ABOUT

Hysterical Hag is a story-sharing space where rage, grief, joy, and absurdity coexist.

Through radical honesty and deeply sardonic humor, Hysterical Hag explores the chaos of being a woman, mother, and survivor in a world that rebranded hysteria instead of addressing what caused it.

MISSION

To live out loud and embolden others to do the same.

VISION

To reclaim and honor what was once dismissed as hysteria.

VALUES

Curiosity • Authenticity • Defiance

The Power of Story Sharing

Sharing personal stories, whether joyful or painful, can be liberating and empowering.

Through story sharing, we can deepen self-awareness, challenge limiting beliefs, make sense of our experiences, and embrace a greater sense of personal freedom.

Story sharing has the power to dissolve shame, ease embarrassment, and cultivate meaningful connections. It reminds us that we are not alone in navigating life’s complexities.

And sometimes, a whole story can be told in a name.

The Weight of a Name

Some see Hysterical Hag as a clever play on my last name, but it carries more than humor – it holds heaviness too.

Hysterical and hilarious are often conflated – perhaps because hysterical has taken on a light, comedic tone after centuries of being used to shame women for being “too much.”

In the not-too-distant past, Hysterical was a term used to pathologize women’s emotions – especially when they were upset, angry, or simply outspoken. It served to dismiss valid feelings as irrational or ‘crazy.’

Similarly, Hag (my family nickname) also carries the weight of a well-known slur directed toward women. It’s often used to imply that they’re unattractive, bitter, or irrelevant. Rooted in misogyny and ageism, this term has long been used to devalue women who refuse to conform to youthful, submissive ideals.

Like the duality in my pen name, I, too, have been misunderstood and mislabeled.

While my dark, dry humor has been essential to my survival, make no mistake: Hysterical Hag wasn’t chosen for its comedic appeal – It was chosen as a symbol of resistance against the pressure to stay quiet, polite, pretty, and small. It’s my personal reclamation of historically charged words that have long been used to shame and silence women.

Breaking the Silence

My voice was shaped by years of silence. Where I grew up, speaking the truth wasn’t safe. Honesty was punished or dismissed with pathologizing labels that carried the same history and stigma as “hysteria.” For those around me, denial and silence were more convenient than the discomfort of reality.

I didn’t begin to make sense of my experiences until I heard others name the very thoughts and feelings I had carried alone. Over time, those stories piled up. Each one unearthed something I’d been forced to suppress – things I’d buried so deep I forgot they existed. That growing sense of validation made me bolder. It showed me the power of someone putting words to the things we’re taught to avoid – and the value of doing the same for others. Because silence protects comfort – not people. Speaking out protects people.

The healing I needed as a woman, mother, and survivor didn’t begin with positivity and optimism. It began when my shame story met a witness who didn’t flinch. It began in spaces that made room for grief, trauma, and realism disguised as cynicism. It began with humor that only makes sense to people who’ve had no choice but to survive some wild shit. Not reflexive pep talks, not hollow reassurance, not someone telling me I was strong – but a witness. A fellow traveler. That’s what made the difference.

Hysterical Hag exists to continue that work: to speak on the things we’re taught to stay quiet about, and to bear witness without turning away.

The Value of a Voice

Our worthiness of being heard isn’t measured by our ability to transform ourselves or the world around us. What we have to say matters – not because we’re perfect, polished, or hold all the answers – but because our experiences, perspectives, and uncertainties hold value. We never know who needs to hear what we have to say, just as we are.

I’m no guru, and I’m not a professional writer. What I share here comes from lived experience and ongoing curiosity, not expertise. My perspective is that of a progressive woman, mother, and lifelong learner – and it is ever-evolving. Honestly, what I’m here to share is pretty brutal. Dead parents. Dead friends. Cancer. Suicide. Cults. Violence. The Troubled Teen Industry. A pandemic. Family fractures that never healed… And raising kids as a single parent through all of it.

Unfortunately, grief has defined me – but not only in the ways you’d expect. It hasn’t only broken me down; it’s carved out empathy, sharpened perspective, and left me with a defiant sense of humor. I’m not all good, and I’m not all bad. At my core, I’m just a fundamentally flawed human choosing to reveal some raw, vulnerable truths – with the hope of creating space for others to do the same.

The goal here is authentic self-expression, not perfection. Living out loud isn’t pretty, but it’s real. And real is where connection begins. In practice, that often means speaking up in the very spaces we least expect depth – social platforms.

Connecting with Purpose

Social platforms are often dismissed as shallow entertainment spaces, but for some of us, they’re not about performance at all. They’re a way to put something intentional into the world so the right people see it, recognize themselves in it, and know they’re not alone.

These connections matter because they protect us from isolation and invalidation – two of the most effective tools used to silence anyone expressing grief, anger, or inconvenient truths that challenge the status quo.

Take the word “hysteria.” It was never a medical condition – it was a cultural tool used to discredit women’s pain, sexuality, and resistance. It disappeared only when women raised their voices, collectively, and forced medicine and culture to abandon the lie.

But here’s the catch: While the “hysterical” label was discarded, the reflex to dismiss uncomfortable truths remained – rebranded to sound gentle and polite – while still serving the same destructive purpose. And because the silencing has always been deliberate, our voices must be too.

So, I’ll do my best to live out loud and encourage you to do the same. With any luck, we’ll reach the people who need it most.

Now go ahead and check out the menu. Best case, something resonates. Worst case, same.

❤︎ Hag