by STAR Network | Jul 23, 2024 | Boundaries, CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, CPTSD Partner Support, Dr. Jamie Huysman, Emotional Wellness, Gaslighting, Guest Contributor, TAR ANON, TAR Network, TAR Tales
Have you ever woken up on a sunny day only to realize by mid-afternoon that the sky had darkened and heavy clouds were threatening rain? You might have had no idea when the sun had ducked behind a cloud or when the day had darkened. That’s what toxic relationships are...
by Roseanne Reilly | Jul 23, 2024 | CPTSD, CPTSD and PTSD, Guest Contributor
For those living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), recognizing that they are stuck in survival mode can be incredibly challenging. Survival mode is a state where the body and mind are constantly on high alert, prepared to respond to perceived...
by Jesse Donahue | Jul 22, 2024 | Brain Chemistry, CPTSD, Guest Contributor
By Jesse Donahue 2018 ©I have heard of the right and left hemispheres of the human brain. Right brain, left brain thinking, a term thrown about by those in the know… which leaves me out. Where do I stand on the condition of the right brain being the creative side… or...
by Morrene Hauser | Jul 19, 2024 | ACEs, CPTSD, Guest Contributor
*Warning. This article contains references to childhood sexual abuse I grew up a crazy obsessed horse lover. From how they smelled to their warm and velvety noses to their kind and soulful eyes, I couldn’t get enough of these magnificent creatures. My mom had a...
by Cyndi Bennett | Jul 18, 2024 | CPTSD, Occupational Mental Health & CPTSD
Building a support system in the workplace is crucial for trauma survivors as it can provide the understanding, validation, and connection needed for healing and recovery. The challenge that many trauma survivors face is connected to the relational nature of their...
by Tonia Cordi | Jul 17, 2024 | Clutter, CPTSD, F Type, Guest Contributor
For many years, I heard about being in fight or flight mode or being triggered and brought outside of my nervous system window. I learned that there are more than those two states we can go into when we perceive that we are unsafe. These states are now known as “f...
by Natalie Rose | Jul 16, 2024 | CPTSD, Guest Contributor, Guilt, Healing from Toxic Shame, Post Traumatic Growth, Religion and Trauma, Spirituality
As a trauma survivor with nowhere to turn, I did what so many desperate and lonely do: I sought Jesus. Having grown up in Texas, Christianity was the only belief system I knew, so I found the dusty Bible in the back of my closet and opened it. I was soon filled with...
by Elizabeth Woods | Jul 15, 2024 | ACEs, CPTSD, Emotional Wellness, Guest Contributor
My name is Elizabeth, and I am a survivor of sexual abuse and trauma. I endured things, terrible things when I was growing up. I was just a young sprout, but my lack of years and stature failed to tell everyone what I had already lived through and seen with my young...
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 Cyndi Bennett | Jul 11, 2024 | CPTSD, Occupational Mental Health & CPTSD
I have been focusing on anxiety and panic attacks this month because they are so prevalent and disruptive in the workplace. For trauma survivors, fear and anxiety over the unpredictable nature of trauma triggers is a daily occurrence. Often, what happens is that we...
