by Cyndi Bennett | Feb 1, 2024 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Healing from Toxic Shame, Healing Self-Shame, Mindfulness, Occupational Mental Health & CPTSD
Lately, I have received emails from readers who were critical of how they handled a particular situation at work that I wrote about. I’ve heard, “Well, I messed that up,” “I’m so stupid,” or “I suck at that.” My friend, Jennifer Kindera, would immediately call that...
by Elizabeth Marando | Dec 21, 2022 | Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, Codependency, Guest Contributor, Healing Self-Shame
Children are often raised to be emotional jesters or even emotional objects, but my upbringing represents an unconsidered scenario: being raised as a human stuffed animal. I never realized how harmful my upbringing was until I was nineteen years old and diagnosed with...
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 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...
by Jamie Donmoyer | Oct 20, 2022 | Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, Codependency, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Family Estrangement, Healing from Toxic Shame, Healing Self-Shame, Healthy Relationships, Mindfulness, Relationships, Trauma-Informed
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash Congratulations! You’ve decided that you’re through being abused by a toxic parent, partner, or friend and are ready to go No Contact. Good for you! You’re taking a HUGE, healthy step! Your first urge? To explain why. You want to...
by Rebekah Brown | Jul 28, 2022 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing, Codependency, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Emotional Wellness, Family Estrangement, Feeling Good Enough, Healing Codependency, Healing Self-Shame, Healthy Relationships, Mindfulness, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Trauma
Conflict panics me. Okay? There…I said it. I am the first to run for cover at the smell of conflict. Why? Because childhood trauma taught me to confuse the two. To me, having a conflict with someone means trauma. And so…avoiding conflict becomes the goal...