by Elisabeth | Feb 26, 2020 | Defenders, Dissociation, Inner Children, Recovery, Relationships
Relationships after trauma can feel like a mine field. There is no telling where the next explosion will come from. And our emotional responses to relationship patterns can be so intense, it feels impossible to unravel. But we keep going back to relationships. ...
by Elisabeth | Feb 5, 2020 | Defenders, Recovery, Relationships
Toxic shame is one of the most detrimental epidemics in a world filled with childhood trauma. But it isn’t easy to see. It is often heavily defended by our dissociation, anger and futility. It is hidden under our defenses like anxiety, depression and addiction. ...
by Elisabeth | Dec 11, 2019 | Relationships, Trauma In Society
I hear it often from my clients. “I’m quiet.” “I’ve always been an introvert.” “I just don’t have much to say.” “I used to talk too much but I matured, and I don’t do that anymore.” There seems to be a general acceptance among survivors of trauma that their...
by Elisabeth | Oct 30, 2019 | Defenders, Inner Children, Recovery, Relationships
People pleasing is one of the most debilitating survival skills that comes from a traumatic childhood. You might be thinking this is an exaggeration. Wouldn’t addictions have a greater impact on our quality of life? But here’s where we get confused. There are many...
by Elisabeth | Oct 23, 2019 | Recovery, Relationships
If there is one thing I have learned about recovery, I have confirmed it is the loneliest experience one can have in adult life. If you disagree, that’s fine. This is quite the subjective statement. But I’m sticking to it. And I have my reasons for believing it. ...
by Elisabeth | Sep 18, 2019 | Dissociation, Recovery, Relationships
It is not surprising that boundaries are the things we struggle with most. It is not shocking because we grew up in a world that told us our boundaries didn’t matter. We lived with people who made irrelevant our opinions and interests. They controlled what we did. ...
