There’s a thing I call “CPTSD Velcro.” It’s not a clinical term, but maybe it should be. For now, we’ll just call it a Jackism. It’s that sticky emotional residue left behind by an offhand comment, a strange look, a friend’s delayed reply, or a breakup that happened last year or ten years ago. It’s […]
7 Signs You Might Be Living with CPTSD
7 Key Symptoms of CPTSD (Complex PTSD Signs You Should Know) I recently wrote about the difference between CPTSD and PTSD, how CPTSD often includes the symptoms of PTSD plus additional layers tied to long-term, repeated trauma. It’s not just the flashbacks and fear. It’s the ripple effects that bleed into your sense of self, […]
Inside Out, But Trauma Got the Remote
One of my daughter’s favorite movies is Pixar’s Inside Out. We’ve watched it together more times than I can count. And honestly? It’s become one of my favorites too. It’s clever, heartfelt, and somehow it makes all these big, messy feelings make sense, not just for kids, but for adults, too. And every time I […]
Why CPTSD Makes Letting People In So Hard
Ever feel like you have spent a life time pushing away the person who loves you the most? Yes. Me too. That’s what this week’s Healing Out Loud podcast episode is all about: those invisible walls we build when we have CPTSD. The ones that say, “I love you, but please stay right over there […]
CPTSD and the Hero I Needed as a Child
Ever since the new Superman movie dropped last week, I’ve been full-on fanboying all weekend. Cape out, nerd mode fully activated. The minute that theme tune kicked in? Full-on goose bumps. And when Krypto showed up? Talk about cuteness overload! My First Real Hero When I was a kid, Superman was it for me.; he […]
Living With CPTSD: Why Depth Matters to Me
There’s something that keeps circling back in my life like a boomerang made of emotional clarity, and it hits me a little harder every year: I can’t do surface-level shit. Of any kind. I’ve tried. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve smiled through small talk, nodded in the right places, and played the part like a […]