When you commented on my note, your way of dreams first caught my eye because of how relatable it felt. So I had to explore more of your work and find myself over here. I’m really happy how far you’ve come on your journey and what you’ve overcome. You’ve got such an inspirational and fascinating story, and I feel this newsletter is such a unique gem among the many here.
It’s awesome to hear you’re recovering. Thanks for sharing and keep up the writing!
This means a lot to me to read. Thank you. I am going to keep posting, even if it is a little uncomfortable at times. It has been helping me so much, and I want to believe maybe it's helping someone else, too.
Holly, this piece is extraordinary in its clarity, honesty, and emotional resonance. Your way of mapping the inner terrain of complex PTSD—with its layers of grief, hypervigilance, disconnection, and eventual reawakening—brings something rarely found in writing about trauma: not just awareness, but embodiment. What struck me most was the aching contrast between your idyllic childhood moments and the quiet, hidden fractures beneath. That complexity is what makes your voice so vital. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for your kind words. My primary goals in writing are to both inform and help others. If I am able to do that in a way that is clear and makes people feel... then I am doing what I most hope to do. So it means a lot to me to hear someone say they experienced that with my writing.
What a journey to walk alone, they say that, "life is stranger than fiction."
"Write what you know."
That's what we are told, because this piece is straight from the heart. Words have power, yet it is the tangles of our subconscious that can produce the most lurid dreams.
I know of, "Nightmares." Those dark mares that deliver them, (Piers Anthony's Zanth series.)
PTSD is bad enough, I had no idea there were subclasses of it. "Flashbacks," and, "Panic attacks," I know only to well.
"Tramadol dreams," in full colour and sound while awaiting a full knee replacement.
Thank you for opening my eyes to other conditions, I thought my past undiagnosed severe sleep apnea was bad with dark nightmares of being buried alive struggling for breath.
I am left speechless by the amount of courage it must have taken for you to write all this down and share it. I resonated with each and every part of this text. Can I write a mirror post of this and credit you? Also, being in Europe with the DSM5... I was never told about C PTSD and now I feel like I see myself in a new light.
Thank you ❤️ I am glad you felt a connection with it and that it helped you. Yes, absolutely, you can mirror this post. I would be honored. Helping people feel seen and speak about their own condition/situation is part of why I write about these topics.
Wow!! Did not know all of this. Makes me so sad for you but with a much better understanding of why you are the way you are but thankful you are getting better. Keep writing. This is helping me too
When you commented on my note, your way of dreams first caught my eye because of how relatable it felt. So I had to explore more of your work and find myself over here. I’m really happy how far you’ve come on your journey and what you’ve overcome. You’ve got such an inspirational and fascinating story, and I feel this newsletter is such a unique gem among the many here.
It’s awesome to hear you’re recovering. Thanks for sharing and keep up the writing!
This means a lot to me to read. Thank you. I am going to keep posting, even if it is a little uncomfortable at times. It has been helping me so much, and I want to believe maybe it's helping someone else, too.
Holly, this piece is extraordinary in its clarity, honesty, and emotional resonance. Your way of mapping the inner terrain of complex PTSD—with its layers of grief, hypervigilance, disconnection, and eventual reawakening—brings something rarely found in writing about trauma: not just awareness, but embodiment. What struck me most was the aching contrast between your idyllic childhood moments and the quiet, hidden fractures beneath. That complexity is what makes your voice so vital. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for your kind words. My primary goals in writing are to both inform and help others. If I am able to do that in a way that is clear and makes people feel... then I am doing what I most hope to do. So it means a lot to me to hear someone say they experienced that with my writing.
What a journey to walk alone, they say that, "life is stranger than fiction."
"Write what you know."
That's what we are told, because this piece is straight from the heart. Words have power, yet it is the tangles of our subconscious that can produce the most lurid dreams.
I know of, "Nightmares." Those dark mares that deliver them, (Piers Anthony's Zanth series.)
PTSD is bad enough, I had no idea there were subclasses of it. "Flashbacks," and, "Panic attacks," I know only to well.
"Tramadol dreams," in full colour and sound while awaiting a full knee replacement.
Thank you for opening my eyes to other conditions, I thought my past undiagnosed severe sleep apnea was bad with dark nightmares of being buried alive struggling for breath.
Big hug.❤️
I am glad it helped inform you. Thank you for sharing, too. ❤️
I am left speechless by the amount of courage it must have taken for you to write all this down and share it. I resonated with each and every part of this text. Can I write a mirror post of this and credit you? Also, being in Europe with the DSM5... I was never told about C PTSD and now I feel like I see myself in a new light.
Thank you ❤️ I am glad you felt a connection with it and that it helped you. Yes, absolutely, you can mirror this post. I would be honored. Helping people feel seen and speak about their own condition/situation is part of why I write about these topics.
Awesome! I'll get right to it! Thank you so much!!!
I look forward to reading it!
Wow!! Did not know all of this. Makes me so sad for you but with a much better understanding of why you are the way you are but thankful you are getting better. Keep writing. This is helping me too
That well of emotions that you could drown in…you hit the nail right on the head. Thank you for your brave words, it really explains what it’s like.