by Susan Morris | Jun 16, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Self Care, Sleep
When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy? My family often told me as a child that I was “too sensitive.” I never understood why. All I wanted to do was to talk about my feelings. My kindergarten teacher told my...
by Heidi Fischer | Jun 15, 2022 | Complex PTSD Healing, Depression, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor
This post was originally published on The Mighty. Congratulations on starting your dream job, for making a new friend, or for finally perfecting home-baked bread! You are amazing! Yes, cheers are in order! After all… You do feel happy…*shifty eyes*…*ominous...
by Jamie Donmoyer | Jun 14, 2022 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor
In August 2021 I began EMDR therapy for Complex PTSD. It became quickly apparent that my body had set up so many protections that it would need to be prepped before the therapy could deal with any of the trauma. Here, I take you through one of my homework assignments:...
by Dr Melanie Salmon | Jun 13, 2022 | Brain Chemistry, Building Resilience in Healing, Compassion Fatigue, Emotional Wellness, First Responders and CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Advocacy, Occupational Mental Health & CPTSD
When I was a medical doctor, I suffered burnout three times. This was in the 1990s and few people, least of all me, had any idea what was wrong when overwhelming fatigue took over and we had to stop working for a while. I had not been taught about self-care and knew...
by Shirley Davis | Jun 13, 2022 | Anger, Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD
Anger is a healthy emotion that all humans experience. Anger is a way for us to tell if we are in danger and allows us to respond quickly. Much has been written about anger and how it is sometimes repressed because it is not safe to express it, such as in a...
by Sylvie Rouhani | Jun 9, 2022 | CPTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, LGBTQ, LGBTQ and Complex Trauma Healing, Parental Alienation, Recovery, Relationships, Sexual Abuse
Trigger Warning: This blog deals with childhood sexual abuse. Some of us, within the LGBTQA+ community, face additional barriers when disclosing our stories of child sexual abuse. The myths and misconceptions about sexuality and child abuse are hurting us and...
by Roger Reynolds | Jun 8, 2022 | Abuse, Brain Chemistry, CPTSD, Guest Contributor
So, yes, they are all in my head, because that is where my brain is. Triggers Are Real Triggers are serious and should not be laughed at or minimized. Some minor word or minor action versus my strong response is not always easy to explain to others. They did not...
by Heidi Fischer | Jun 7, 2022 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Post Traumatic Growth
This article was originally published on The Mighty in April 2021. A few years ago, I admitted myself to get some inpatient support for my mental health. If you aren’t aware, part of that process tends to involve multiple lengthy interviews, commonly undertaken by...
by Sunny Lynn, OMC | Jun 7, 2022 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Dissociation and CPTSD, Emotional Flashbacks, First Responders and CPTSD, Pain, Post Traumatic Growth, Recovery, Self Care, Self-Acceptance, The Brain and CPTSD, Trauma-Informed, Treatment for CPTSD, What is CPTSD
Complex trauma is an amalgamation of long-term abuse and neglect, and therefore when trying to understand a traumatic past from an adult perspective it reveals itself as a confusing mosaic of multi-layered events, scattered along our timeline from the non-verbal stage...