cptsd foundation
TRAUMA-INFORMED BLOG
Staff and Guest Writer submissions, research articles, survivors stories, poetry, and more!
Trauma Mess With Your Mind+Body Connection? This Tool Is For You
This article was originally published on The Mighty. There are two questions I often don’t know what to do with. “Where do you feel that in your body?” and “Can you describe that a little more for me? My reply is typically a shrug of the shoulders. I’m not...
Employment or Disability from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is caused by repeated, severe trauma such as child abuse, neglect, or torture. This article will focus on what it is like to work when affected by complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Living in the U.S....
CPTSD and Family: Glorious, Painful, Isolation
***Trigger Warning - This article speaks about domestic violence*** The relationships between those with CPTSD and family are usually difficult. Typically the problems fall beyond the usual ‘you took my sweater’ level of travail.Last night as I was trying to keep...
Dissociation – What is It?
With the topic of trauma becoming more influential in the public arena, the narrative that surrounds this topic can become confusing. A related idea to trauma that may be unclear to many is dissociation. The word is a noun primarily and it is a psychological...
How to Be a Friend
Trauma creates extremes. Either we are enmeshed with another person, constantly driven to people pleasing and conflict avoidance or we become dominators ourselves and cancel out others to feed our own needs.
Enough with the Abuse and the Control of Women and Children
The outrage following the overturn of ROE V WADE was felt and expressed all over the world. I've watched "Stay Sweet - Pray - Obey" on Netflix recently. It is about a small community of a branch of Polygamists Mormons group. Members of the group are brainwashed to...
Trauma-informed Yoga: Present Moment Choice Making
When facilitating trauma-informed yoga, a fundamental component of our time together will be the exploration of present moment choice making. What is Present Moment Choice Making? Life is lived in the present moment and then the new present moment and so on. It’s...
The Difference Between ‘Top-Down’ and ‘Bottom-Up’ Therapy, and Why It Matters
This article was originally published on The Mighty. A few years ago, I was invited to attend a new support group for people diagnosed with complex trauma. I was (unsurprisingly) anxious about going, but hopeful it could help me. When I got there, I expected that...
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Millions of people are affected by disabilities every day. When people think of a disability, they often think of people in wheelchairs or who are blind. However, many disabilities cannot be seen. This article will cover complex post-traumatic stress disorder...
How to Keep a Friend – Managing Conflict
Conflict is an inevitable part of life. Trauma is not. You can have conflict without creating trauma.

What is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
“Complex PTSD comes in response to chronic traumatization over the course of months or, more often, years. This can include emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuses, domestic violence, living in a war zone, being held captive, human trafficking, and other organized rings of abuse, and more. While there are exceptional circumstances where adults develop C-PTSD, it is most often seen in those whose trauma occurred in childhood”.