by Shirley Davis | May 25, 2020 | COVID-19, CPTSD Research
Police officers, nurses, doctors, nursing aides, and many other professionals stand on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. While catching the virus themselves is a huge danger, the second danger is burnout, with the third being secondary trauma. This article...
by Robyn Brickel | May 21, 2020 | Depression, Guest Contributor, Trauma-Informed
Together, We Can Make It Okay to Ask for Help We have a massive issue as a society and culture when it comes to the stigma surrounding mental illness. This stigma stops too many people from getting help early when it is most effective. You and I can easily help end...
by Martin Dearlove | May 14, 2020 | CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor
Jack in the Box – Part One The first thousand days 0,1,2,3 years of age and for some additional delight let’s throw in age 4. Making it the first 1460 days (this excludes the ‘count down days’ of pregnancy and the development of the fetus in utero). We know the...
by Shirley Davis | May 11, 2020 | COVID-19, CPTSD
The COVID-19 crisis has affected the entire globe, with people dying in record numbers from the virus. Essential workers, which includes all first responders, nurses, doctors, nursing aides, and others who must go to work, are on the front lines. This article will...
by Emily Wiebe | May 7, 2020 | CPTSD, CPTSD Research, Emotional Flashbacks, Guest Contributor
Note: if you are triggered while reading, take a break to do some gentle self-care before returning to the article, and if you find yourself in crisis, please reach out to your medical or mental health provider, or to an online crisis resource. Flashbacks are intense,...
by Shirley Davis | May 4, 2020 | COVID-19, CPTSD Research, First Responders and CPTSD
As Americans, we have grown accustomed to calling 911 when we are in trouble. We pick up the phone, talk to an operator, and fully expect first responders to appear as if by magic and save us. However, there is a darker side to this privilege. The hidden problem of...
by Emily Wiebe | Apr 30, 2020 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Depression, Emotional Flashbacks
I was around 19 years old when I lost the ability to daydream. I didn’t notice it at the time. What I did notice was extreme difficulty with writing. I was taking creative writing courses at Simon Fraser University at the time, and couldn’t understand why I was unable...
by Shirley Davis | Apr 27, 2020 | COVID-19, CPTSD, CPTSD Research, Depression
COVID 19 has done much more than inconvenience people, it has a much darker and dangerous side. A disturbing consequence of the isolation and loneliness sparked by stay-at-home policies, that problem is the rising current of depression. While depression is treatable,...
by Robyn Brickel | Apr 23, 2020 | CPTSD, Dissociation and CPTSD, Guest Contributor
When you witness or experience something terrible, you may try not to think about it. To help you, your brain may call on one of its most creative and ingenious coping strategies to keep you going: dissociation. In the simplest terms, dissociation is a mental block...
by Shirley Davis | Apr 20, 2020 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD Research, Emotional Flashbacks, The Brain and CPTSD
Everyone experiences flashbacks. Most of the time flashbacks are benign when they experience a trigger, such as the smell of fresh-baked bread, and it reminds them of their grandmother. However, flashbacks are a nightmare for those who have experienced extreme trauma...
