When darkness sits on people, it can really sit on them. And squish them down. And remove all joy, love, beauty from their lives. Or for those with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the dark side of the system can completely flip over the top, dominating the other sides of the system. The dark ones are in control. DID survivors, split and torn by years of traumatic darkness, pain, and heartbreak. When … [Read more...]
The Emotional Container of Abuse
Emotional abuse. This is a complicated topic. It's a topic I've tried to explain to many dissociative trauma survivors many many times. The concept of emotional abuse can be hard to grasp. This is because the trauma survivor often internalizes the perpetrator's offensive verbage, believing it to be true. But it's not true. Not at all. In this article, I will describe one example of the dynamic of a … [Read more...]
Can the Horrors of Halloween Drain Away, Leaving Room for Fun?
For most dissociative trauma survivors, Halloween is a difficult time. Halloween is an expansion filled with horrific memories, vivid flashbacks, overwhelming darkness, and uncomforted fear. Internal systems flip and change, with those typically lodged in the back finding their way to the front, making the usual everyday feel completely different from before. Working with these dark parts is essential for healing. … [Read more...]
Easter Weekend: Sorting through the Layers Within
Hello hello, It's the Easter weekend -- a complicated and conflictual weekend for most dissociative trauma survivors. So many layers of your inside levels will be awakened, aware, involved, wondering, waiting, going, sitting, thinking, watching, feeling, remembering, refusing, believing, fighting, crying, calling, hiding, etc. It's a time of being pulled in dozens of different directions all at once. Lots … [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...]