When Your Child is Your PTSD Trigger (www.theestablishment.com)

Christine Cissy White 7/20/1610:02 AM

This is one necessary and important contribution written by Dawn Daum.

It's honest. There are few resources available to parents with PTSD, especially new parents dealing with the physical and emotional demands of early parenting.

When I became a new mother, I was prepared for a lot—but nobody told me that parenting when you have experienced childhood abuse can feel like walking back into a war zone as a soldier with PTSD.
Before becoming a mother, I could physically re-shift focus away from what was triggering me—take a walk, journal, call a friend, distract myself with music. Once a parent, I could no longer rely on old methods, no matter how effective. I couldn’t run away from, drown out, or excuse myself from the trigger.
You can’t eliminate or avoid the trigger, when the trigger is your child.
Read entire essay: http://www.theestablishment.co...s-your-ptsd-trigger/

Add Comment

Comments (2)

Newest · Oldest · Popular

Christine Cissy WhiteIt's not trauma-informed unless it's informed by trauma survivors.

Rona:

Thank YOU for commenting/sharing! It IS powerful - even now - when I have an older child.

Without a healthy baseline it's hard to parent well and with confidence. I also pulled back a lot and was anxious with almost all kinds of physical affection. I'm glad there's at least more openness now - though still not a lot. But talking helps so much with the confusion, emotions and uneasiness so many of us have or have had when it comes to being physical closeness and affection.

I always think - I know what NOT to do but I don't always know what TO do (or how to do it) instead.

Cissy

7/21/1611:17 AM

Rona RennerMember

Excellent article. The more we can reduce our shame and talk about the things no one talks about, the more we can heal. I too was unsure at times what boundaries to have regarding touch and showing affection to my babies. I pulled back at times, in fear that I would cross a boundary. It was something I never thought of talking about. I didn't understand the feelings of confusion and uncertainty until I did the hard work (many years later) regarding the inappropriate touching that I received as a child. As we now know, so much of our reactivity as a parent comes from the ways we were treated our not seen in our own childhood.

Thank you for your courage to speak of this.

Rona

7/20/1611:14 AM

Skip to main content

Add Comment

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Please wait...