Do you always feel like you’re on high alert? Or do you just feel numb? Perhaps you bounce back and forth between the two? Have you wondered how to feel calm or peaceful? If you find the state of the world today especially triggering, you are not alone! Fortunately, by understanding our nervous systems and… Read more »
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“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” – Maya Angelou Finding hope, let alone holding hope as a thread through life these days, can seem like a tough task for so many. Trauma survivors often struggle to find or hold hope in… Read more »
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When a child experiences neglect, anxiety, or danger repeatedly in a close relationship, that child often grows up with a sense that they are not okay. Psychology has a name for the longterm, consistent type of trauma that leaves a person feeling insecure, overwhelmed, and unsafe in the world: complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or CPTSD…. Read more »
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One of the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has increased mental health awareness. Limiting our activities and contact with others has led to so much talk about fear, loneliness, disconnection, and mental health. These experiences have made people notice their needs and feel more comfortable seeking help. More people now seek… Read more »
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Trauma can take many forms. You may have heard of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most people have at least heard of PTSD, as it relates to veterans. Did you know it impacts many others as well? Have you heard of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD or CPTSD)? People often ask how CPTSD and PTSD are… Read more »
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Understanding that trauma includes emotional injury will help more people get the care they deserve. The word trauma is so important to help those who suffer from emotional injury. Yet, people so often think of trauma as only including physical or sexual injury. Many overlook its role in their overall health and quality of life…. Read more »
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What if nothing feels “right?” When it comes to making choices, sometimes there’s a clear winner. The decision is easy. But it seems like these days especially, every choice is harder. There are so many shades of gray. Confusion and uncertainty persist. Information is constantly changing, and we don’t know what’s accurate or what’s going… Read more »
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You might be standing in a room with hundred-dollar bills blowing everywhere, but if you can’t catch any, or even notice them, you won’t have any extra money in your pocket. Gratitude works the same way. If you don’t even notice the opportunity to feel gratitude or know how to catch it, then you can’t… Read more »
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It is normal to have increased anxiety right now as we learn to navigate life in the midst of the recent pandemic. Everyone is feeling this way! And if your baseline is regularly higher in anxiety or hyperarousal, this will feel like even more to you! You may be feeling more triggered than usual if… Read more »
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When it comes to addiction treatment, just getting sober takes all of the attention. I cannot stress enough how important it is to recognize trauma’s role when we talk about addiction treatment and recovery. The article “The Link Between Trauma and Addiction” by the Maryland Addiction Recovery Center made this point so well. I wanted… Read more »
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