Blog
In the last three years, I have gone through some extremely traumatizing and life-altering situations. My husband (now ex-husband) was in a near fatal motorcycle crash which left him in a coma for days and in which he sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. Suddenly I was thrust into the role of caregiver for a condition I knew nothing about. Within a year of this accident I experienced extreme anxiety, panic attacks, domestic abuse, infidelity, and subsequently a divorce. Oh, I did I mention this was all during the pandemic? These situations rank in the top of the most stressful events a person can go through in life and yet I came out the other side with my sanity intact. Below is a list of things I have used when I’m losing my shit.
"Normal stress will cease after the occurrence is over — it tends to be self-limiting" while "Toxic stress takes the natural, involuntary stress response we all have, and extends it for a period of time." Unlike regular stress, situations that cause toxic stress feel all-encompassing, like you can't escape at any time. This type of stress often involves big life changes or deep trauma.