The Smoldering Embers of C-PTSD
The Smoldering Embers of Complex PTSDBy Jesse B. Donahue 2024 ©The metaphor of smoldering embers nicely depicts my experience of day-to-day life. No smoke is coming from my ears, but hiding and avoiding social experiences are efforts to control a threatening fire....
CPTSD and the Brain: A Battle Inside Your Head
The human brain is a wild mix of wiring, chemistry, and memory, running everything from your heartbeat to your deepest thoughts–all while somehow letting you remember the lyrics to songs you haven’t heard in twenty years. Beautifully magnificent… and sometimes,...
Why Even Opening an Email Can Feel Scary When You’re Healing from Trauma
Have you ever stared at an email, felt a tightness in your chest, and thought, “I’m not ready for this”? You’re not alone. As someone who works with trauma survivors every day, I hear it all the time: “I saw your email and meant to open it… But I couldn’t.”“I’ve had...
Understanding Your Window of Tolerance: A Career Survival Guide for Trauma Survivors
As trauma survivors navigating the professional world, many of us have experienced those moments when work feels utterly overwhelming or, conversely, when we feel disconnected and numb. These experiences are often related to our “window of tolerance,” a concept that’s...