Recovery from the Pandemic Depends on How Safe We All Feel

We are collectively experiencing a traumatic event on a global scale. Some of us, because of past trauma, feel the effects more than others. All of us are impacted, to some degree. For some, this collective trauma may be a new experience. Some may notice that they feel more tired, less able to focus. Perhaps …

Big Goals are not Stand-ins for Love

I have an enormous goal. I've spent tens of thousands of hours honing my craft in order to reach it. I've spent even more on education and lifestyle changes to give myself the space, time, and know-how to accomplish it. I don't even want to count the lost wages (and benefits and retirement savings) from …

When Your Own Narrative is a Life or Death Issue

We all know how it feels when someone gossips about us. We've all been on the receiving end of sensitive information about someone else that's none of our business. We've all said something out of turn about another person. The sting of betrayal is hurtful and annoying, but for many, it's not a huge deal. …

Processing Trauma is a Privilege

Processing trauma means you are going to the trenches in order to heal. You're wading into the deep, murky waters of your subconscious mind to free up the gunky messes that rooted themselves long ago. It's expensive financially, and even more so energetically. It's hard, painful, all-consuming work, and it requires a ton of courage …

The Three Words Childhood Trauma Survivors Need To Hear

Childhood trauma is a uniquely confusing experience. For many of us, the very people whom we were required to rely on for our survival were also the ones threatening it. It's hard enough to sort out this kind of abuse as an adult, but this disconnect can wreck havoc on a developing brain. Trauma research …

Love Bombing And Other WMDs

Abuse survivors are usually wary of new relationships for extremely good reasons that are not their fault. Almost always, the cycle of abuse starts out as something that appears wonderful. The new guy or gal is interested in them. Not only interested, but infatuated. They too-quickly claim they are "the one." They study their target, …

I Have Much More To Say

One year ago today, I created my very first post, I Have Something To Say. This was a huge milestone in my recovery for a few reasons. Because of the type of abuse I experienced, I had a huge mental and physical block about speaking up publicly. The knots in my stomach, lumps in my throat …

For Trauma Survivors, ‘Pushing Through’ Isn’t Heroic- It’s Avoidant

I study a lot of stories, and I am well-versed in the power of inspirational stories to uplift and entertain through shared catharsis. We can learn a lot about our own lives through storytelling. However, there is a big reason why some stories that feature characters who rise above their circumstances go down as all-time …

Fear of Retaliation

Before EMDR therapy, I previously did not consider myself a fearful person. If I felt threatened, I would quickly push those thoughts out of my mind and focus on more practical, productive things. I learned to do this as a very young child who had no other option for coping with a cruel, punishing father, …

Overwhelm

As a trauma survivor, some days are more manageable than others. I am learning the long, slow process of better recognizing ways to prevent overwhelm and ways to better care for myself when I am overwhelmed. Even so, sometimes it comes on so fast, I can't deescalate. For me, feelings of stress and anxiety can …