The essence of trauma is the responses to the event when our brain and body's window of tolerance is overwhelmed.
post-traumatic stress disorder
Coping Skills: Obsessive Thoughts
Table of Contents What Are Obsessive ThoughtsSkills in The MomentBreak The SpiralTrauma SkillsKatniss SkillAffirmationsSomatic Skills2 to 1 BreathingSensory Integration ToolsProgressive Muscle Relaxation Radical Acceptance Long Term Skills What are obsessive thoughts? Obsessive thinking is an inability to control and cope with recurring, distressing thoughts, and images. The process may be mildly distracting or absorbing. Obsessive … Continue reading Coping Skills: Obsessive Thoughts
Informational Article: Hyperarousal & Hypoarousal
Hyper and hypoarousal are the two dysregulated states of the autonomic nervous system. These states are connected to the Fight-Flight-Freeze-Fawn/Fold response. "Fight & Flight" are states of hyperarousal, "Freeze" is a split response and "Fawn/Fold" is a state of hypoarousal. Arousal refers to the level of stress and type of activity our central nervous system … Continue reading Informational Article: Hyperarousal & Hypoarousal
Coping Skills Masterposts: Panic Attacks, Flashbacks & Dissociation
Table of Contents The BasicsBreathing SkillsCalm Breathing2-to-1 BreathingGrounding SkillsStatements of PresenceBody EngagementBody Scan5-4-3-2-1 SkillB.O.L.R.A.IGrounding ObjectsKatniss SkillBilateral StimulationBilateral TappingMeditative WalkProgressive Muscle RelaxationMisc. Coping SkillsMovementSplash Cold WaterDistraction The Basics Feel emotions & have thoughts. When we deal with flashbacks and panic attacks we tend to want to make the emotions go away or immediately stop the anxious … Continue reading Coping Skills Masterposts: Panic Attacks, Flashbacks & Dissociation
Symptom Explainer: Dissociation
Defining Dissociation General Dissociation: Dissociation refers to the natural mechanism our brain has to disconnect us from our surroundings and ourselves. This is sometimes as a benign reaction but severe dissociation is associated with trauma and other mental illnesses. Every Person has the capacity for dissociation and many experiences some degree of the skill like … Continue reading Symptom Explainer: Dissociation
The False Memory Myth & Memory Repression
A common question we've got is people asking if their memories are "real" if they "made it up" and similar concerns. This is distressing to us because it comes from a place of not only misinformation but the effects of a deep culture of victim-blaming, the denial of sexual abuse and dates back to truly … Continue reading The False Memory Myth & Memory Repression
Informational Article: Attachment Theory (Pt 2)
Understanding attachment can help people understand why they are dealing with what they are and to make sense of specific experiences with our caregivers and abusers (for many of us these are the same person) Attachment theory can help people know what is making relationships so hard and begin to address what it is and form better relationships going forward. Knowing it's a piece of other mental health struggles can also help be a piece in recovering from DID, BPD, or C-PTSD. It gives us words to explain our struggles and find others dealing with similar.
Informational Article: Attachment Theory (Pt 1)
Attachment theory is a bedrock of our current understanding of child development in their ability to form relationships, have a stable affect, understand emotions and self-sooth. It is one of the earliest and most important stages of development when talking about emotions and relationships.
Symptom Explainer: Flashbacks VS Intrusive Thoughts
Let's look at what each of these experiences is and where they come from. Then we will compare & contrast them. Flashbacks: A flashback is an experience where you relive events of trauma. Flashbacks are only found in those with PTSD & C-PTSD. It includes feeling sensations that were experienced during the traumatic event. These … Continue reading Symptom Explainer: Flashbacks VS Intrusive Thoughts
Informational Article: Being Our Whole Selves Brain & Body
Our culture has a huge problem with separating and atomizing us. This has a huge effect on the general world and an outsized effect on the recovery trauma, I also see a huge impact of eating disorder recovery (there is a high overlap in trauma survivors and disordered eating). We are told that our body … Continue reading Informational Article: Being Our Whole Selves Brain & Body
Survivors Healing Survivors 