by Elizabeth Woods | Aug 9, 2023 | CPTSD, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor, Relationships
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...
by Milena Koljensic | Jun 27, 2023 | Guest Contributor, Relationships
Signs to look out for! Friends make our lives richer. But every now and again, friendships take more than they give. You have probably seen examples of toxic friendships in movies or TV shows — for example, Anna Delvey and her “friends” in “Inventing Anna,” or the...
by Madelon Wise | May 19, 2023 | CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor, Relationships, Shame, Toxic Relationships, Trauma, Trust
I was 19 years old, barely out of high school, and trauma had eaten away at my psyche like burning frostbite. Colorado to Alaska, Alaska to Iowa. Iowa to Montana, Montana to Colorado, Colorado to Iowa. Wherever he went, my dog, Abraxas, and I followed. In January...
by Belinda Pyle | May 16, 2023 | Anxiety, Attachment Trauma, Building Resilience in Healing, Combat Trauma, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and PTSD, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Depression, Feeling Good Enough, Generational Trauma, Hope, Mental Health Advocacy, Pain, Post Traumatic Growth, PTSD, Recovery, Relationships, Self Care, Self-Acceptance, Symptoms of CPTSD, Trauma, Trauma-Informed, Triggers
Ever have something happen to you and suddenly, you’re part of THAT club: every person you meet has experienced the same. Get pregnant, everyone is pregnant. Get divorced, everyone is getting divorced. Get CPTSD, everyone has CPTSD. The pregnancy club membership was...
by Rebekah Brown | May 3, 2023 | Attachment Trauma, Boundaries, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Family Estrangement, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, Relationships, Trauma
This is the sixth and last installment in a series of blogs on relationship patterns found in dysfunctional families. We have seen how abusive families put members in roles and the way abusers dodge responsibility by blaming others and forcing children to become...
by Madelon Wise | May 2, 2023 | 12 Step Programs, Addiction, Boundaries, Healthy Relationships, LGBTQ, Relationships
Once you come to your senses… Sarah and I kept in close contact after they moved, and I expected her support when I finally made the decision to leave my marriage. I was wrong. I had fallen in love with another woman. I think of this affair as more of a catalyst...