by Jeff Spiteri | Jan 10, 2023 | ACEs, CPTSD and Self-Harm, Guest Contributor, Sexual Abuse
My journey with mental health has always been a revolving door of experimentation with practices and tools. Just as we change inevitably so do our needs and the tools we use to meet those needs. For me, grounding has been paramount to my healing and day-to-day health...
by Shirley Davis | Jan 9, 2023 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and PTSD, Men's Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy
Society is funny. On the one hand, they act like mental illness is contagious and shun those who live with it, and on the other hand, they say that they are angry that taxpayers must foot part of the bill to help people get well. In either circumstance, stigma, aka...
by Elizabeth Woods | Jan 6, 2023 | CPTSD and PTSD, Grief, Guest Contributor
The Damage of Abuse Childhood abuse is one of the worst forms of torture a person can endure. It feels like being in a war zone, imprisoned by cruel dictators and forced to live under their every will and command until the law “says” you are old enough to have your...
by Sunny Lynn, OMC | Jan 5, 2023 | CPTSD, Depression, Dissociation and CPTSD, Guest Contributor
The Downward Spiral of Flashbacks & Dissociative Episodes (as published in The Friday Edition of HeartBalm Healing at https://heartbalm.substack.com) Recently, a very painful and triggering event dropped me into a deep hole of flashbacks and dissociation. Over the...
by Rebekah Brown | Jan 4, 2023 | Complex PTSD Healing, Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Surviving the Holidays, Symptoms of CPTSD, Trauma, Trauma-Informed
What is Life Management? In general terms, life management is a framework for living. Do you feel constantly under pressure? Are you always short of time? At the end of the day, do you almost always feel like you haven’t accomplished anything? Those are the types of...
by Madelon Wise | Jan 3, 2023 | ACEs, Addiction, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor
They were my only true friends, the books. Comic books. Fairy tales. Nancy Drew. I read incessantly, hoping to create a shell and a safe zone from the chaos all around me. I would get lost in the books. I loved having a world where I could go. They were at it again....
by Shirley Davis | Jan 2, 2023 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD
How do you see yourself? Do you look in the mirror and see a beautiful piece of art? Or do you see a monster staring back at you? Many men’s body image is negative, and they need help to raise their self-esteem and sense of self. This article shall explore men...
by Milena "Mila" Stankovic | Dec 29, 2022 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Hope
Why do we believe that we don’t deserve better? I will tell you a universal secret: we do deserve better. Love doesn’t hurt. Broken illusions hurt, not sorting your codependency hurts. But True Love, my dear readers don’t hurt. I’ve been in very toxic...
by Elizabeth Woods | Dec 28, 2022 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Trauma-Informed
Childhood abuse is one of the most horrific and traumatizing events a human being can endure in life. There are endless books about trauma, what it is, and how to help survivors as they grow into adults. In recent years, abuse has been exposed in the media and the...
by Shirley Davis | Dec 26, 2022 | Building Resilience in Healing, Complex PTSD Healing
Everyone experiences trauma at some time in their lives. Someone dies, you have a car wreck, or some other unexpected event rocks your world. Yet, most people can move through the pain and into the future. When complex trauma occurs in childhood, survivors are changed...
