Emotional support is definitely needed by dissociative trauma survivors. So..... what is emotional support? I often get emails and questions from friends – partners – spouses of dissociative trauma survivors. These loved ones are often unsure about how to best support their partner amidst all the darkness. These are the partners who care. But they don’t know what to do. They don’t know how to … [Read more...]
Wintertime – A Dark Night for Winter Solstice
Well…. it’s December 21st in the northern hemisphere. Making today the Winter Solstice. In the southern hemisphere, like in Australia, this is the Summer Solstice. I originally wrote this article when I lived in Dallas. The weather in Dallas was nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit that day, making for a very warm day even though it is considered to be the official first day of winter. It’s the Winter Solstice and … [Read more...]
A Double-Sided Halloween Weekend
It’s Halloween weekend again -- a season full of flashbacks and trauma for many dissociative trauma survivors. It feels dark. It feels scary. In some ways, it's the worst time of the year, and if this is the case, the flashbacks are pretty horrific. So......... let's do a less scary flashback with this article. Think back to 2010. That year, back in 2010, I was reminded of the dichotomy our society … [Read more...]
What Did Your Mother Teach You?
Mother’s Day. Mother's Day is a hard day for a lot of dissociative trauma survivors. It’s a day full of mixed emotions, painful longings, unhealed heartbreak. Mother's Day hurts the people who were hurt so much by their mothers. Mothers are a complicated subject, to say the least, and the impact a mother can have on her children can and does change their lives. Abusive or neglectful mothers can teach some … [Read more...]
Do You Need Faith to Overcome the Effects of Trauma?
FAITH ??! Do you need faith to overcome the negative effects of trauma? Faith? Isn't that a religious or spiritual term, Kathy? Don’t worry – I’m not a preacher – I’m not going to preach at you. But I do believe in a thing called faith. I do believe there is goodness and light in the world. And I believe there is evil and darkness in the world. There can be many complex, complicated … [Read more...]