If you grew up in purity culture, you may find it nearly impossible to connect with your sexuality in a way that feels genuine and enjoyable. You may experience PTSD symptoms during consensual sexual experiences, even within marriage. You may wonder if the sexual...
What does it feel like to dissociate? If I have trauma, does that mean I dissociate? If I don’t have trauma, does that mean I can’t dissociate? Sometimes I zone out while I’m driving, does this mean I have a disorder? Dissociation is a hot topic these days. Now that...
“Human beings are extremely difficult to kill,” said the nurse practitioner I was seeing at the time. She was trying to convey to me how resilient we are as a species and provide some reassurance. I struggled then with illness anxiety. And, if I am totally honest, I...
Staying in my head had been my best survival tool until it wasn’t. I thought that if I could stay with my thoughts, I could fix things or, at least, understand the why behind each problem. And it worked for a while. Wow, did it work! I thought it helped ward off...
When I first started working with survivors of sexual abuse, I struggled with the vivid images my mind created when listening to their stories. I remember having difficulty staying present, not to mention being triggered, with client after client and story after...
How Noticing your Surroundings Can Change How you Feel The Thrive Global Community welcomes voices from many spheres. We publish pieces written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not...
