A traumatic event is something no one is prepared to deal with. You may feel your mind and body are in a state of shock from the experience. You may have nightmares, feel jumpy, or find yourself re-playing the event in your mind. You may even feel disconnected from the world around you. What happened
It’s not your fault.
Before I dive into a blog article about sexual assault, I had to say that. You may feel like it’s your fault. Not only is that extremely common; it’s also trying to protect you from your pain, which I’ll discuss in this blog article in a moment. But it can’t be said
Anyone who has ever lived through it knows that emotional abuse is crazy making. A client of mine and beautiful poet offered to share her work on the site in hopes that it can a shine a light for a fellow survivor. To remind you that you are not alone, not crazy. You
When I mention the idea of mindfulness meditation, of consciously sitting with ourselves and observing our own inner world, the usual response I receive is along the lines of: “I like that idea but I can’t do that, I can’t quiet my mind.”
Mind racing anxiety plus the common trauma symptom of
In case you do not know, please learn this: no harm inflicted upon you by another human being is your fault. You do not deserve it and you did nothing to deserve it. It does not reflect who you are; it is only a reflection of that persons lost and darkened soul. You
People like to put the word ‘hope’ into an imaginary place. A place of dreams and wishes. A place that isn’t ‘real.
But nothing, and I mean nothing, could be further from the truth.
If hope is anything—it is the absolute inner truth of a human being’s capacity. It is the
If you’re raising a teenager or can remember your own adolescence you know that it’s a time of profound growth, change, and vulnerability. It’s understandable that the mental health world is so focused on adolescent development and the potential trauma that teens experience as they attempt to navigate scary challenges-often without a safety net.
And yet,
Stressful situations can make the most balanced people act in crazy ways. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a friend who is worried about her relationship with her long-term partner. She told me she’s been feeling very anxious. She wrote:
I’m not really eating and sleeping is bad and sometimes talking… helps, but
There is no denying it, yoga has made its debut in America. There is a yoga studio on every corner. There are hundreds of yoga classes going on every day. Everyone seems to have at least thought about trying yoga at this point, if they haven’t already been to a class. Every week there seems
Flashbacks can take many forms. Children and adults can have emotional flashbacks. Veterans can have combat flashbacks. They are part of the aftermath of trauma for many people.
A person can experience trauma after an overwhelming experience, such as violence or an accident. Trauma may result from living with others who feel unsafe, such as parents
