Trauma & PTSD and any other mental health-related condition
Trauma & PTSD and any other mental health-related condition
The Silent Weight: Living with Complex PTSD and Trauma
There are wounds the world can’t see, scars that don’t show up on skin but carve deep into the soul. For those living with Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), every day can feel like walking through a battlefield no one else recognizes. Unlike a single traumatic event that might lead to PTSD, Complex PTSD stems from prolonged, repeated trauma, often in childhood, like emotional abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. It’s not just about what happened. It’s about what kept happening, over and over again.
The challenges with C-PTSD are often invisible, yet they affect every corner of life. People with this condition might struggle with deep trust issues, emotional flashbacks, a harsh inner critic, or a constant sense of being unsafe, even in peaceful environments. You might find yourself shrinking in relationships, unable to set boundaries, or feeling like you’re too much and not enough at the same time. You may be hyper-independent, never asking for help, because vulnerability once meant danger.
One of the most painful aspects of trauma is how isolating it feels. You may wonder why you’re still affected by things that happened years ago, why you can’t just “move on.” You might carry shame for something that wasn’t your fault. But here’s the truth: your body and mind are doing everything they can to protect you, even if the danger is no longer present. That’s not weakness, that’s survival.
C-PTSD rewires the nervous system. The brain gets stuck in a state of constant alert, always scanning for threats. Loud noises, a certain look, or even a familiar smell can pull you into the past in an instant. These aren’t just memories, they’re emotional time machines. Trauma doesn’t just sit in your head; it lives in your body.
But healing is possible. And it begins with compassion for yourself.
You are not broken. You are not crazy. Your responses make sense in the context of your experiences. The journey of healing from trauma is rarely linear. It’s messy, slow, and at times painful. But it’s also powerful. Every time you speak kindly to yourself, set a boundary, or reach out for help, you reclaim a piece of yourself. Every step forward is a quiet act of rebellion against everything that tried to silence you.
At Harness of Joy, we offer trauma-informed approaches and are trained in EMDR, CBT, DBT, CPT, PE, ART, or somatic experiencing using mixed treatment modalities to engage you, which can be life-changing. But so can small, daily acts of care: journaling, grounding exercises, creative expression, connecting with safe people. Recovery isn’t about becoming who you were before the trauma; it’s about building a life rooted in safety, truth, and self-love.
If you’re walking this path, know that you’re not alone. Others are walking it too, some ahead, some behind, all of us carrying our own stories. There is hope. There is help. And there is healing.
And above all, you are worthy of peace. Reach out to us today.