Thank you for reading through this series -- I hope it has given you something to think about in terms of your own strengths and abilities. This post lists the final column of the 1994 Many Voices publication from one of my outpatient group exercises based on Kathleen Adams MA book, Journal To the Self. The group was clearly getting more comfortable with sharing their answers, and as you will see, there are 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...]
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...]
The Layers of Halloween Weekend
It’s Halloween weekend. This is a difficult, heavy weekend for a lot of dissociative trauma survivors. I’ll say right upfront – and please hear this clearly -- that it is NOT a difficult or triggery weekend for every DID trauma survivor. To assume that every dissociative survivor has experienced the same kinds of abuse is completely wrong, and I will be the first trauma therapist to say that not everyone … [Read more...]