Was I banned from Instagram for Talk About Being a Woman?
Apparently saying "Botox virgin" makes you a dangerous person according to Instagram. Here's what I learned during my digital detox...
Life has a funny way of forcing us to pause—sometimes through the most unexpected channels. This week brought a mix of digital drama and delightful discoveries that reminded me why I love this work so much.
Between banned Instagram accounts (yes, really!) and floating in our still-warm Newport waters, I've been thinking about resilience, gratitude, and the simple practices that anchor us when things feel uncertain.
👇 In today's email:
This week's inspiration: Banned from Instagram and Other Trials and Tribulations
Latest blog post: Can't Sleep Without Medications? Try This First
What I'm reading: The Story of Swimming by Susie Parr
Banned from Instagram and Other Trials and Tribulations
I assume that my women's empowerment content is not the most nefarious thing on the Internet, right? Yet, lo and behold, on August 22nd my account (@heydrcatherine) was banned for a violation of "Community Standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity."
The Crime? I said "I am no Botox virgin" in a video where I was discussing natural alternatives for those who don't want to inject botulinum into their faces. Alas, the word "virgin" suspended my account and also suggested I was a very scummy person.
The Silver Lining
I tried not to obsess, taking this as divine intervention—that I needed a rest from content creation. Though I'll admit, I don't think God gets involved in such small things!
I wondered if I'd ever get my account back, given that Instagram has zero customer service for situations like this. It made me think: are we really living in a world where algorithms get to be judge and jury? I definitely wasn't alone in this digital purgatory—so many small business owners have their accounts ruinously banned for things that simply aren't true.
But then I remembered: "I know a gal who knows a guy"—and magically, the account emerged from the black hole with an apology from Meta Corp.
What I Learned
During this digital detox, I had moments where it was hard to stay positive. But there were lessons in equanimity, gratefulness for the help of a total stranger who went to bat for my account, and the gift of a pause to reflect.
As things have gotten quieter in Newport—and I can finally cross the street without fearing for my life—I've savored some slow walks in the gentle sun, watched the beauty unfold at my three bird feeders, and witnessed countless acts of kindness from others.
Sometimes the pause we resist is exactly what we need.
Latest blog post
Can't Sleep Without Medications? Try This First
Every day I learn so many things from my patients, and one patient a couple of weeks ago mentioned a fascinating German study. Participants who woke in the middle of the night were instructed to think of five things they felt grateful for. Remarkably, most of these participants fell deeply back into sleep.
This week, with a full moon and perhaps a couple of other factors, my sleep was a bit disrupted. I tried this technique on a personal level—an n of 1 experiment, if you will.
The Science Behind Gratitude and Sleep
When we shift our minds from worry to gratitude, we're actually changing our nervous system state. Instead of activating our sympathetic "fight or flight" response that keeps us wired, gratitude practices engage our parasympathetic nervous system—the "rest and digest" mode that prepares us for sleep.
Simple Sleep Rituals That Work
The beauty of this approach is its simplicity. No pills, no special equipment—just a gentle redirection of your thoughts toward appreciation. In my latest blog post, I share this technique along with other natural sleep remedies that have worked for both my patients and myself.
We all need sleep, and it helps us deal with everything life throws our way. Sometimes the most powerful medicine is also the gentlest.
What I'm reading
The Story of Swimming by Susie Parr
What is better than sliding into the ocean at sunset to release the stress of the day? The water is warm in Newport and there's still light at the end of the workday. Diving and frolicking in the waters of Third Beach—swimming laps but also doing flips and somersaults like a child—brings me to this euphoric place that inspired me to select The Story of Swimming by Susie Parr from the library this week.
A Journey Through Water and Time
This delightful book explores the history of swimming in the UK, from earliest recorded time. Parr describes how the Romans swam even with armor on around 300 A.D., all the way up to modern-day "bathing." She also mentions the medicinal effects of cold plunging as early as the 1800s.
(Thank you to Mr. Huberman and Dr. Attia, but this practice has been around a long time!)
The Medicine of Movement
I can't say I read the book completely—I would say I more perused it, dipping in and out of certain paragraphs, and definitely enjoyed the photos. But what struck me was how water has always been medicine for humans. Whether it's the Romans using it for recovery, the Victorians prescribing sea bathing for nervous disorders, or me doing my evening somersaults in Third Beach—water heals.
There's something about being held by water that reminds our nervous systems how to let go. Maybe that's why the gratitude-for-sleep technique works so well—it's like mental swimming, a gentle floating away from our worries.
Yes, you can find peace even in the midst of drama and sleepless nights!
Warmly, Dr. Catherine 🌊