Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include but are not limited to, serious accidents, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, combat, or life-threatening situations. PTSD is characterized by a range of symptoms that can significantly impact a person’s daily life and well-being.
In this state of neurological and emotional overload, women may begin to reach for anything that offers temporary relief. A few glasses of wine to quiet the anxiety. A pill to finally fall asleep. A razor to shift the pain from the inside to the outside — a desperate attempt to regain control when life feels utterly out… Read More Numbing Out the Pain: Why Substance Use and Self-Harm Begin
In a world that prides itself on progress, innovation, and connection, we find ourselves facing a paradox that is as disturbing as it is heart-breaking. Despite all our advancements, we are still living in a time where abuse—emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual—is often dismissed, denied, or hidden under layers of silence. Why is it that… Read More “What Kind of World Are We Living In?” – A Psychological Reflection on Our Collective Response to Abuse
When someone opens up about their pain, especially the kind that lives deep in the heart—shame, grief, trauma, despair—our natural instinct is to fix. To offer advice. To find a silver lining. To reassure them that it’s “not so bad.” But while those reactions may be well-intentioned, they often miss the mark. What people in pain… Read More “I Hear You”: The Healing Power of Bearing Witness Without Fixing.
For a long time, I didn’t dare ask myself what I truly wanted from the future. When you’ve spent decades in survival mode—walking on eggshells, silencing your truth, being isolated from loved ones, and enduring emotional trauma—your hopes and dreams can become buried under fear and fatigue. But I’m no longer in survival mode. I… Read More ✨ Looking Ahead: Reclaiming My Life, My Healing, and My Future ✨
I’ve been through every kind of abuse you can imagine:👉 Financial👉 Emotional👉 Psychological👉 Physical And at some point in your healing, you sit with the most painful question of all:“What kind of cruel, emotionally stunted person was I living with?” People ask me, “But what did you see in him?”I’m now asking myself the same thing. But… Read More 🧠 “What Did I See in Him?” – Understanding Abuse Through Psychology and Neuroscience 💔
This weekend was one of those soul-filling, life-affirming weekends that remind me how far I’ve come. Saturday was spent out in the sunshine with a dear girlfriend and my sweet dog Ellie, followed by a fun game of padel with friends and then a lazy, laughter-filled Sunday lunch with friends. As I sat there soaking… Read More 🌿 From Surviving to Thriving: The Psychology of Reclaiming Joy After Emotional Abuse
By Linda C J Turner Therapy When someone you trust shows a glaringly different side to the world than they show to you in private, it’s deeply confusing and painful. You might hear things like:“Everyone thinks they’re so kind and generous…”“But at home, they’re controlling, mean, critical, or even cruel.” This disconnect between public and… Read More Not the Person You Think They Are: Understanding the Hidden Faces of Emotional Abuse
The Hidden Self: Why Revealing Our True Identity Can Trigger Survival Responses In our journeys through life, many of us wear masks. Not just metaphorically, but as a vital survival mechanism shaped by deep-seated emotions like shame, societal rejection, and trauma. When someone builds a life around hiding who they truly are, the reasons often… Read More The False Self
A Neuroscience and Psychological Perspective on Healing After Betrayal Imagine building a life, decade after decade, with someone you believed you knew—only to one day learn that your partner is gay. For many, this isn’t just a revelation; it’s an emotional earthquake. The identity of the relationship, your own sense of reality, and your entire… Read More 💔 From Shock to Self: Surviving the Discovery That Your Partner Is Gay
For many survivors of long-term abuse, “letting someone in” isn’t just a romantic cliché—it’s a terrifying act of bravery. When you’ve spent years, even decades, navigating manipulation, control, emotional harm, and walking on eggshells, your nervous system learns one thing: people aren’t safe. And yet, somewhere deep within, there’s still a quiet yearning…To be known.To be… Read More 🌱 Letting the Barriers Down: The Vulnerable Path to Deep Connection After Abuse
