Inspirational Leader My dad was a very kind man. He was strong. He was solid. He had very settled views about life. He wasn't afraid to stand for what he believed, even if people didn't agree with him. I learned much from him, and even now, some time after his passing, I reflect more and more about the ways he taught me how to live. My father was an innovator. He was creative. He started new groups for … [Read more...]
What Does Long-Term Family Violence Do to You?
What happens when you live with violence for years of time? When violence happens every day, or every other day, or every week? How do you cope with that much fear and chaos? How do save yourself from falling into a deep, dark depression? What happens to your sense of trust? What do you do with your own huge feelings? What if you are trapped in that situation and don’t know how to remove … [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...]
Land of the Free?
For folks in the USA, it’s the July 4th holiday weekend. Barbecues, picnics, swimming parties, and fireworks are happening all over the country. Red, white, and blue stars and stripes are visible in every direction. It’s a fun holiday – most people are in festive moods. The point of the Independence Day holiday is to celebrate freedom. It’s about being free, living in a land that is free, … [Read more...]
Remembering Annemaria
There is a young woman who will always be precious to me. I haven’t spoken to her in years, but she forever changed my life. Just in being herself, Annemaria gave me my very first introduction to Dissociative Disorders. She changed my life. Absolutely and completely. This date – October 23rd -- had specific meaning for her. And every year on this date, I specifically think of her. The … [Read more...]