Trauma-Informed Blog
New content weekly! Survivor Stories, Research Articles, Poetry, and more written by clinicians, coaches, survivors, and mental health professionals.
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How Our Emotional and Relational Trauma Creates Clutter
Not knowing or fully understanding what’s behind all the mess can be scary Life clutter shows up in many ways aside from our physical spaces. It’s a puzzle with many pieces that include...
Why Childhood Trauma Survivors Blame Themselves
In my forties, I was a part of a support group for survivors of abuse. Most of the women who attended were dealing with abusive partners. I was the only one sharing about childhood abuse, though...
An Attack on All Fronts: The Mind-Body-Soul Divide-and-Conquer Technique of Narcissistic Abuse (Part 4 of 4)
Part 4 of 4: As quickly as I could after the nervous breakdown, I kept going because recovery time from violent relationships was not covered by my health insurance. I was a sloppy, hot mess. (My...
5 Valuable Life Skills Often Learned by Those With Complex PTSD
Strengths can be found in childhood survival strategies. Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is much more prevalent than anyone might surmise. Because adults who managed this attachment...
Parenting with PTSD
How do I not repeat the mistakes of my parents? One of the most common questions I get is, "Rachel, how do I not repeat the mistakes of my parents?" My first answer is always, "Well, you are...
Finding Your Life After Trauma
Do you remember the last time you noticed you were glossing over your own needs? Like the time you were really tired at work and had a big birthday party to celebrate that evening, and your boss...
Cracking the Code: Unraveling Triggers for Mastering Emotional Regulation
This month, I will explore the topic of emotional dysregulation, as it is one of the defining symptoms of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and wreaks havoc for the trauma survivor...
Surfing the Light Through the Darkness
By Jesse B. Donahue 2019©Primordial awakening… at the onset of our evolution and today, found within the formulation of a contemplative moment. From the ‘beginnings,’ we were and are all alone on...
An Attack on All Fronts: The Mind-Body-Soul Divide-and-Conquer Technique of Narcissistic Abuse (Part 3 of 4)
Part 3 of 4: In my worst dissociative episodes, I had never felt so deeply without myself I am familiar with (and very grateful for) dissociation. It has protected me in chronic and extreme...
CPTSD: Learning Thief
Several years ago, when my life seemed more normal, I worked in public relations and corporate communications. I worked for several high-profile firms where, among other assets, employment...
The Shattered Encasement of Suicide Grief
TRIGGER WARNING: This blog discusses suicide My Mom’s suicide was the culmination of years of enduring painful emotional abuse and narcissism. There was no blood, just a strong gas smell from...
Our Mental Health and Society
Mental health services in the UK have always been hard to access. In the past 5 years, they can no longer meet the increasing number of suffering individuals' needs. The recurring question is,...
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”.
