I’ve just started this week and taking some time out from a 2 year relationship that grew from a 3 year friendship. He’s a good man, but seeing his reactions of late and (and mine) and knowing his ongoing circumstances, I don’t think a healthy intimate relationship, probably even friendship, is possible any longer.

I’m hoping HRT will help me to find some stability as I move from years of learning about cptsd (while still being triggered by circumstances) into a more active stage of healing.

I’m so glad that studies are bing done on this subject. The medical system has let me down so much over the years and I know I’m far from alone, though it certainly felt like that.

Good luck ladies, hard days will will always come for those like us, but the community keeps growing. x

I’m so glad you found it helpful! Finding a good trauma-informed therapist is hard–there were only a couple in-network through my insurance, and it was impossible to get an appointment. I really needed help recently and after attending a free session here through the CPTSD Foundation with a trauma-informed coach (Rachel Grant), I signed up for her email list and attended a couple more free sessions. She has a great vibe and the advice she offered really resonated with me, so I signed up for a free 1:1 session with her a few weeks ago and signed up for her 7-month program. I only just started this week, but I’m getting a lot out of it–she offers a ton of resources and is wonderful to talk with. She really gets it. It’s not therapy, but it’s more action oriented, and the structure of the program helps keep me motivated. I’d definitely recommend at least checking out some of her free resources. In terms of somatic work, I’d recommend Irene Lyon’s YouTube channel. In addition to the tons of free resources she has there, she has an amazing somatic program called SmartBody SmartMind–it’s around $2K, but you become a lifetime member and can join their live virtual program that takes place twice a year and they keep everything on their site for you to access anytime (you can also download their audio and video exercises, which is awesome). It’s by far my favorite program for complex trauma. As an alternative, Workout Witch has a recorded video program with gentle bodywork for about $200. I use those videos almost every day. I hope you can find a healing pathway that works for you! I was diagnosed with CPTSD exactly 3 years ago–as far as I’ve come, there’s still more to learn–especially when it comes to being kind to myself and giving myself time to process and recover. It can be tough to sort through all the resources to make sure they’re legit, but I keep coming back to things I found through this site and I know they’re vetted. Best of luck to you. 🙂

Hi Lynn,

I’m so glad you found this helpful, as difficult as the topic is. I have a number of new articles in the works, including one on how COVID affects the vagus nerve, which is dysregulated by CPTSD. And perimenopause is certainly a factor in that as well! I’m hoping to have that one done soon, but I dig deep on the research articles to ensure it’s properly vetted and accurate. Somatic therapy has also been a huge help in healing. Thank you for reading the article; I’m grateful that you found support in it. Wishing you comfort and peace on your healing journey.

Lee

Great to hear you’ve figured out how to heal yourself. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Michelle,

Happy to share! Personally, I’m not eligible for hormone replacement therapy, so I’ve relied on a number of lifestyle changes like giving up coffee and alcohol—that helped decrease the anxiety and insomnia significantly. I still drink a cup of tea every morning though and have been fine. I also became a medical cannabis patient and primarily use tinctures and edibles in small doses (10 mg or less) to manage a range of symptoms—it’s been incredibly helpful for hot flashes, aches and pains, and I take larger doses (25 mg+) to help me sleep through the night (I have a lot of problems with nightmares, so that’s why I take a bigger dose.). It’s taken me a few years to get a good routine down—making sure I eat as healthy as I can, get a decent amount of sleep (and I’m a night owl by nature, so this one’s tough!). I keep a calendar with notes about symptoms, what I did, the result, and over time learned the patterns and solutions that have been most helpful. Somatic therapy and yoga has helped with flexibility, strength, and easing tension. Of course there are lapses, but I do my best! 🙂