by Jennifer Kindera | Jul 12, 2024 | CPTSD, Grief, Guest Contributor, Shame
The strong, sickly sweet smell of lilies never fails to riot my belly. When I breathe them in, I am transported back to your service, and scores of memories tear a path from my heart to my brain. Even now, I miss you with a fierceness that makes me want to jump into...
by Jennifer Kindera | Jun 24, 2024 | Codependency, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Grief, Shame
TRIGGER WARNING: This blog discusses suicide My Mom’s suicide was the culmination of years of enduring painful emotional abuse and narcissism. There was no blood, just a strong gas smell from the lawnmower. A tarp is placed strategically on the concrete floor. Maybe...
by Adina Lynn LeCompte | Jun 10, 2024 | 12 Step Programs, Addiction, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Guest Contributor, Healing from Toxic Shame, Recovery, Self-Acceptance, Sexual Abuse, Shame, Sobriety, Substance Abuse
The imagined scene fades in: silhouette and shadow, sepia and blue-black charcoal. Fading dusk bleeds its final hint of burnt sienna. The rhythmic slap and skip-step of a single figure jumping rope. Those turning the rope and their haunting sing-song chant are just...
by Annette Greenberg | Apr 2, 2024 | ACEs, CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Shame
A few weeks ago, I left one job to take on a new full-time job, which didn’t work out. Simultaneously, I finished a series of graduate education courses I’d been taking. This combination of events abruptly left a gaping hole in my usually full schedule. I...
by Leah Erickson | Mar 26, 2024 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Shame, Toxic Relationships
Even Warthogs Feel Shame One of the first things that pops into my head when I hear the word “shame” is Pumbaa from The Lion King lamenting, “Oh the shame! Thought of changin’ my name!” A lot of us who carry deep shame from childhood trauma have probably also...
by Rachel Grant | Mar 14, 2024 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Guilt, Shame
“Shame is the feeling of humiliating disgrace of having been violated. Shame tells you that you are bad.” (from Shelter from the Storm) It becomes challenging to correct for shame because it is rooted in a negative belief. For example, “I am unlovable, because [fill...
