by Susan Gold | Apr 1, 2025 | CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor, Mindfulness, Toxic Relationships, War & Combat Trauma
Waking up from toxic systems and the side effects they create demands courage. Upon reflection, you’ll spot the misaligned messages—ideas that never fit, gnawing at your gut yet somehow seduce you into obedience. As a child, I trembled at the thought of my brother...
by Jenney Clark | Mar 4, 2025 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Abuse, ADHD, Betrayal, Borderline Personality Disorder, CPTSD, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, Depression, Estrangement, Family Estrangement, Generational Trauma, Guest Contributor, Isolation, Rejection, Relationships, Self-Acceptance, Toxic Relationships, Trauma
Who am I? Growing up, I was a child with trust issues due to emotional and physical abuse. Then, at 18, I was assaulted on a date. Trauma often leaves invisible scars. While most physical wounds can heal, mental and emotional wounds run deep. I have faced many traumas...
by Susan Gold | Feb 12, 2025 | CPTSD and PTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional, Toxic Relationships
For much of my life and career, I found comfort in the surface narrative—moving through the motions, staying busy, and avoiding deep scrutiny. But now, as the cracks in conventional structures continue to widen, operating on autopilot and chasing distractions no...
by Sadie Montgomery | Feb 6, 2025 | Boundaries, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD and Parenting, Estrangement, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Toxic Relationships, Triggers
“Mom,” Harper started, “Grandma Clare sent me a text inviting me to dinner at her house for my birthday. Is that weird that she only invited me and not all of us?” Grandma Clare, my stepmother, is a narcissist. Over the past decade, I have set boundaries and distanced...
by STAR Network | Feb 4, 2025 | CPTSD, Dr. Jamie Huyman, Polyvagal Theory and CPTSD, TAR ANON, TAR Network, TAR Tales, Toxic Relationships, Trauma, Trauma-Informed
By Dr. Jamie Huysman, Founder and Executive Director of STAR Network & Milena Stankovic Co-Founder of STAR Network Our workplace behaviors often serve as a reflection of our personal histories. For many, unresolved childhood trauma subtly influences the way they...
by STAR Network | Dec 9, 2024 | CPTSD, TAR Network, Toxic Relationships, Trauma
One of the most painful tactics in covert narcissism is turning family members against you. This manipulative strategy, designed to isolate and control, often pulls loved ones into the narcissist’s web to unknowingly serve as “flying monkeys”—trusted people who,...
