Here’s a clear, evidence-based overview of what research shows about non-fatal strangulation — including how common it is, how it affects survivors physically and psychologically, and what we know about how it impacts the person doing the strangulation (to the extent research addresses that). This is grounded in scientific literature and public health data. 📊 Statistics & Prevalence Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is recognised… Read More Statistics & Prevalence
Talking about strangulation in therapy is not just “talking about a memory.”For many survivors, describing the sensations, fear, and loss of control can reactivate the trauma itself. This is not resistance.It is how the nervous system remembers danger. Why Describing It Feels Overwhelming Strangulation is a primal threat to survival. When it happened, the brain and body… Read More Talking About Strangulation in Therapy: Why It’s So Hard — and How EMDR Can Help
Therapy is for truth.Law is for proof.Public statements are for boundaries. You do not owe full truth to every arena. 1. What to keep THERAPEUTIC ONLY These are essential for healing but usually not necessary or wise to share publicly or legally. Keep in therapy: 📌 Why: ✔️ You can show the messages to your psychologist❌ You don’t need to turn your pain into… Read More The core principle
Plain truth Harassing a person who is known (or should reasonably be known) to have PTSD and is escaping or recovering from domestic violence is not “just harassment”.It is an aggravating form of psychological abuse. It compounds trauma and recreates the dynamics of coercive control. Why this is treated more seriously 1. Foreseeable harm When someone: …then continued harassment is… Read More Harassing someone with PTSD who is already dealing with domestic violence
Trauma is not just psychological—it physically changes the brain and body. Key Brain Structures Involved Structure Role in Trauma Amygdala Detects threats; hyperactive in trauma → fear, hypervigilance, emotional reactivity Hippocampus Contextualizes memories; trauma can reduce volume → fragmented, intrusive memories Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Executive function, emotional regulation; trauma → impaired top-down control Anterior Cingulate Cortex… Read More The Neurophysiology of Trauma
At its core, trauma‑informed care (TIC) means understanding how trauma affects a person’s brain, body, behaviour, and relationships — and using that understanding to shape how support is offered. Instead of asking: “What’s wrong with you?”A trauma‑informed approach asks:“What happened to you, and how can we help you feel safe?” This shift changes how people are seen,… Read More What Is Trauma‑Informed Care?
Alcohol can have a profound and often counterproductive impact on trauma recovery, both neurologically and psychologically. Here’s a detailed breakdown: 1. Nervous System Impact Trauma leaves the nervous system hypervigilant. Alcohol: 2. Memory & Trauma Processing Essentially, alcohol blocks the brain from integrating the trauma safely. 3. Emotional Dysregulation 4. Interpersonal Impact 5. Risk of Re-traumatization 6. Why… Read More Memory & Trauma Processing
When you’re traumatised, your nervous system is not choosing behaviour — it’s protecting you. So what looks like “wrecking the relationship” is often: None of this is character failure.It’s unhealed threat memory meeting intimacy. Why trauma sabotages something that matters Trauma does three things in relationships: 1. It mistakes closeness for danger When connection deepens, the body remembers:… Read More What “messing up” in trauma really is
Step 1: Abuse Step 2: Family Denial Step 3: Escalation Step 4: Collapse Interaction with Silence as a Protective Strategy
Abusers are trained by cause–effect feedback. Earlier in the relationship: So when silence appears, their brain runs an old rule: “Silence means it’s working.” But post-flip silence is not fear-based.It is attachment shutdown. The misread happens because: So they escalate to “wake you up”: When none of it works, panic sets in. What they feel as loss of controlyou are… Read More 1. Why abusers mistake silence for submission
Linda C J Turner | Trauma Therapist & Emotional Healing Specialist 