by Madelon Wise | Jun 29, 2023 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Sexual Abuse, Shame
***TRIGGER WARNING: This blog discusses sexual abuse*** In the early days of my marriage, we moved to a different state every year for five years because that’s what my husband wanted. In Iowa the second time, I spent most of my time cooking, baking, and cleaning for...
by Shirley Davis | Jun 12, 2023 | CPTSD, LGBTQ, Shame
June is Pride month, and CPTSD Foundation wants to acknowledge and celebrate our LBGTQ+ neighbors and friends. We will start with an article about how shame impacts lives in the LGBTQ+ community. Shame is an emotion everyone feels sometime in their lives. This intense...
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 Madelon Wise | Apr 12, 2023 | Addiction, Boundaries, CPTSD Survivor Stories, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Parental Alienation, Shame
I was here again in Colorado, staying in my stepsister’s depressing bedroom with the same intention as I had in 1968 when I returned to my parent’s home in an attempt to heal the never-ending rift between us. Dad worked as a pharmaceutical representative, and all of...
by Shigeko Ito | Mar 31, 2023 | Anxiety, CPTSD and PTSD, Depression, Guest Contributor, Shame, Trauma
Sometimes I wonder what might have happened to me had I stayed in Japan. Might I have joined the million-plus ranks of hikikomori (shut-ins withdrawn from society) that exist in Japan today? This is an unsettling thought. It’s difficult to dismiss the hikikomori issue...
by Jeff Spiteri | Feb 21, 2023 | Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD, Emotional Wellness, Family Estrangement, Hope, Parental Alienation, Sexual Abuse, Shame
Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die” ~Anonymous When I bring up the word forgiveness to people most greet it with a sigh. The sentiment often embodies something along the lines of “I’ve tried”, “good luck,” or “what a struggle.”...