The Sex-Offender is Dead: The News of His Death Triggered more than Grief
How can you feel prepared for something that you’ve never experienced? Trigger Warning: This is a darker post than I normally would write, but hey, I think this will resonate for many of you. Take care of yourself as you are reading. Death is final. It happens to all...
The abuse without bruises: How emotional harm in childhood is overlooked
In August of 1992 I ran from my home on East Goldsborough Street to the local police station. I arrived sweating, panting, my face red with fury and with the oppressive Northwest Indiana heat. I was 17 years old, and didn’t realize what I was doing until I was...
What if I am Damaged for Good?
What if I will never heal from trauma? What if my nervous system is so damaged from childhood trauma that no amount of therapy and practice will reteach it a sense of safety in places and situations that trigger me? Is it possible for a nervous system to be so...
When Being “Good” Hurts: The Doormat Syndrome
Setting Boundaries and Protecting Your Peace of Mind: Yes, because of my CPTSD, I was a people-pleaser. This was like a survival-mode I learned as a child. And that doormat syndrome was often painful for me, for many years. Until one day, I had had enough and decided...