Torching the Gaslight
My fight or flight response has been active for so long that stillness often feels agonizing.
Topic: trauma
My fight or flight response has been active for so long that stillness often feels agonizing.
Though I have known these feelings most of my almost 52 years of life, I have only recently felt unable to manage them. Healing from trauma is so far from being linear.
While most people have heard of the “fight or flight response,” many haven’t heard of the third automatic response: freezing.
We’re taught and encouraged to feel and honor a single emotion when the holiday season is upon us.
You’re allowed to love the family you have while still facing pain, anger, and even guilt over how they became your family.
I’ve never liked the word “victim.” I’ve also never liked the word “survivor” for that matter. But I’m both.
The events of September 11th sparked grief, a sudden loss of innocence, and unprecedented collective emotional trauma.
Healing rarely comes in the form we expect or desire.
Maybe you need counseling or relationships or medication. Maybe you need all of these things combined.
It took me years to recognize that my struggles with mental and emotional health were not marks against me as a mother.
You don’t define trauma; your brain does it for you.
The pain I feel is big and intertwined tightly with shame, guilt, and rage.
Sign up for our newsletter to hear updates from our team and how you can help share the message of hope and help.
Join our list