Introduction

Sometimes life has a way of forcing growth through crisis. My catalyst was an existential and identity upheaval earlier this year brought on by the compounding impact of a health scare that started right after leaving full-time employment and a breakup. These events, and others, led me to pursue a meditation practice. The meditation, in turn, uncovered major emotional stumbling blocks and anxiety issues, and revealed some major gaps in beliefs I had about myself.

Then came the trauma rabbit hole that brought me to the article on CPTSD and triggered an unpleasant dawning sensation reading through the symptoms.

This eventually brought me to reading Pete Walker's Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving, which is a mix of psychoeducation, self-help, and therapeutic techniques that Walker has found effective in his practice and in his own recovery for understanding and healing from CPTSD. This article reflects on my experiences with CPTSD and summarizes Walker's book.

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