Quote by Judith Herman

This quote is from Judith Herman’s Trauma and Recovery: The aftermath of violence from domestic abuse to political terror.

“Survivors of complex trauma have had to deal with a greater cumulative number and severity of adverse life events, experience higher baseline levels of psychological pain, and have experienced disruptions in the normative acquisition of skills for self-soothing, emotion regulation, communication, problem solving, and mentalization.”

I think this is a beautifully condensed explanation of why emotional abuse, neglect and trauma have some a profound and long-laster effects on its victims.

So my message to survivors out there is, yes, it really was that bad, it does count as trauma and IT MAKES SENSE that you are struggling.

It is not just one thing that happened to you, but a cluster of things that happened and that failed to happen that accounts for why it is so hard to function like your peers.

Please be gentle with yourself as you begin to understand the ramifications of what you have been through and as you start your healing journey.

You deserve to heal, you are worthwhile and deserving of good things.