by Rebekah Brown | Feb 22, 2023 | Abuse, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Emotional Wellness, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Parental Alienation, Relationships
A Short Childhood Story I was finally old enough to go to school and get away from my mother’s screaming, beatings, and sexual abuse. My older brother and I smiled together as we got on the school bus that day. We were both glad to be getting away. First grade was the...
by Jeff Spiteri | Feb 21, 2023 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD, Emotional Wellness, Family Estrangement, Hope, Parental Alienation, Sexual Abuse, Shame
Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die” ~Anonymous When I bring up the word forgiveness to people most greet it with a sigh. The sentiment often embodies something along the lines of “I’ve tried”, “good luck,” or “what a struggle.”...
by Shirley Davis | Feb 20, 2023 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD and PTSD, Generational Trauma
****Trigger Warning**** The following article will discuss the sexual abuse of children by women. Viewer discretion is advised. For far too long, society has avoided discussing women who abuse children. Society has brushed under the rug that women can do such things...
by Milena "Mila" Stankovic | Feb 17, 2023 | CPTSD, Depression, Grief, Guest Contributor, Pain, Trauma
I spent my childhood terrified of the word “death”. I can remember lying in bed feeling my heart swell in my chest every time the thought of death crossed my mind. I feared death because my parents were much older than the parents of my peers — the thought of losing...
by Ramon Diaz | Feb 17, 2023 | Brain Chemistry, CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor
Organizations like the United Nations and additional related U.S. organizations have recently been focused on identifying factors that are negatively and positively impacting a person’s mental health. Funding the police and related organizations, the war on poverty,...
by Cyndi Bennett | Feb 16, 2023 | Mental Health Advocacy, Occupational Mental Health & CPTSD
Why is it so uncomfortable to talk about mental health in the workplace? Most of the time, it is because we are afraid we will be judged, seen as “less than,” or not seen as capable of being promoted. Unfortunately, in some work environments, that is the sad reality....
by Rebekah Brown | Feb 16, 2023 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Emotional Wellness, Feeling Good Enough, Generational Trauma, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Self Care, Symptoms of CPTSD, Trauma-Informed
My hand lingered along the crystal punch bowl. I flicked it with my finger and listened to the high-pitched ding only real lead crystal can make. Setting out eight matching punch cups, I mixed ginger ale with Hawaiian punch and stirred. It was a time of celebration...
by Madelon Wise | Feb 15, 2023 | ACEs, CPTSD, Gaslighting, Generational Trauma
I spent the summer of 1963 at my Aunt Sue’s house across the bay from San Francisco. It wasn’t clear to me nor is it now, exactly how Aunt Sue and I were related, but I know that her dead husband shared a name with my maternal grandfather. She was childless, and...
by Elizabeth Woods | Feb 14, 2023 | CPTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Triggers
***Trigger Warning*** This guest post discusses specific, explicit, aspects of a personal trauma story. Please be kind to yourself as you read. Complex PTSD is a long-term condition caused by childhood abuse and trauma. A survivor is someone who was exposed to...
by Shirley Davis | Feb 13, 2023 | CPTSD, Generational Trauma, Going No Contact
We have been exploring together the ins and outs of going no contact with a family of origin. As we have seen, going no contact is a dramatic and often traumatic event that allows you some peace when your family denies your past abuse or is still abusing you. This...
