Tag Archives: #TraumaAwareAmerica

The courage it takes to speak up against sexualized violence

I often hear that I am courageous for speaking my truth about sexualized violence in my life and its prevalence in America. Yeah, I know. But what is this courage really about? I’m not courageous because I speak my truth. … Continue reading

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The importance of decisive action

Sometimes I’m frustrated that my body needs every freaking thing in little bits! Evidently I’ve overused my hands and wrists messing with clay. And I’m driven to make one more niche. But my body says stop. So I need to … Continue reading

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Psychology’s pathologizing terms, evidence of a shame-based paradigm

Psychology’s pathologizing terms hint at the underlying toxic paradigm, which says the therapist is the Great Healer and the client/patient is the Broken Thing That Needs Fixing. Some of the worst pathologizing and shaming terms: “Disorder” presumes there’s something wrong … Continue reading

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Humans as social animals

Human beings are inherently social animals, but, unfortunately, the ability to properly function as a social organism takes a certain set of resources, of which many of us were robbed or never allowed. Proper human functioning is nearly impossible for … Continue reading

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Don’t “flip your lid,” down-regulate!

How does regulating the nervous system help sufferers of trauma and chronic stress? What is the “window of tolerance” and how can we widen ours? What happens in our brains when we “flip our lid” and how can we avoid … Continue reading

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The capacity to make good decisions

The capacity to make good decisions is among many aspects of self that are dependent on sufficient nervous system regulation. Beyond a certain point of dysregulation, we lose our ability to feel love, joy, peace, gratitude, and beauty inside us. … Continue reading

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“Anger is a Secondary Emotion”

“Anger is a secondary emotion,” a watercolor I painted 3 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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Open Letter to A. Snortz, Psy.D.*

I write this on the third anniversary of our final office visit. You probably forgot that day. I have not. To refresh: my GAD was back up to critical, I told you I had increasing suicidal ideations and thought it … Continue reading

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Follow me on Facebook for more info on stress/trauma/PTSD/CPTSD

When you follow my TraumaAwareAmerica page on Facebook you can receive and find great info, tips, tidbits, insights, art, news, humor, and more about stress/PTSD/Complex PTSD and recovery, neurobiology, and mental health in general. Be sure to join the TraumaAwareAmerica … Continue reading

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14-Step Neuroscience-Based Recovery from Complex PTSD

Having lived with Complex PTSD my entire life and studied the biology of fear for several years, I’ve come up with a neuroscience-based recovery plan: 1. Recognize that I was powerless during my traumatic experiences and the long-term effects of  … Continue reading

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