by Rebekah Brown | Oct 13, 2022 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, Depression, Emotional Wellness, Grief, Guest Contributor
I looked out over the south rim of the Grand Canyon and thought about the epochs of time it took to shape such a place. I always heard everyone say pictures don’t do it justice. They were right. No matter how panoramic I tried to make my camera, I simply could...
by Lee Frost | Oct 12, 2022 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Pain
TRIGGER WARNING: the following article discusses sexual assault. My CPTSD is based on traumas that started in early childhood. I have no conscious memory of “normal.” My traumas are old, familiar enemies. I know them well. They’ve become characters in my mind to...
by Heidi Fischer | Oct 11, 2022 | Anxiety, CPTSD, Emotional Flashbacks, Guest Contributor
This article was originally published on The Mighty. My thoughts come at me too quickly, too loudly — it’s as if my mind is shouting. At the same time, my heart is racing and I find it difficult to breathe. I grip the kitchen counter to stop myself from falling over....
by Shirley Davis | Oct 10, 2022 | CPTSD
There are many types of neurodivergence among humans, some helpful, others harmful. The two getting the most notice are Asperger’s Syndrome and complex post-traumatic stress disorder, with headlines and movies putting them in the spotlight. This article will...
by Sunny Lynn, OMC | Oct 7, 2022 | Codependency, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Silent Bystander Parents
(as published in The Friday Edition of HeartBalm Healing at https://heartbalm.substack.com) The term narcissism and its variations get thrown around quite often and the definitions are mixed up and can be lost in translation. It’s important to be clear about this term...
by Heidi Fischer | Oct 5, 2022 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Healing from Toxic Shame
This article was originally published on The Mighty. There is a therapy trick that I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of. It’s a popular technique used to quiet down negative self-talk, a type of reframing called “naming.” Basically, you give your inner critic a name...
by Shirley Davis | Oct 3, 2022 | Borderline Personality Disorder, Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) on its own is a severe diagnosis. However, when paired with another significant diagnosis, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), the two diagnoses deeply affect people’s lives. In this article, we shall...
by Jamie Donmoyer | Oct 3, 2022 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Anxiety, Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing, Codependency, Combat Trauma, CPTSD, CPTSD and Parenting, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Relationships, Silent Bystander Parents
Parental Narcissistic Abuse isn’t fun, but practicing setting boundaries can be with this “Choose Your Own Adventure”- style original story. Based on events experienced by the scapegoat of a narcissistic parent. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Section 1 1 It’s a...
by Sylvie Rouhani | Sep 29, 2022 | ACEs, Anxiety, Childhood Sexual Abuse, COVID-19, CPTSD, Guest Contributor, LGBTQ, Recovery, Self-Acceptance
It is clear for all to see: more needs to be done to support children and teenagers, here in the UK. At the time when young people need support, acceptance, compassion and love the most, they are, unfortunately, pressured to be and do better. Those who are used and...