There’s a kind of shame that wraps itself around trauma survivors like smoke after a fire. Invisible and suffocating. If you’ve lived through abuse and now live with CPTSD, you know exactly what I mean. It’s not the shame of doing something wrong. It’s the shame of having survived something that never should have happened […]
PTSD or CPTSD? A Simple Breakdown Without the Psychobabble
So, you’ve been down a WebMD rabbit hole, or your therapist dropped “CPTSD” into a session like it’s a totally normal acronym. And you have somehow found yourself here. Welcome. I write a lot about my own experiences living with CPTSD, and I want you to know you’re not alone, even if it feels that […]
CPTSD Recovery: Embracing Feelings to Heal and Grow
I used to think being in my feelings was a weakness. Especially living with CPTSD and trauma. That if I let myself feel anything, sadness, anger, even happiness, it meant I was giving my trauma a seat at the table. Like feeling was the same as surrendering. So I armored up. Numbed out. Laughed things […]
Healing from CPTSD: When Hurt People Hurt People
There’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot: hurt people hurt people. Sometimes it’s said with compassion, sometimes as a defense, and sometimes as a throwaway line. But for me, it’s a truth I’ve had to look directly in the eye. Because I was hurting. And I hurt people. I was one of them. […]
Healing from CPTSD: Recognizing Triggers and Finding Progress
There’s something I’ve come to realize on this healing journey: no matter what stage we’re in, we’re always learning. Even when we think we’ve finally figured it all out, guess what? We probably haven’t. And that’s not a failure. It’s just part of the process. Take me, for example. I’ve been feeling a bit anxious […]
The Moment I Knew I needed Help
For most of my life, I was closed off, keeping people at arm’s length, and I had no idea why I sabotaged real connections when they came my way. I spent years feeling numb, locked in a cycle of emotional breakdowns. Expressing myself or even talking about my feelings felt impossible. It was like I […]