by J Bradley O | Jan 8, 2021 | ACEs, Complex PTSD Healing, Mindfulness
Easily one of the greatest impediments to recovery is nagging, negative beliefs. Even the most optimistic struggle on occasion. However, I’ve discovered three ways to break the grip of negative beliefs that practically anyone willing can use to create a more...
by Rebecca Donaldson | Jan 7, 2021 | ACEs, Attachment Trauma, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, Family Estrangement
Though I wish we could, we don’t get to pick the families we are born into. We do, though, one day get to pick those who raise us. My life may not be typical, but it’s beautiful. I haven’t been home in over seven years, and that’s my choice. I’ve chosen to live a...
by Rebekah Brown | Jan 6, 2021 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Emotional Wellness
I had looked forward all week to the Mary Kay Cosmetics party my mother was hosting. Too little to wear make-up, I certainly wasn’t too small to be interested. I had looked at every picture in the Mary Kay catalog and dreamed of the day when I could get my hands on...
by Rivka Edery | Jan 5, 2021 | CPTSD, CPTSD Research, Healing Self-Shame, Self-Acceptance
Introduction Once upon a time, in a not-so-far-away land, there lived a small child. As is always the case with young children, they are innocent and without any filters or defenses. This small child was as impressionable, lovable, eager for love, safety, healthy...
by Shirley Davis | Jan 4, 2021 | CPTSD, Emotional Flashbacks
You walk into your living room after getting out of bed in the morning feeling apprehensive and afraid, but there is nothing to be afraid of that you can observe. An overwhelming sense that something terrible is about to happen permeates your thoughts, and you do not...
by Rebecca Donaldson | Jan 1, 2021 | ACEs, Attachment Trauma, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, Dissociation and CPTSD
Good evening. I see you’re crying again. Don’t worry about the sheets. I’ll wash them tomorrow. What do you need? Can I hold your hand? You don’t want to be touched? It’s okay. I understand. You know, your sensitivity is not something to fix. DBT is not your answer....
by J Bradley O | Dec 30, 2020 | ACEs, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Depression, Emotional Wellness, Feeling Good Enough, Men's Mental Health, Mindfulness
Though I don’t like to think about it, I sometimes wonder how I went from enthusiastically running a service business that doubled every year from word of mouth alone to homeless, struggling not so proudly just to get by. It was a long, slow decline. Overall, it took...
by Shirley Davis | Dec 28, 2020 | CPTSD, Holiday Stress, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Surviving the Holidays
The brain is a very complicated organ that rules over our lives engendering how we move, think, and feel. The way our brain cells (neurons) communicate with one another is by the use of chemicals known as neurotransmitters which they pass from one to the other. We...
by Dr. Annie Tanasugarn | Dec 25, 2020 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD and PTSD, CPTSD Research, Guest Contributor, Mindfulness, Symptoms of CPTSD
Trauma can affect a person’s emotional, physical, and psychological well-being in various ways. Because the trauma experienced may be unique to an individual, their response to a traumatic event is also unique and may include: flashbacks; trouble sleeping; avoidance...
by Robyn Brickel | Dec 23, 2020 | Healthy Relationships, Trauma-Informed
It’s good, healthy, and human to want love and seek it out. We live longer, healthier lives when we feel close to someone safe. Some people feel painfully disconnected, and long to open up to others. But then they stop themselves from reaching out. As therapists, we...
