I have been thinking a lot about how much change we have gone through in the last six months. Everything from being stuck in quarantine to changing how we handle school, work, finances, social lives, grocery shopping and even going to church. All of these normal routines that we all had down to science and … Continue reading Transitions & Change (COVID-Style)
Author: ptsdthriver
Scene of the Crime
It happened when I was in 10th grade. A cold practice-room at the back of the choir room, after a school choir concert. Cornered in the small, cold room, the sound of the door shutting is something that still haunts me. He came closer, turning off the lights, I could feel him closing in. I … Continue reading Scene of the Crime
Gratitude
Photo by Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com First of all, for those of you who are in the United States, Happy Turkey Day! I hope that you have something planned that brings you joy and happiness, and if you don't, this day could be a great opportunity for a self-care and self-love day. I didn't want to … Continue reading Gratitude
PTSD and Sleep
Photo by Tan Danh on Pexels.com I don't know about you, but it doesn't take much to disrupt my sleep pattern these days. Before my trauma happened, I had minor difficulties sleeping. Those difficulties consisted of being afraid of the dark and begging my parents to leave a light on so I wouldn't be afraid. … Continue reading PTSD and Sleep
Acknowledgment Goes A Long Way
Photo by Tatiana Vavrikova on Pexels.com Whenever I am asked what survivors need, I used to stumble around and not know exactly how to answer or put my feelings into words. Today is a different story. Ask me today what a survivor of sexual assault needs and I will say: Acknowledge them. We live in … Continue reading Acknowledgment Goes A Long Way
Constantly Changing Under Trauma
Photo by Akwice on Pexels.com I have been trying to heal now from my attack and abuse for just over five years now, and the rollercoaster that this journey continues to be is always full of surprises; both good and bad. Usually I focus on the good, and how I turned something bad into an … Continue reading Constantly Changing Under Trauma
Grief and Trauma
How Does Compound Grief Affect Our Coping Abilities https://feeandsons.com/blogs/blog-entries/1/Our-Blogs/29/How-Does-Compounded-Grief-Affect-Our-Coping-Abilities.html When someone passes away, we are often told that we will experience the 5 Stages of Grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. I have found through conversations with other survivors of sexual assault and other traumas that we go through a grieving process after something … Continue reading Grief and Trauma
Hoping While Coping
Coping is such an important topic to discuss when it comes to PTSD, Anxiety, Depression and many other Mental Health issues. The thing is, it can be such a broad topic that it becomes overwhelming, and we may want to give up because we can't focus in on the few specific ways that help us … Continue reading Hoping While Coping
Finding Community
Photo by ELEVATE on Pexels.com Having support is always good, and support can come in many forms. It can come from friends, family, classmates, you name it. When you go through something traumatic, whether it's a sexual assault (or attempted assault), combat, domestic abuse, or any other trauma, I think that another form of support … Continue reading Finding Community
Trying to Build Boundaries
One thing I feel that many sexual assault survivors experience afterward is having shattered boundaries. I have known that I have issues with being able to communicate specific boundaries, so my normal reaction is to set really vague boundaries to protect myself. For example, I don't like setting particular boundaries in intimate relationships... so instead … Continue reading Trying to Build Boundaries
Flourishing With PTSD 