by Robyn Brickel | Dec 7, 2022 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Trauma-Informed
Change in the most basic form means to become or make something different. Changes happen for everyone, whether they are small or large. They can be detours on the road due to construction, your favorite coffee shop closing, your child going to school, a relationship...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 6, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
I’d like to tell you about impossibilities. I live in the hottest desert in North America, yet, we pick oranges in January. Out in my yard, a giant succulent named fire stick ought to be green all year, but it turns bright orange in December. Flowers put forth their...
by Jamie Donmoyer | Dec 6, 2022 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Healing from Toxic Shame, Healing Self-Shame, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Shame, Symptoms of CPTSD, The Brain and CPTSD, Trauma, Trauma-Informed
Perched on a stone wall between Starbucks and a fancy purse boutique, I peer over my phone. The Hollywood Tower of Terror glows in the distance as determined parents push strollers filled with exhausted toddlers, bubble machines, and sippy cups. They can’t leave...
by Shirley Davis | Dec 5, 2022 | ACEs, CPTSD
Trauma and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) go hand-in-hand. You cannot have CPTSD without first experiencing repeated and severely traumatic events. However, you can experience trauma without forming CPTSD. What is trauma, and how is it connected to...
by Paul Michael Marinello | Dec 2, 2022 | CPTSD, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Parental Alienation
The holiday season: despite your personal experiences during this time of year, if you asked most people upon shutting their eyes – they might picture a family meal with love and laughter, it could be a child lighting the menorah or setting a star upon a tree,...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 1, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
For a trauma survivor, there is no greater time for struggle and disappointment than the holidays. All the promises of hope, love, togetherness, and peace are empty echoes of the things we always wanted but could never have. When families and relationships are...
by Brittany N. Dickey | Nov 30, 2022 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Surviving the Holidays, Uncategorized
1 Month | 3 Days | 15 Hours Till Holiday Season Ends Every year I battle depression during the holidays, and every year I judge myself for seeing the world through glass-half-empty lenses. Because let’s be real, no one actually likes the glass-half-empty relative or...
by Sylvie Rouhani | Nov 30, 2022 | ACEs, Anger, Anxiety, CPTSD, CPTSD and Self-Harm, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Listening, Mental Health Advocacy, Self-Acceptance, Trauma-Informed
Just as suicidal ideation is now openly discussed, so is self-harming. Unfortunately, those who need emotional and physical support, are being shamed and labelled as attention-seeking. Some call it a cry for help. So, why isn’t there more support and care for...
by Destiny Mowadeng | Nov 29, 2022 | CPTSD, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Living with Disabilities
TRIGGER WARNING: Contents of this post have the potential to be triggering to trauma survivors. Mention of alcohol use, food, and my own personal experiences as a child. The title of this post is a common phrase everyone knows and one that is often heard during the...
by Susan Morris | Nov 29, 2022 | Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing, Codependency, Domestic Violence, Emotional Wellness, Feeling Good Enough, Guest Contributor, Healing Codependency, Healing Self-Shame, Hope, Recovery, Self Care, Self-Acceptance
The aftermath of an abusive relationship can be a challenging time. You may feel like you’re not good enough, that you deserve the abuse, or that you’ll never be able to find someone else. It’s important to remember that none of these things are...
