One of the most underrated trauma recovery hacks is to work our recovery hour by hour, & focus on self talk. That may seem like weak sauce, but it's powerful. How we actually communicate w/ ourselves subtly shapes our feelings, beliefs, & choices, hour by hour, day by day.

Excellent essay about the value and limitations of mental health "diagnosis." I never would have started healing if I hadn't learned about complex trauma, I thought I was born defective. Great comments abt this at end of article, see below👇 www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...

A new list on online resources to help those recovering from Childhood Emotional Neglect ( #CEN is a form of #CPTSD ) ... keithpurtell.com/emotional-ne...

WE DON'T NEED PETROLEUM-BASED PLASTICS ANYMORE! "The [bamboo plastic] outperforms most commercial plastics and bioplastics in mechanical and thermo-mechanical metrics while maintaining full biodegradability in soil within 50 days and closed-loop recyclability with 90% retained strength."

Self-compassion was the antidote to shame & self-cruelty I never knew I was allowed to give myself. ❤️‍🩹 #cptsd

“Give us the right kind of leader and, like the most suggestible subjects of the hypnotherapists, we will gladly do just about anything he wants—even things we know to be wrong.” — Carl Sagan

The practice of self-compassion will not just produce comfort, it eventually changes how we interpret our past. As self-blame dissolves, we'll finally see how much suffering occurred, how little protection & care was available. This is not a "new" memory, but it feels like a whole new truth. #cptsd

"If the money spent on destruction were instead collected in an international fund, it could remove the slums of the world, eradicate hunger, and greatly advance medical science, giving every man, woman, and child a better chance to live in the peace of a God-centered life." ~Paramahansa Yogananda

I just saw a post in the CPTSD subreddit that explained something about myself I've struggled to verbalise and...yeah, it sucks. I say something I already know is correct > it has to be fact checked I say something I saw with my own eyes > it has to be reviewed and verified I am wrong by default.

“You are valid and valuable whether or not you were loved by the people who happen to share your name and/or DNA. Honestly, your parentage is maybe the least interesting thing about you. Remember. Remember.” - Dr Glenn P Doyle

An interesting essay by educationalist Will Ellis - raising serious concerns about AI, with studies showing that cognitive engagement shrinks in direct proportion to the degree of AI assistance - with adolescent brains particularly vulnerable: reclaimchildhoodmedia.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” ― Carl Sagan

I love space.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller’s Day Off It’s May already. Life moves and sometimes we forget to pause. Today is a reminder to choose something that looks after you. 🧡 #kindness #SelfCare Art by positively present

Reading wonderful Ursula Le Guin, with this essay, written in 2004, resonating in a sadly different way today. “I beg you to see what it is that we must save, and not to let the bigots and misogynists take it away from us again”.

Let me give you the run down of the White House Dinner tonight. 1. Some bullshit. 2. More bullshit. 3. Unecessary bullshit. Now you don't have to waste your precious time about it. Carry on and do something you love.

Today's recovery affirmation: I meet every moment of shame with self-compassion and every moment of doubt with curiosity & encouragement. I remind myself of the skills I've learned, the progress I've made, and allow myself to feel joy in my accomplishments & growth. ❤️‍🩹 #cptsd #recovery

Self compassion doesn't mean we approve of or love everything we've ever said or done. It means we're willing to give ourselves a new chance today-- because we're interested in actual accountability & amends, not bullsh*t shame & self-punishment that miss the point & help no one.

Reminder that nothing anyone else is struggling with makes your struggle any less real or any less painful. Don't get distracted or derailed by what you know or imagine their journey has been. You stay focused on what you're doing & what you need today.

We organize our lives to reinforce our personality. I love using the enneagram as a starting point of self exploration. Each number has its "default." When our parts get stuck in default mode we are unable to see the full breadth and depth of our reality.

Profound philosophical realizations about why our nervous system is vulnerable to melt downs won't do us much good when we're melting the f*ck down in the moment. Easy does it-- breathe, & focus in on supportive, pre-scripted self talk. Get through this minute. Be there for you.

As I continue on my journey recognizing these truths I‘ve had a lightbulb moment, & it’s in the first line. They never really cared. It was implied but never verbalized. It was wrapped up in moments that sparked joy in experiences together, but looking back those were only ones that served them.

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” William Shakespeare A kind word, a moment of care, a little encouragement… it all matters. Notice who you have, and who you can be for others. 🧡 #kindness #connection #gratitude Art by SimplyAnxious

I add "f*ck" to the traditional "fight," "flight," "freeze," & "flop" trauma responses, because I believe getting preoccupied w/ sexuality & hyper sexualized behaviors are very much their own category of trauma response, especially (but not only) when our trauma was sexual.

Surround yourself w/ quotes & images relevant to the life you're committed to creating. Trauma Brain has spent a lifetime pumping scary words & awful images into your head. Purposefully accumulate & focus on words & pictures that advertise & sell your recovery to yourself.

One Tin Soldier, The Legend of Billy Jack

A child will develop a distorted sense of causality if surrounded by chronic abuse & neglect. We'll believe our existence is the cause of horrible things--things we had zero influence over. Realizing "it wasn't our fault" isn't some feel-good cliché, its a total reappraisal of our reality. #cptsd

Octavia E. Butler, 1998:

Introverts are easy to please. We value quiet time, simplicity, genuine friendships, and calm spaces where our souls feel safe. We're not high maintenance, just low-key people trying to stay true to ourselves in a world that keeps pushing us to be someone else

Stop & give yourself credit for a sec. Yes, the situation might be a sh*t show, but that's not the real story. The real story is you've managed to navigate the sh*t show & are alive to read this. No, it's not perfect, & there's still recovery work to be done. But you're doing it.

Trauma recovery, whether we’re working w/ a therapist or not, requires us to get close to feelings & memories that sting & ache-- & confronting & processing those memories can leave us exhausted & sore (yes, I mean physically sore as well as mentally).

The first Earthset of the 21st century from Artemis II

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddha Some days we may need strength, energy, or courage. Some days we need a little more care towards ourselves. Let today include you in that kindness.🧡 #kindness #compassion Art by positively present

CPTSD survivors don't stay in painful or unfulfilling relationships because we "like" them. We stay because predictable pain is preferable to our nervous system than unpredictable (whatever). We've been conditioned to prioritize risk management over fulfillment.

Pre-healing, I really thought “healing” meant feeling better. But healing means acquiring skills and tools - and then using them - to face the past. Its real work.

You are like a hurricane, There’s calm in your eye, And I’m getting blown away. Somewhere safer where the feelings stay, I want to love you but I’m getting blown away

Easter 2026!

I’m just messing around with AI and having a giggle

I very nice write up. It is appreciated.

“We all have a tendency to think that the world must conform to our prejudices. The opposite view involves some effort of thought, and most people would die sooner than think—in fact they do so.” — Bertrand Russell

Dissociation, up to and including Dissociative Identity Disorder, is not "rare."

Why introverts need alone time 👇

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