by Rebekah Brown | Feb 22, 2023 | Abuse, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Emotional Wellness, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Parental Alienation, Relationships
A Short Childhood Story I was finally old enough to go to school and get away from my mother’s screaming, beatings, and sexual abuse. My older brother and I smiled together as we got on the school bus that day. We were both glad to be getting away. First grade was the...
by Rebekah Brown | Feb 16, 2023 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Emotional Wellness, Feeling Good Enough, Generational Trauma, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Self Care, Symptoms of CPTSD, Trauma-Informed
My hand lingered along the crystal punch bowl. I flicked it with my finger and listened to the high-pitched ding only real lead crystal can make. Setting out eight matching punch cups, I mixed ginger ale with Hawaiian punch and stirred. It was a time of celebration...
by Milena "Mila" Stankovic | Dec 29, 2022 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Hope
Why do we believe that we don’t deserve better? I will tell you a universal secret: we do deserve better. Love doesn’t hurt. Broken illusions hurt, not sorting your codependency hurts. But True Love, my dear readers don’t hurt. I’ve been in very toxic...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 19, 2022 | Healthy Relationships, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Surviving the Holidays
The Mother of all re-gifting stories I recently regifted a present. It was a journal someone had given me that I could not use. Another friend enjoyed journals, so instead of sending it to Goodwill, I regifted it. As I sat across from my friend, the gift bag...
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 Jamie Donmoyer | Aug 24, 2022 | Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing, Codependency, Combat Trauma, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD and Parenting, Family Estrangement, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, Healthy Relationships, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Parental Aliention
The positives and pitfalls of cutting communication with a toxic parent. Written by the scapegoat child of a narcissistic parent. So, you’ve decided to go “no contact” with a toxic parent. Congratulations! Maybe you’re exhausted from the angry messages, controlling...
