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One of the most common barriers to recognizing trauma is minimization. Many trauma survivors dismiss, downplay, or explain away what happened to them. They may insist that it "wasn't that…

Trauma survivors often deal with unexpected triggers and trauma responses. These can be frightening or frustrating, especially when the reason the reaction is happening is unclear. Although this article can’t…

Many survivors of complex childhood trauma feel deeply responsible for other people’s emotions, moods, reactions, and comfort. This responsibility feels innate rather than chosen. Even when they don’t want to…

Many people with dissociative systems experience memory that feels inconsistent, fragmented, unreliable, or confusing. People commonly think of memories as something a person has or doesn’t have. The inconsistent experiences,…

When parentification happens, children end up taking on adult roles. They become responsible for emotional support for the caregivers. They may have to undertake other caregiving roles, such as caring…

Many dissociative systems feel chronically mentally exhausted without fully understanding why. They mistakenly believe that because they haven’t been physically active throughout the day, they haven’t done anything to explain…

Many systems function for years without an agreed-upon structure. Instead, the structure that exists is one that tends to develop haphazardly. Without intentional coordination, the system may experience chaos, conflict,…

One aspect of the recovery journey that surprises people with DID and OSDD is grief. There is grief that often accompanies better understanding of what happened growing up. Grief can…

Shame is very common among survivors of complex childhood trauma. It is often experienced as intensely painful, or overwhelming. Shame developed as a regulator and protective system. Shame is not…