As our readers know by now, CPTSD Foundation is not afraid to tackle tough subjects that have for too long been considered taboo. This month’s articles will be about childhood sexual abuse and the recovery process to achieve a healthy and happy adult life.

This article will concentrate on what childhood sexual abuse is and how it relates to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).

Childhood Sexual Abuse, the Hidden Epidemic

This series has focused on different types of self-harm, its causes, and a description of those who practice it. In this piece, we continue our open and honest look at self-harm by highlighting some of the mental health conditions most associated with it.

First, a Short Recap of What Self-Harm Is

***TRIGGER WARNING*** This article will tackle active and passive suicide and may not be suitable for sensitive audiences.

In our first article about self-harm, we tackled the subject with as much kindness as the topic would allow. Self-harm is a sensitive subject that had to be tackled to bring it out of the shadows and into the light where we can understand it and perhaps, someday, make it possible to end it.

Suicide is a topic most people would rather sweep under the rug because we are all afraid of the subject. We fear that talking about suicide will cause…

***Trigger Warning This article contains information that may upset sensitive readers. The following article is about self-harming and should not be read by those who find this subject disturbing.***

Harming oneself is an all-too-common symptom of a larger mental health problem that can lead to dying prematurely by suicide if left untreated. Hurting one’s own body may seem extreme, but to those who do it, self-harm seems to be the only recourse they have.

In this article, we shall begin a series on self-harm and examine the signs that you or someone you care about are self-harming and what to…

Dealing with loss and change cannot be avoided, they are inevitable parts of life. Everyone experiences setbacks with some being minor and others being highly traumatic and life-altering.

Resilience is what helps people through challenges through psychological strength, the ability to cope, and the capability to bounce back afterward. This piece will discuss what is necessary to build resilience into your life.

What are the Characteristics of a Resilient Person?

Resiliency, to summarize, is the ability to bounce back from difficult circumstances. People living with mental health challenges often have high resilience to the opposition because they have grown resilient through trial by fire.

This piece will focus on what is going on in the brain with resiliency and perhaps a few suggestions on how we can help our brains form it.

The Different Aspects of Building Resiliency

As stated in article one of this series on resiliency, according to the American Psychological Association, resiliency is:

“ the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves “bouncing back” from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.”

In the first article, we discussed resiliency, who has it, how it is formed, and how we all can attain it. …

Much research has been done on the topic of this series of posts in February 2021. Scientists want to understand how people who go through sometimes horrific events often overcome adversity and seem to thrive afterward.

In this first part of the series, we’ll discuss what resiliency is and answer some common questions about this interesting topic.

What is Resiliency?