.

You answer anyway: social obligation, guilt, the belief you "should" accept support when it shows up for #FASD.

A few minutes in, you feel it: Tightness all over, frustration, annoyance. You're explaining, justifying, defending, again.

You hang up exhausted, wondering why "support" feels like combat. Read this article to find out why..

#Devotion #SelfCare
https://t.co/IxdT1bztWb

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

I just published February 14: A Rhythm of Reconnection: Co-Regulation with Pets

It's Valentine's Day. You're on the couch in yesterday's clothes. Isolation settles in.

Your cat walks over, then something shifts. What happens next?

Click through to the article to find out

#FASD #SelfCare
https://t.co/DVz37M8La2

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

February 13:
The house felt too loud, so you stepped outside for ten minutes.

Nothing changed, but something in you shifted.

What happened?

Read the article to learn about FASD caregiver support during chaotic patterns.

#FASD #SelfCare #nature
https://t.co/r0cWWmyd1A

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

It's the cereal aisle. Your child screams and has a huge meltdown.

You survive it. Regulated on the outside.

But hours later, your spine is still curved, your chest still collapsed.

The stares are gone. But the posture remains.

#FASD #SelfCare #Shame
https://t.co/rTgz4OoJLy

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Hypervigilance doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s just your eyes… locked.

There’s a difference between scanning for threat and orienting to safety.

A simple 2-minute reset can shift your nervous system.

If this speaks to you read the article below, and like/share/clap.

#FASD #SelfCare #TraumaInformed #Caregivere
https://t.co/a2fR8WqE90

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Sitting in the driveway before going inside?

There’s a 3-minute, private reset that shifts how you enter.

Not mindset. Physiology.
Try it. Then tell me what changed.

#FASD #SelfCare #Polyvagal
https://t.co/mqZnNYiVBM

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You can be fully prepared, and still braced.
This piece explores what helps caregivers regulate before hard conversations.
❤️ 🔁 👏 if this resonates
#FASD #SelfCare

https://t.co/sYYH7fPMJy

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

You catch your reflection in a store window.

Shoulders hunched. Jaw clenched. Fists curled.

When did this happen?

Read the full article below and what to do about it 👇

#FASD #SelfCare #Embodiment
https://t.co/ETwL8SMLWT

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Your phone rings while you're driving.

The first request is reasonable. You agree. Then comes the add-on. And the screaming when you say no. Your heart starts pounding. You pull over.

What I did next starting changing how I handle these overflow moments.
#FASD #Devotional
https://t.co/MzbJSOycMg

[Michael Harris, MA, LP @FASDElephant]

Phone rings. First request: reasonable. Then the add-on. And the screaming.

Heart pounding. Pull over.

What happens next changed how I handle overflow.
Click through to Medium to read the full article!

#FASD #SelfCare #Devotional
https://t.co/c8r8RgKQnl