Resolve to Rise

The Symptoms of Complex PTSD are Persistent The hallmark symptom of Complex PTSD is dissociation. According to Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of The Body Keeps the Score,  you have an 80% likelihood of dissociation if your abuse started before you turned 14 years old.  When you were experiencing a traumatic or abusive environment, dissociation was adaptive. It helped you check out from a situation that was overwhelming and more than you could deal with psychologically. When the traumatic experience is no longer occurring, it can become problematic in your relationships, your school, or your work.  Another common experience is a sense that no one else understands and you are alone.  When you combine those two symptoms, and we know there are many more, with the criteria of complex PTSD of triggers or re-experiencing of the traumatic memories, avoidance of reminders, hypervigilance, emotional disregulation, relationship challenges, and a negative self concept it's easy...

Just the name " Complex PTSD" is so informative. PTSD is made complex by the repetitive nature of the abuse or trauma. It puts your system into a reactive and inflammatory state that last long past the traumatic experience itself. Underlying the change to a reactive state are physical changes in your brain. Those changes don't repair themselves without an intervention. Instead your system will react as if you are being traumatized again each time you are triggered, setting in motion a reaction of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or flop.  How Does Trauma Affect the Brain? Again and again research says trauma specifically changes three parts of the brain. Here are the three areas and the impact:   The hippocampus shrinks responsible for memory and emotional regulation.   Causing: Memory problems - forming new memories or recalling or retaining existing memories. When your hippocampus shrinks you have: Challenges learning new information Difficulty regulating emotions Difficu...

There are various reasons people end up in unhealthy relationships and various signs of an unhealthy relationship.  The most common of those reasons is you grew up in an unhealthy environment. Growing up in an abusive or neglectful environment can lead to various challenges that leave you vulnerable to unhealthy relationships as you get older.  Some examples of resulting challenges include: low self-esteem, poor boundaries, fear of abandonment, and people pleasing tendencies. Unfortunately mistreatment in childhood consistently produces difficulty trusting others and can lead to re-victimization because of an inherent devaluing of your own needs. More simply said, you may not notice the danger signs and your own discomfort and therefore stay in the relationship assuming you are the problem.  10 potential signs you are in an unhealthy relationship if your intimate partner is:  Gaslighting . Your partner minimizes your reactions to things usually by discounting or impl...

There are various types of dissociation and within each type there are various symptoms that would point to dissociation. Dissociation is only considered clinically significant if it is interfering with an aspect of your life, for instance, work or family.  When is Dissociation Normal?  Some degree of dissociation is normal and every person can typically relate to one or another of the symptoms; e.g., getting lost in thought as your driving home and not being able to remember the drive. In and of itself having a symptom isn't reason for concern, but when it becomes the way you navigate life it can have some significant impacts on your work, relationships, and life in general. If that is the case, it may be time for you to seek professional help.  13 Signs You are Dissociating  You drive somewhere or you had a conversation that you don’t remember You do something that you don’t remember You don’t remember how you got to where you are or you don’t remember putting on t...