Tag Archives: Trauma

Who is Della the Janked-Up Ladybug?

Della the Janked-Up Ladybug™ is a fairly recent arrival to my art. I’m interested in the cartoon as a medium that offers a measure of safety to viewers, so they can take in something that might otherwise be overwhelming. My … Continue reading

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“Anger is a secondary emotion”

“Anger is a secondary emotion,” a watercolor I painted 2 years ago, about 3 weeks after my ordeal in the ER and mental hospital. Anger is often an indicator of a violation. This one was enormous. Although I painted well … Continue reading

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Starship ENTERPRISE metaphor for life with Complex PTSD (CPTSD)

I like to use a tall ship or starship/Star Trek analogy to describe the experience of life with Complex PTSD. Imagine you’re aboard the USS ENTERPRISE, and she’s under attack. The red alert alarm constantly sounds, reminding you that you … Continue reading

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“Unleash the Ladybug!”

Della the Janked-Up Ladybug helped me launch my tiny-but-pointed #TraumaAwareAmerica initiative. It focuses on trauma awareness/education and the rights of traumatized people. I initially aimed at frontline providers, because they were the ones who could have greatly helped instead of … Continue reading

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I hate mindfulness dogma!

Some mindfulness proponents tell us we don’t have trauma if we just live in the present and “let the past go.” When it comes to Developmental Trauma, this is shaming and incorrect! Unresolved trauma prevents us from living in the … Continue reading

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I was a teenage sex slave

The moment I became a teenage sex slave. Each drop of blood signifies one month of that abuse. It began several weeks after my 15th birthday. A 25-year-old acquaintance, on hearing about my mother’s worsening mental illness and abuse, offered … Continue reading

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The night I learned to fly

“The Night I Learned to Fly” is the latest in a series of paintings that answer the question, “How did I survive?” By enduring unspeakable terror early in life, I learned to dissociate so well and so easily I could … Continue reading

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Posture, Body Language, Stress, and Trauma

Alexander Technique instructor Imogen Ragone and I discuss “the implications and impact of posture and body language on people dealing with stress and trauma, and what neuroscience is telling us about this.” Imogen dispels “some common myths (and potentially harmful … Continue reading

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“CyCling” with Ease to Down-Regulate Stress and Trauma

Alexander Technique instructor Imogen Ragone and I discuss and practice TheCyCle™ – “a simple yet powerful way to calm your own nervous system and release excess tension from your body. “In our last video Shay told us about three important … Continue reading

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Unashamed of my Complex PTSD

A few people have asked my why I talk so much about Complex PTSD, or Developmental Trauma. I am open about my struggles with ​Complex ​PTSD and depression​ in part because I am not ashamed.​​ I have physiological conditions brought on … Continue reading

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