The Long-Term Effects of Abandonment
I wrote and published this piece a year ago and thought it still pertinent. One of the most egregious behaviors a parent or other caregiver can do to a child is to abandon them, allowing them to suffer alone. The damages done to the child when grown are...
Diagnostic Labels
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is challenging to live with and accept. Once you accept it, you are left with a sense of being different or strange. One side-effect of DID is becoming wrapped up in your diagnosis, which hinders healing. This article will explore how the diagnostic label...
Healthy Attachment of Therapists and Their Clients
Normal or appropriate attachment is a therapist who shows interest in your problems, is sensitive to your feelings, seems pleased to see you (but not in a selfish way), and respects you. Normal attachment allows you to feel valued and safe. This article shall focus on attachment styles...
Are You a Doormat?
Relationships are complicated. No one would argue with that. Learning about someone else’s quirks, needs, and boundaries is complicated, and sometimes the other person doesn’t reciprocate your interest. This article will explore the doormat in a dysfunctional relationship and how to build healthy boundaries to protect yourself. ...
An Introduction to EMDR for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
There is much interest mentioned lately on our platform of people wanting to know more about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This piece is devoted to exploring EMDR and how it can benefit someone living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) or dissociative identity disorder (DID). The...
Polyfragmented Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a relatively rare and enigmatic condition caused by extreme and repeated childhood trauma. Those who live with DID face an overwhelming sense of being more than one person, although they are really one person whose personality did not merge correctly. This article will...
Gatekeeper Alters
The definition of dissociative identity disorder (DID) is that people living with it have alternative selves, or alters, that are parts of themselves caught in trauma-time. These alters have differing tastes, thoughts, and emotions and fulfill many roles. One such role of alters is the gatekeeper, of which...
Showing Yourself Acceptance and Compassion
Accepting oneself with all your flaws is part of being mentally healthy. However, often survivors are their own worst critics picking themselves apart and holding themselves back from experiencing life to the fullest. This article will focus on self-compassion and how to become more self-accepting. A Refresher:...
Defeating Complex Trauma with Self-compassion
No one is harder on a survivor of complex trauma than the survivor. Survivors feel they are a burden, are unable to have a voice for themselves, or feel shame. Also, survivors often lack trust in who they are and believe no one is trustworthy. This article will...
Dissociative Fugue
People living with dissociative identity disorder are prone to many phenomena you may not have heard about. One of these experiences is known as dissociative fugue. This article will focus on dissociative fugue, its symptoms, causes, and treatment. What is Dissociative Fugue? Dissociative fugue or...
Attachment to the Perpetrator
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...
Can You Develop Dissociative Identity Disorder on Purpose?
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...