Living with C-PTSD: Navigating a World That Misunderstands Trauma
I often find myself caught between two feelings. The first is the instinct to correct and clarify when someone misuses a term associated with my experience. The second is the desire to be understanding and non-judgmental. After all, everyone’s trauma is valid, no...
A Search for Identity After Abuse
My name is Elizabeth Woods, and I am a survivor of CSA and unspeakable trauma. I survived one of the worst childhoods you can ever imagine. My life was dark, filled with trauma and neglectful adults. I had no identity growing up. I barely existed and was ruled by the...Strange Meats of Trauma
After my mother died, there it would be in my lunch box: Wonder bread enveloping two slices of flabby, sodium-laden meat. Second, only to the chemicals, the processed-beyond-belief combination of pork, spices, and beef was infused with green olives and pimentos. Yes,...
The Body Keeps the Score – Looking into the Brain
In a little over a week, I and the (mental) health director of the Jeffry Stijn Foundation for Mental Health and Patient Advocacy, will be attending the 34th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference virtually. A few days ago I decided to read Bessel van der...