Category Archives: Mental Health
Shame v. Guilt
Shame and guilt are often confused, but they affect us in very different ways. Guilt comes from recognizing a specific action as wrong and feeling a responsibility to make amends. It’s about behavior, what we did. Guilt can motivate positive … Continue reading
PTSD and Money Struggles
When our nervous system is dysregulated, it negatively affects how we think, feel, and act. A dysregulated nervous system makes it harder to focus, make plans, take risks, or stay consistent with long-term goals, which are important when it comes … Continue reading
The Neurobiological Truth About Burnout
Burnout isn’t simply “emotional,” because it involves the entire nervous system and body. When we’re under prolonged stress, the systems that regulate our energy, focus, and resilience can become overwhelmed. This creates a cascade of effects. Our bodies may stay … Continue reading
#1 Healthcare Mistake: Inability to Attune
A practitioner’s ability to attune can be impeded by a variety of factors, often stemming from their own internal state, training, or external pressures. These include: Unresolved Stress or Dysregulation: If the practitioner’s nervous system is in a state of … Continue reading
The Ultra-Wealthy Men Behind the Mental Illness Industry
Gilded Age industrialists influenced the systems that shaped psychiatry and the mental illness industry to control the populace. These few ultra-wealthy men manipulated the economic, social, and political climate of that era, which was marked by industrial growth, wealth inequality, … Continue reading
When Therapy Isn’t Therapeutic
Safety is the foundation of any therapeutic relationship, especially for trauma survivors. It is the therapist’s responsibility to create that sense of safety when the client cannot. This is their first and most crucial task. Without safety, there can be … Continue reading
“Be Nice or Go Away” as a Healing Mantra
To come off survival mode, our nervous systems have to believe we are safe now. Too much evidence tells me I’m still not safe, including recent bad therapy and a prior malevolent doctor. Cruelty and contempt at the hands of … Continue reading
The Shredding of My Safety Nets
Thanks to the effects of compound trauma on the brain, my resources for many things I used to enjoy have been quite limited for years. Most of my resources for social encounters are used for visits with my doctors. There’s … Continue reading
It’s Not “Psychological Trauma,” it’s Trauma
The term “psychological trauma” is often used, but it overlooks the neurophysiological reality of what happens during trauma. It is more accurately described as nervous system dysregulation, in which trauma overwhelms the nervous system, throwing it out of balance and … Continue reading
When Professionals Fail with CPTSD
It can feel frustrating and invalidating when professionals fail to recognize Complex PTSD (CPTSD) as a real condition. The truth is, it’s not part of their training to understand it, and that’s a systemic issue. The medical and psychiatric industries … Continue reading