PTSD

/PTSD

Self-Compassion, a foundational skill for dealing with overwhelm

2019-01-11T22:50:48-06:00

As we begin this blog series covering skills for managing life when it’s overwhelming, I want to start with the most important skill you can add to your toolbox. This skill increases the effectiveness of every other skill or tool for managing when life is overwhelming. It’s truly foundational to everything else […]

Self-Compassion, a foundational skill for dealing with overwhelm 2019-01-11T22:50:48-06:00

12 Ways to Manage when Life is Overwhelming

2019-01-11T22:51:50-06:00

The sad truth is that at some point in life all of us are going to be blindsided by some form of grief and overwhelm. You might have a child who is struggling in potentially disastrous ways, you might have suddenly lost someone you love very much or perhaps a job you were counting on […]

12 Ways to Manage when Life is Overwhelming 2019-01-11T22:51:50-06:00

How to Manage Summertime Mom Guilt

2019-01-11T22:53:35-06:00

It’s that time of year again. Here in the US, kids are getting out of school for the summer. My newsfeed is filled with summertime bucket list posts.

Summertime can be hard

I’ll just say it: summertime can be hard and overwhelming.

I adore my children- all 12 of them (the 6 youngest are still living at home). […]

How to Manage Summertime Mom Guilt 2019-01-11T22:53:35-06:00

Photography, my Secret Survival Tool

2019-01-11T22:54:11-06:00

The screen door squeaked as I quietly slipped out back door from the kitchen of our old farmhouse, to the humid summer sunrise. I wiped tears from my eyes and tried to be quiet, hoping that my children would sleep just a few more minutes.

My Converses were already wet from the […]

Photography, my Secret Survival Tool 2019-01-11T22:54:11-06:00

What Self-Care Really is

2019-01-11T22:55:08-06:00

As a single mom of a large family, and as a person learning to live with and manage Complex PTSD, I’ll admit that I’ve laughed at some recent articles I’ve read about “self-care.”

I continue to be drawn to articles on self-care though, hoping to find some elusive answer which doesn’t involve candle-lit […]

What Self-Care Really is 2019-01-11T22:55:08-06:00

This is what it’s like to have Complex PTSD

2019-01-11T22:56:30-06:00

Heart pounding, I startle awake at 4 am. I am panic-stricken and consumed with terror.

My bedroom is quiet. There are no intruders, only my faithful furry friend Winston, slumbering quietly at my feet.

I wonder if I had screamed and scared any of my children.

For 5 minutes, then 10 minutes my heart continues to pound as […]

This is what it’s like to have Complex PTSD 2019-01-11T22:56:30-06:00

A Letter to myself, just before I escaped my abusive marriage

2019-01-11T22:56:58-06:00

To me on November 19, 2012, (the night before my children and I escaped my abusive husband)

hope letter

I see you. I know how terrified you are right now.

You are doing your best to act normally even though you have escape plans in place for tomorrow. Only your parents, who […]

A Letter to myself, just before I escaped my abusive marriage 2019-01-11T22:56:58-06:00

Drowning in Life’s Storms? Here are 7 Lifesaving Solutions

2019-01-11T22:59:39-06:00

When I was forced to flee my 27-year-long abusive marriage 4 1/2 years ago, I never could have guessed how difficult my path would be. There was no way for me to know how devastating the fallout from an abusive marriage could be, both for me, and for my children.

I am learning how to manage […]

Drowning in Life’s Storms? Here are 7 Lifesaving Solutions 2019-01-11T22:59:39-06:00

Why Quitting Isn’t Always a Dirty Word

2019-01-11T23:00:19-06:00

A week ago I made the tough decision to pull of of IronMan Wisconsin. Many of my readers know that I’ve been training hard for this race for a year now. (An IronMan race is a 2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike and a “little” 26.2 mi marathon run to finish it off)

And I […]

Why Quitting Isn’t Always a Dirty Word 2019-01-11T23:00:19-06:00

Why I Tri

2019-01-11T23:01:28-06:00

It’s still dark outside as I slip into the pool and begin swimming at 5 am.

There will be just enough time to swim, shower and drive home to be with my 6 school-aged children before they leave for school. It’s important to me that I’m available for them both before and after school […]

Why I Tri 2019-01-11T23:01:28-06:00

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.

This Is A Custom Widget

This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.