by Milena "Mila" Stankovic | Dec 20, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Pain, Parental Alienation, Toxic Relationships
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is a term that was coined twenty years ago by Richard A. Gardner, the MD an American psychiatrist. Working with families primarily involved in custody struggles, he noticed a sort of brainwashing occurring at the hands of one...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 19, 2022 | Healthy Relationships, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Surviving the Holidays
The Mother of all re-gifting stories I recently regifted a present. It was a journal someone had given me that I could not use. Another friend enjoyed journals, so instead of sending it to Goodwill, I regifted it. As I sat across from my friend, the gift bag...
by Shirley Davis | Dec 19, 2022 | CPTSD, Trauma
The word trauma has become a buzzword in today’s culture, with many choosing to use it to describe everything from a mildly bad experience with a possible significant other to a hung nail. Trauma describes life-altering events, and this article will discover with you...
by Milena "Mila" Stankovic | Dec 16, 2022 | Parental Alienation, Relationships
What Is TAR? Toxic Abusive Relationship (TAR) is one that makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, belittled, and makes you lose your own sense of identity. On a basic level, any relationship that makes you feel worse rather than better can become toxic....
by Jeff Spiteri | Dec 15, 2022 | Boundaries, Depression, Emotional Wellness, Feeling Good Enough, Guest Contributor, Hope, Post Traumatic Growth, PTSD, Recovery, Self Care, Suicide Prevention
My Friend Steve: I met my friend Steve in a park on the west side of Chicago in a rougher neighborhood at a homeless feeding. I was on the street at the time and passing through the city riding freight trains to the west coast of the United States. Steve was 17 and...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 15, 2022 | Boundaries, Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
I watched as the old mule made one last pass across the field below my Grandmother’s house. Damp earth turned beneath the plow and I knew buried treasure would soon be exposed. My brother and I looked at one another in anticipation. It was the second half of...
by Heidi Fischer | Dec 14, 2022 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Emotional Flashbacks, Guest Contributor
This article was originally published on The Mighty. I was sitting on the couch of the therapist I saw over 10 years ago. She had her Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in her lap, and with my input, she was going over the symptoms of post-traumatic stress...
by Destiny Mowadeng | Dec 14, 2022 | CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Living with Disabilities
This blog originally appeared: at https://powerfullypowerless.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/fresh-year-fresh-starts/ This is a concept on everyone’s mind at certain times of the year. During the holiday season especially it can be a concept that creates a battle of wills...
by Jamie Donmoyer | Dec 13, 2022 | Anxiety, Guest Contributor, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Trauma, Trauma-Informed
Since beginning intensive treatment for trauma, lots of questions have popped up. A natural curiosity emerges when someone suddenly changes course. So, while I explore the 4 W’s — who, what, when, where- people want to know WHY, especially: Why NOW? It’s a great...
by Elizabeth Woods | Dec 12, 2022 | Abuse, CPTSD, Guest Contributor
My name is Elizabeth and I am a survivor of sexual childhood abuse and unspeakable trauma. Before I tell you my story, I want you to know that no matter how bad your life is, there is always hope. I lived in the darkness for a long time during my most vulnerable...
