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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Going No Contact? Here’s the Letter You Need to Write
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash Congratulations! You’ve decided that you’re through being abused by a toxic parent, partner, or friend and are ready to go No Contact. Good for you! You’re...
The Dark Chasm of Disappointment & Learned Helplessness
Disappointment is a formidable adversary and worthy of your notice. Worthy of your rebel yell that says “I’ve had enough.”
CPTSD in the Workplace: Can trauma survivors be good leaders?
One of the questions I get from trauma survivors is whether they are really capable of being a leader. The short answer is an unequivocal “YES, of course.” There are several things that trauma survivors should pay attention to if they want to be good, effective leaders.
Incest and Its Impact on the Body
Incest can create a severe ripple effect in someone’s life. People that relate to the person who experienced incest are affected negatively. Families and loved ones are left confused about why a...
Complicated Grief
Grief is complicated for survivors of trauma because there is so much to process.
Navigating Medical Trauma with CPTSD
TRIGGER WARNING: the following article discusses sexual assault. My CPTSD is based on traumas that started in early childhood. I have no conscious memory of “normal.” My traumas are old,...
The Simple Question a Crisis Worker Asked Me That Helped Calm My Panic Attack
This article was originally published on The Mighty. My thoughts come at me too quickly, too loudly — it’s as if my mind is shouting. At the same time, my heart is racing and I find it difficult...
Having Asperger’s Syndrome with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
There are many types of neurodivergence among humans, some helpful, others harmful. The two getting the most notice are Asperger's Syndrome and complex post-traumatic stress disorder, with...
Understanding Narcissism
(as published in The Friday Edition of HeartBalm Healing at https://heartbalm.substack.com) The term narcissism and its variations get thrown around quite often and the definitions are mixed up...
What I Needed to Hear to Begin Healing My Inner Critic
This article was originally published on The Mighty. There is a therapy trick that I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of. It’s a popular technique used to quiet down negative self-talk, a type of...
The Difficulties of Having Both CPTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) on its own is a severe diagnosis. However, when paired with another significant diagnosis, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), the two...
Do I Have Toxic Parents? NARCISSISTIC ABUSE: Setting Boundaries – Choose Your Own Adventure
Experience a day in the life of an adult child of toxic parents. See how your choices affect the outcome in this "Choose Your Own Adventure" style story and learn to set healthy boundaries along the way. Written by the Scapegoat of a Narcissistic Parent.
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”.
