Standing Alone and Finding Strong Female Friendships After Falling Victim to Mean Girls
As a woman, I struggled with female friendships growing up. I found many other girls and women notoriously catty, jealous, and downright mean. I liked being “one of the guys” with my guy friends, and I much preferred having a steady boyfriend over being part of a...
Understanding Differences Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs. Borderline Personality Disorder
When you hear the word “narcissist,” what images come to mind? In my world, “narcissist” is a term that’s both overused and misunderstood. In common vernacular, it can be inflammatory and insulting, but in medical circles, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a...
Managing CPTSD: Honoring How Far You’ve Come
Generations of negative family patterns and relational wounds are our legacies In healing from relational trauma or resulting Complex PTSD – a type of PTSD thought to arise as a result of extended or repeated trauma – we often forget or dismiss what it is...
The Healing Power of Horse Therapy for Trauma Survivors (Part 2 of 2)
(Part 2 of 2) I started dreaming of horses When I was 51 years old, my life was falling apart. My 30-plus-year career that I had worked so hard for was coming to an end, and so was my marriage. Little did I know, but my life was about to turn upside down in a...
Living Autistic Survival Amid PTSD: Finding Myself in Grace Tame’s Story
An autistic survivor holds the ability to shred apart norms but often also holds fears of not being the correct voice An autistic survivor of abuse seemingly stands on a pedestal about to fall into repression of feelings or being the needed honest one. An autistic...
Recognizing the Signs of Toxic Relationships: A Guide to Self-Awareness
Have you ever woken up on a sunny day only to realize by mid-afternoon that the sky had darkened and heavy clouds were threatening rain? You might have had no idea when the sun had ducked behind a cloud or when the day had darkened. That’s what toxic relationships are...
Understanding Survival Mode in CPTSD: Why It Can Take Years to Identify
For those living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), recognizing that they are stuck in survival mode can be incredibly challenging. Survival mode is a state where the body and mind are constantly on high alert, prepared to respond to perceived...
A Writer’s Brain – The Gift
By Jesse Donahue 2018 ©I have heard of the right and left hemispheres of the human brain. Right brain, left brain thinking, a term thrown about by those in the know… which leaves me out. Where do I stand on the condition of the right brain being the creative side… or...