Research shows growing up in a dysfunctional family can increase your risk of developing mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or PTSD. In many dysfunctional…
Calming Box What Defines a Good Friendship?
A good friendship can be rewarding and grounding. It is built on mutual respect, trust, and open communication. True friends celebrate each other’s successes and…
Calming Box-Why Narcissists Surround Themselves with Loyal Supporters: A Closer Look
Calming Box Continuing Series on Narcissists Narcissists often surround themselves with people who consistently back them up, and at first glance, these relationships may seem…
Calming Box Subtle Signs of Childhood Trauma: What They Look Like in Our Everyday Life
When we think about our childhood trauma, we often picture visible signs of distress—crying, using coping mechanisms like video games, shopping, alcohol, bullying, acting out,…
Calming Box Why You Feel Exhausted
Exploring Your Dissociative Responses It’s time to cultivate your safe emergence from your paralysis and immobility that was your protective defense. Although it makes sense;…
Calming Box Situations That Can Trigger Your Immobility
Identifying Your Patterns Of Disassociation You are not lazy because you procrastinate. Sometimes we shut down and this can occur in a variety of situations.…
Healing From Trauma by Activating Your Capacity For Expansion and Contraction
Healing from trauma isn’t as much about being able to relax, it’s more about being able to tolerate a wide range of emotional, physical, mental…
Calming Box Beginning to Shift Out of Helplessness: A Fusion of Science
In our developmental years there was no way to escape and as adults there is still a perception by our body there is nowhere to escape. This level of perception is called neuroception and it detects risk beneath your conscious awareness when faced with a threat.Your body neurocept, the same danger you experienced in your developmental years and had to react similarly. Going to frozen, disconnected, and shut down because you have no power. This is common and trauma neural nets of remembering the past as happening now, especially if something related to the original event is sensed in the moment, understanding that feelings of helplessness are often part of the dissociative state.
Calming Box Calming the Fight or Flight Response to Trauma
Is there anxiety and depression that creeps in no matter how hard you try? Do you feel unsafe in your body? Does your mind race…
Shifting the Cycle of Post-Traumatic Stress Distortion: Small Steps to Reclaim Your Life
Are you finding yourself withdrawing from social events? Feeling overwhelmed and wanting to hide? A traumatic exposure represents threats to our safety and well-being. Whether…