In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychological terms. This week’s term is flashbacks. Flashbacks involve the intense, vivid re-experiencing of memories as though they’re occurring in the present tense. This most often happens with trauma-related memories. The flashbacks are usually involuntary and intrusive, and they don’t result from a […]
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Shattered by the Darkness by Gregory Williams is a heart-wrenching account of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by the author’s father over many years. The book contains detailed descriptions of sexual abuse, sometimes with multiple abusers. There’s nothing gratuitously graphic in the descriptions; still, readers who’ve had similar abuse experiences should carefully consider whether they’re at
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While some sources of trauma are time-limited, others occur repeatedly over prolonged periods of time. The term complex PTSD is used to capture the profound psychological harm these people exposed to the latter have experienced, including changes in self-concept, problems with emotional regulation, distorted perceptions of the perpetrator, and impaired relationships with others. Diagnostic systems
Why Isn’t Complex PTSD in the DSM–5? Read More »
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study was a landmark research trial conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Center for Disease Control. The study examined the correlation between adverse experiences in childhood and health outcomes in adulthood, and it clearly showed just how profound that connection is. What are adverse childhood experiences? Adverse childhood experiences
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If I Could Tell You How It Feels: My Life Journey With PTSD captures Alexis Rose’s journey toward healing from PTSD. The book consists of narratives interspersed with poetry, along with beautiful art by Janet Rosauer. The chapters are short, which I always appreciate since it makes it easier for readers with concentration problems, and they
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