It’s a strange thing to find myself where I am now. For the first five years of my life, I had some sense of freedom. I was allowed to be a version of myself that never had the chance to fully develop. That version was soon overshadowed, reshaped by abuse, trauma, and the grip of […]
The Departure Theory and CPTSD
(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 […]
Tips On What to Do When CPTSD Hits Hard
You’d think that after all this time, I’d be a seasoned pro at navigating CPTSD. That it’d be a cakewalk by now. But it’s not. Even those of us who’ve done the therapy, the shadow work, put in the time, and learned the tools that do work for us still have off days. Still get […]
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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 […]
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CPTSD and the Trauma That Gaslights You
There’s no polite way to say this, but CPTSD is a mindfuck. It doesn’t just hit you with trauma. It follows up with a fun little side dish of self-hatred that convinces you the trauma didn’t even count. You survive something awful, sometimes for years, and instead of your brain saying, “Wow, that was terrible, […]