by Rebekah Brown | May 20, 2025 | Betrayal, Caregiving, Complex PTSD Healing, Core Beliefs, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Emotional Wellness, Estrangement, Family Estrangement, Feeling Good Enough, Gaslighting, Generational Trauma, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional, Narcissistic Abuse, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Relationships, Trauma
It’s something every survivor of childhood trauma dreads: the death of their abuser. No one has any idea how they are going to react. Will you be awash in regret? How about grief? The losses incurred dealing with a narcissistic parent over a lifetime complicate...
by Susan Gold | May 15, 2025 | CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional, Workplace Trauma
If you’ve experienced prolonged and repeated trauma, emotions can be difficult. Identifying emotions can be a challenge. Knowing the difference between the basic emotions—happy, mad, sad, and glad—may take patience to feel and recognize. Yet emotions are one of your...
by Jesse Donahue | May 14, 2025 | ACEs, CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Dysregulation, Guest Contributor
The Heart of the MatterBy Jesse B. Donahue 2023 ©Hidden deep, and I mean buried at the core of my human soul, lies my “internal being,” repressed, shrunken, having been shattered by chronic trauma. How many years, how many moments of a wasted life have I endured and...
by Jenney Clark | May 13, 2025 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Abuse, ADHD, Building Resilience in Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, Guest Contributor
The closest I’ve ever been to anyone is my sister Melanie. She is my blood, my personal cheerleader, my referee, my best friend, and my counselor; though, during our childhood, she was also my scapegoat. Melanie and I are as different as vinegar and honey. She is...
by Rachel Grant | May 12, 2025 | ACEs, Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD, Guest Contributor
***Trigger warning: This article discusses child abuse.*** Eight years ago, I had the joy of connecting with Rebecca O’Donnell, author of Freak: The True Story of an Insecurity Addict. I immediately adored her fierceness, authenticity, and willingness to take on...
by Cyndi Bennett | May 9, 2025 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional
As trauma survivors, many of us have found that our window of tolerance — our capacity to handle stress and stay regulated — can feel frustratingly narrow in professional settings. But here’s a secret I’ve discovered on my own journey: we can gradually expand this...