I grew up learning about the Fight-Flight responses to stress. My mother taught us to either run or fight. I watched my brothers polarize their responses…one ran and the other fought every one and every thing. I didn’t feel like I fit either one. Then I learned about Freeze….closer. This is that “deer-in-the-headlights” where you…
Before I started counseling, I recognized that at times I would get raging angry. I knew my anger was out of proportion of the incident. I would send myself to my room. I placed a blood shot eye TV vegetable with fat lip in front of my door. Fair warning I was not reasonable, not…
Universities are starting to publish articles on PTSD, of course CPTSD is not mentioned because it is not yet an “official” diagnosis. Here’s the link to the article. https://www.uab.edu/news/youcanuse/item/10726-ptsd-is-not-just-for-veterans-it-s-a-trauma-disorder-that-affects-millions The part I get frustrated is the bending of the causes to fit their agenda: “We must see PTSD, and other trauma-related disorders, as mental health…
Trauma happens in life. Full stop. But not everyone gets PTSD. Even fewer do what I did which was to create an elaborate survival technique using dissociation to divide up my life in smaller pieces. Life got a lot more confusing when I married and moved away from home, stopped going to school and started…
Warning Warning Tonight’s post is tough. If you are prone to be triggered by discussing Sexual abuse and grooming GO BACK one post and enjoy some process art…..there are no mistakes in art, only new designs. Last post https://ptsd-acceptingcopingthriving.com/2018/06/02/product-vs-process-art/ This is tough for me to write. Recognizing sexual abuse and the process…
Self-care is not selfish. Hard to believe this or implement it if as a child you are told that getting enough to eat is being selfish. I was told I had to go hungry so my brother could have seconds. Sad thing, food would spoil in the refrigerator because it wasn’t eaten fast enough. As…
I learned that emotional abuse is a part of every other abuse and causes the most lasting damage. A child’s emotions are tender and untried an abuser can do extensive damage at a young age. Toxic Parents is one of the best sources that describe the emotional abuse perpetuated by too many parents. 19. “My…
The next basic tool to go in my toolbox was what rights do I have as a human being? My abusers convinced me I had no rights. I had no right to expect respect, no right to expect to be fed, no right to expect anything….nothing belonged to me and I existed because they allowed…
PTSD - Accepting, Coping, Thriving 