Published in Invisible Illness·PinnedMember-onlyThe Reasons People With Complex PTSD Self-IsolateLearning compassion for those suffering from complex trauma — “Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort.” Bessel van der Kolk Let me start by saying that this may be a trigger warning for some, and I apologize to anyone who may find this emotionally disturbing, but I…Mental Health8 min read
Published in Hello, Love·PinnedMember-only3 Micro Behaviors Of NarcissismJust because they’re micro behaviors, doesn’t make them any less toxic. — The word “narcissism” has been tossed around interchangeably with Narcissistic Personality Disorder on blog posts and social media as being synonymous. The fact is, they’re not. Simply put: this is how people get incorrectly labeled and misdiagnosed who otherwise don’t meet the criteria for the disorder. …Relationships7 min read
Published in Hello, Love·PinnedMember-onlyWhy They Leave When You Need Them The MostUnderstanding why is what helps you grow, if you let it. — It’s not my intention to trigger anyone. Writing this triggered a lot for me too, and dug up some painful memories. Please understand that some topics can’t be sugarcoated, or dumbed-down because they wind up losing their purpose. …Life9 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·1 day agoMember-onlyWhy We Need To Relabel BPD As What It Really IsBorderline personality disorder is really a pattern of trauma responses — I have studied Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) for years. Two things that have always affected me are how subpar many treatments are for BPD and how backwards diagnostics are regarding this very confusing — and stigmatized — disorder. BPD affects a person globally in many more ways than “just” their…Psychology6 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jul 27Member-onlyAttachment Style and Trauma Are At The Core Of WorkaholismUnderstanding why some people become workaholics — We’ve probably all heard the saying, ”Work hard, play hard.” I lived by the adage of “work hard” for years where I burned the midnight oil working thirty-hours a week at my job while juggling post-graduate studies and a 4.0 GPA, school residencies, private internships, and a dissertation. …Self Improvement6 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jul 14Member-onlyKey Differences Between Attachment vs. ConnectionAre you emotionally connected or traumatically attached to your partner? — Recently, I’ve seen several messages that are pushing an attachment agenda. Some of these messages are coming from therapists who should know better than to promote agendas that say “…just stay attached!” or “…It’s OK if you’re attached.” …Relationships5 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jul 11Member-onlyAre You Distracting Yourself?How smartphone, sex, gaming, and other addictions are trauma-related — A hard truth is that trauma is not as rare as we hope it would be. Current statistics report approximately 67% of children nationwide have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience. The risk of re-experiencing trauma nearly triples by adulthood after having experienced child abuse or neglect, with women…Mental Health6 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jul 9Member-onlySigns Of A Covert Narcissistic MotherRed flags that your boundaries were violated by a narcissistic parent — Growing up with a narcissistic parent can leave us feeling empty; a shell of a human. We carry the weight on our shoulders of hearing how “amazing” our mother is, or how she’s always ready to lend a hand and help out a “broken wing” friend or neighbor. The more…Relationships5 min read
Published in Hello, Love·Jun 27Member-onlyThe Dark Side Of LoveWhen traumatic bonding turns to fatal attraction in your relationship. — Until recently with the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial, this type of relational trauma has not gotten enough attention. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t jump on the divided bandwagon of either Team Johnny or Team Amber, so I’m not. …Mental Health10 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jun 22Member-onlyBorderline “Splitting” And Traumatic BondingDoes “splitting” override feeling a trauma bond? — Trauma bonds are based on emotional addiction, specifically love addiction. Emotional addiction is a controversial subject because there isn’t a lot of research to support its existence, although there is ample research supporting love addiction. Existing research attributes a biochemical cocktail as its foundation which includes both feel-good neurotransmitters such…Psychology5 min read
