Living with CPTSD and trauma, you often move through life so carefully that you forget who the real you is, or sometimes, you never even get the chance to know who you were, because the events happened so young. You shrink yourself, tuck away pieces, and survive, but it comes at the cost of feeling […]
When Trauma Hits Again: Living With CPTSD
Feeling “Off” For a while now, I’ve been feeling “off.” My nervous system has been stuck on high alert, and it’s been bugging me because I couldn’t figure out why. Nothing in my day-to-day life should be making me feel like this. And no matter what I tried, my breathing techniques, grounding, distracting myself, nothing […]
The Strengths I Gained Living with CPTSD
Living with CPTSD: The Daily Struggle Living with CPTSD can be debilitating. I have written a lot about the challenges it’s thrown my way, the many sleepless nights, the constant hypervigilance, and the emotional landmines that can appear out of nowhere. All things that can take over your life in ways you’d never imagine, and […]
CPTSD Velcro: Why Feelings Stick and Stay
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, […]
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 […]
