by Jennifer "Kaylene" Carter | Mar 26, 2020 | CPTSD Poetry
Fog The skies have turned gray, Rain’s starting to fall. Once upon a time, my life was clear. Now a fog’s settled over it all. Stumbling in the dark, I catch glimpses of my destination. But as I step a little closer, I see it was an illusion. The rolling mist envelops...
by Shirley Davis | Mar 23, 2020 | CPTSD Research
Those who live with the after-effects of severe childhood trauma understand well how it feels to be continually on the lookout for danger. Some experience this as hypervigilance feeling unsafe no matter who they are with or where they are in life. Polyvagal theory...
by Claire Exley | Mar 19, 2020 | CPTSD, Dissociation and CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Trauma-Informed Tuesday Newsletter, Treatment for CPTSD
At a boiling point? Trying to connect with a feeling, for me, can be like trying to boil a kettle with no water. You can click the button, but all you get is a few vapors. You can go through the motions, but with no hot water at the end of it. Ironically, being unable...
by Shirley Davis | Mar 16, 2020 | ACEs, CPTSD Research, Polyvagal Theory and CPTSD
Stress is a normal part of life that no one can fully escape. However, when stress becomes toxic, it can affect our lives in drastic fashions that may change our life’s outcome. Adverse childhood experiences tie into toxic stress and both can cause considerable harm...
by Robyn Brickel | Mar 12, 2020 | Depression, Grief, Trauma-Informed
When a new client asks “how long is therapy going to take?” I know that they are eager to feel better, heal, and move forward. They want to pour out all the details of their story within that first session because they expect this to speed up the process of healing....
by Shirley Davis | Mar 9, 2020 | CPTSD Research, Polyvagal Theory and CPTSD
How many times have we heard of people who were raped or otherwise violated being accused in their attacker’s trial of not fighting or running away? The survivor, instead of receiving sympathy and justice, is instead bombarded inside the court and out with shame...
by Lisa Taylor | Mar 5, 2020 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Depression, Emotional Flashbacks, Grief, Guest Contributor, Healing from Toxic Shame, Mindfulness
It has taken me 43 years to be able to have the strength to write the words I did get out below, it ends abruptly because I could not go any further at that moment, however, I like each of you, am still healing from trauma. I will continue to dig deep and work on a...
by Shirley Davis | Mar 2, 2020 | CPTSD Research
There are many theories about childhood trauma and how it affects the bodies and minds of children and how these experiences shape adults. One of the most interesting of all of them is what is called the polyvagal theory. First described in 1994 by Stephen W. Porges,...
by Jennifer "Kaylene" Carter | Feb 27, 2020 | CPTSD Poetry, CPTSD Survivor Stories
A series of 3 poems, shared by guest writer Kaylene, on her realizations through various stages of healing. OVERLOOKED As I look up at the clouds, I give a sigh and start to wonder. Where I’m going, where I’ll stop, Why I’ve been where I have been. Are my choices all...
by Shirley Davis | Feb 24, 2020 | Eating Disorders and CPTSD
Society has stereotypically viewed eating disorders as only affecting teenage girls and women. However, one in three people who form an eating disorder (ED) is boys or men. This article will examine how EDs affect male victims and how they can defeat these...
