Shame | CPTSDfoundation.org

Alaska

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...

The Club

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...

Reflection on CPTSD (Part 2): Hikikomori (shut-ins) – A Mental Health Crisis in Japan

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 Might I have joined the million-plus ranks of hikikomori (shut-ins withdrawn from society) that exist in Japan today?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...

Forgiveness and Complex Trauma: My Journey

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.”...

Internal Family Systems: Panic at the Park- Discovering Trailheads to Heal Trauma

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...

EMDR Adventures: Community Room and Internal Family Systems

by Jamie Donmoyer | Nov 10, 2022 | Building Resilience in Healing, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD Survivor Stories, EMDR, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor, PTSD, Shame, Trauma, Trauma-Informed, Treatment for CPTSD

“Breathe deeply.” I close my eyes and belly breathe as my EMDR therapist scoots her chair closer. This is standard practice in our weekly sessions. Soon she’ll tell me to open my eyes, focus on a certain phrase or idea, and follow her finger left and right. Sometimes...

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