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...
by Elizabeth Woods | Dec 25, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress
It is that time of the year when companies and industry slow down and welcome the holidays. No matter what religion you are, you cannot avoid Christmas. As the month of December begins, the countdown to Christmas starts. The whole Christian world enters the advent...
by Elizabeth Woods | Dec 23, 2022 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Trust
Trust is an issue everyone struggles with in one way or another, no matter who they are or where they are from. It happens to us all from time to time when we are faced with a tricky situation. I’m talking about the trust between people. To rely on someone, depend on...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 23, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
As the sun went down over the craggy desert mountains, I walked my little Chihuahua through my neighborhood enjoying the gorgeous sunset that is so unique to the southwestern United States. Broad strokes of color filled the sky as the lights inside the houses...
by Gemma Jones | Dec 22, 2022 | CPTSD and PTSD, Generational Trauma, Guest Contributor, Holidays
As we approach Christmas and another new year, it dawns on me that it will be another year without my family. Even though I do not want them to be around me it still hurts. We are told to love our families no matter what, that ‘blood is thicker than water’ but that is...
by Elizabeth Woods | Dec 22, 2022 | CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Recovery
As survivors of abusive childhoods, we have all at some point suffered from survivor’s guilt. Some of us even feel a strong bond with our abusers, for others, those bonds are complicated and fragile. For weeks, months, or even years, we suffered under the hands...
