Living with CPTSD means relationships, whether romantic or platonic, can be both incredibly comforting and completely overwhelming. On one hand, I have always craved closeness, connection, the sense of warmth and safety. But on the other, the idea of losing that felt like the worst thing ever. Detachment, to me, has never been as simple […]
How One Person Helped Me Heal My CPTSD
It’s not often in life that you come across someone who truly sees the best in you. And I don’t mean the kind of person who only shows up for the highlight reel, the celebrations, the victories, the polished, postable moments. Rather, I mean someone who sits beside you in the unraveling. In the silence. […]
CPTSD Meets Hot Yoga: Send Towels
Recently, I wrote about the time I tried meditation, and how my CPTSD added a whole extra layer of “what fresh hell is this?” to the experience. Today I’m about to take you on a journey into the steaming pile of self-improvement and self-torture, also known as hot yoga. Yes, you heard that right. Hot […]
How Trauma Builds Tolerance for Emotional Pain
One of the sneakiest things about living with CPTSD or carrying trauma is how we slowly build a sky-high tolerance for emotional pain, and don’t even realize we’re doing it. It becomes second nature, like breathing. At first, we tell ourselves we’re strong, tough, resilient, and yes, all those things are true. Those words aren’t […]
The Dopamine Habit And CPTSD
Those of us that have experienced childhood trauma missed out on so much. One of those things was the feel-good feelings that occur naturally. For us, the simple act of praise from a parent could even make us cautious. Our brains become wired to seek out danger and even something innocent puts us in a […]
My Own Lighthouse: Finding Light in Tough Times
I was once told that healing requires us to explore the darkness before we can truly find the light. Back then, I didn’t understand what that meant, how deep it went, or how hard it would be until I found myself deep in the thick of it, face-to-face with my own healing. What many people […]