(a.k.a., why “being left” hits like a freight train when you’ve got trauma on board) Let’s get this out of the way upfront: The Departure Theory isn’t something you’ll find in a psychology textbook. No citations, no DSM entry. But in trauma circles, especially among those of us navigating life with CPTSD, it comes up […]
Weird CPTSD Triggers That Still Annoy Me
Living with CPTSD means you kind of get used to expecting the unexpected when it comes to what sets you off. You’d think triggers are always these huge, obvious, scary things, like a loud bang, a harsh word, or someone who looks exactly like that person from your past. But nope. Sometimes, what sets you […]
Flashbacks: Not Always a Five-Alarm Fire
There was a time when every flashback felt like a fire drill. My body would light up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve, bright, loud, impossible to ignore. The moment something triggered, I’d bolt straight into survival mode: cancel plans, cancel people, cancel myself. No questions asked. It didn’t matter if the memory was […]