Betrayal of any type is unacceptable, especially that experienced during or upon discovering one has been traumatized as a child by someone you love. This trauma is the basis for the formation of dissociative identity disorder.   This article will focus on betrayal trauma, what it is, how it...

Anger is a natural consequence of living through childhood trauma, the leading cause of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. As children, many survivors were hurt by people who needed to care for them but didn’t and used them for their purposes.   One of the most dynamic causes of anger...

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a complicated and life-altering mental health challenge formed when a person is under extreme distress with no escape.   Many symptoms accompany DID, with perhaps the most painful being the horrific flashbacks one experiences. This article will tackle the topic of flashbacks and the...

Most people living with dissociative identity disorder (DID) also suffer from complex post-traumatic stress disorder. That is why I have found this article to apply to this blog.   Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a condition that causes life-altering problems for those who experience it. The symptoms of...

Trigger Warning   The following piece deals with incest and is not suitable for all readers.   Incest The Secret No One Should Keep   Secrecy is a sexual predator’s best friend. It allows family members to use and abuse children at will and keeps them from being exposed...

Everyone experiences stress at one point or another in their lives. Perhaps you face a new boss at work or a medical problem of your own, or a family member. Countless incidents cause stress.   Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) deals primarily with trauma experienced in early childhood. CPTSD...

Dissociation is a normal part of the human experience. Road hypnosis, where you travel distances without remembering doing it, and hyper-focusing on a movie in a theater are only two examples.   One of the most well-known characteristics of dissociative identity disorder (DID) is dissociation. The things people living...

“Life is hard and unfair for all of us.” Sometimes we get caught up in that sentiment and forget to enjoy life. Yes, having dissociative identity disorder is no fun, but it would be a shame to spend all our lives with our heads firmly seated in a pity...

Trigger Warning   The following piece deals with incest and is not suitable for all readers.   This and other important topics surrounding complex post-traumatic stress disorder are on the website for https://cptsdfoundation.org/   Incest and Genetic Disorders   So far in this series on incest, we have covered...

Trigger Warning   Below is part 2 of 4 I am writing for CPTSD Foundation. The following piece deals with incest and is not suitable for all readers.   Trauma Bonding and Incest     Incest is a topic that most people would rather avoid. Thousands, if not millions,...

The article below is a re-release of something I wrote in 2018. I found it too important to bury it in the archives. Shirley     In my research that I have been doing for my book on attachment disorders, I was reminded of a subject I believe I...

Some of the ideas I’m going to share in this piece may be controversial. I appreciate the difference of opinions of those who read my work and wanted to give you a heads up.   Recently I have been receiving emails from distraught mothers and therapists facing a new...