Comments for CPTSDfoundation.org

Comment on Time to Turn the Tide: Helping Children of Complex Trauma Survivors by Elizabeth Woods

Elizabeth Woods — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:12:28 +0000

Oh Denise, reading this made me feel your pain from an adult perspective. I’m an adult survivor of childhood trauma and abuse. I have also witnessed a friend go through divorce after an abusive marriage.
C-PTSD can happen to anyone and there are many people who are stuck in violent and abusive relationships. You are strong to have managed to get away and I understand that it;s not easy when kids are caught in the midst. Many people can’t do that and I applaud you for reaching out to your parents, friends and therapist for the help you needed. I’m sure you will guide your kids away from everything that’s been and onto a healing path.
Take care of you and your family. God bless you.
Love from Lizzy (This is my story: http://www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com)

Comment on Time to Turn the Tide: Helping Children of Complex Trauma Survivors by Lesley Vlietstra

Lesley Vlietstra — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:22:22 +0000

Thank you for sharing this Denise. I have some understanding of the journey you’ve been and I commend you for the work you’ve put in to reclaim yourself. I’ve walked a similar path of domestic abuse along with extreme coercive control, leaving the marriage after twenty two years. I have also received a diagnosis of CPTSD. While my husband, after my departure, never manipulated our three children, who were in their early twenties and late teens, into thinking I was the “bad parent” I realised later that the youngsters had no idea of what my life had been like within the marriage and so they did carry some resentment around my leaving and breaking up the family unit. You say in your article that you are the only hope that your children have of reclaiming their real selves. I would respectfully disagree. Our children can be manipulated by a parent whose only agenda is to prove the other to be in the wrong. And they can choose to live with this belief for a long time. A mother who leaves, especially when the courts become involved in custodial arrangements, can give the children a message that their wants and needs mean nothing, which in turn is used by the husband to attack his wife. The love and care you showed your children when they were growing up in the family home with both parents will not ever be forgotten by them. And it is easier for children to be angry with the parent they feel safest expressing that anger. If they have to be with their father, who seemingly is so unloving that he is attempting to turn them away from you, then they may feel unable to openly disagree, while also carrying their resentment and unhappiness at the situation. I found, myself, during the thirty years that have elapsed since I left, that my sons have taken time to sort out their feelings about their parents. And I found, to my cost, that my attempting to explain my side of the marriage and reasons for leaving, caused them to feel as though I was loading them with a burden that wasn’t theirs to hold. I have learned that they have the intelligence and empathy to come to their own conclusions about both parents. The time I was able to spend with them as they grew into adolescence gave them the knowledge that they were loved. And that has helped them to show both love and understanding as they have grown. I know your youngsters will eventually be able to see through manipulation and uncaring and grow into adults who can make up their own minds about how to live. Really, like each of us, they are the only ones who can.

Comment on Men and Body Image by diana loreens

diana loreens — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:34:06 +0000

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Comment on What My Daughter Taught Me About Healing by Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:39:54 +0000

Thanks for the post, Jack. I am the father of two girls and can relate to a lot of your story. When I became a dad, I realized I couldn’t create a life filled with joy, wonder, and curiosity for them if mine wasn’t. That lit a fire to try different types of therapy, workshops, meditation, breathwork, etc. I switched careers to become a teacher and coach again so I could be a steady presence in their lives. All the while, my girls were my true guides. They just wanted me to be present, playful, and open. Eventually, it felt like adult me AND little boy me were there with them. And that’s the way it’s been ever since. Today, I notice I talk to myself is starting to resemble the way I talk to them—full of kindness, compassion, and love.

Comment on Tips for Going “No Contact” with a Toxic Parent by Amy

Amy — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 19:39:48 +0000

“MEDICATION There’s a stigma about medication. My therapist gave a great explanation. When you break your arm, you get something for the pain so that you don’t go into shock. Getting the right meds can take a few tries, but may ultimately soften the pain enough to allow you to function.”

I tried meds. I only took 2.5 mg of escitalopram one time. Now I have post-SSRI sexual dysfunction in addition to all of my other traumas. I never received any benefit from it whatsoever. I was just straight up poisoned by this stuff. People need to stop promoting these neurotoxins, or at least they need to start being honest about the risks.

Otherwise, good article.

Comment on Set Free, and The Little Girl Within. Survivor Poetry by Donna

Donna — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:59:06 +0000

Donna . Wow just reading this is going to set me free from trauma pain and addiction. And childhood abuse. Thank you so much Lisa

Comment on When a Victim Doesn’t Know She’s a Victim: Survivor’s Guilt, the “Fawn” Response, Trauma Bonds, and Setting Boundaries by MJ shah

MJ shah — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 13:01:24 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth Woods. Are you still visit, intouch with this website?

Comment on When a Victim Doesn’t Know She’s a Victim: Survivor’s Guilt, the “Fawn” Response, Trauma Bonds, and Setting Boundaries by M.j.shah

M.j.shah — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:57:52 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth Woods. Let's talk about it. Maybe my experience of the same unstoppable agony might help you to get out of it almost completely and effectively.

Comment on When a Victim Doesn’t Know She’s a Victim: Survivor’s Guilt, the “Fawn” Response, Trauma Bonds, and Setting Boundaries by Understanding the Burden of Guilt and Shame after Abuse – Greene County Family Justice Center

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:41:19 +0000

[…] Domestic violence can affect nearly every part of a survivor’s life. The physical injuries may eventually heal, but the emotional effects of abuse can last much longer. Among the feelings many survivors experience are guilt and shame. […]

Comment on When Religion Becomes Traumatic by Healing from Religious Trauma: Recognizing and Overcoming Its Effects

Healing from Religious Trauma: Recognizing and Overcoming Its Effects — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:45:40 +0000

[…] exposure to harmful messages. Psychologist Marlene Winell was the first to use the term religious trauma syndrome […]