1/ Re: my semi-serious proposal to rename complex PTSD “Resilience Overdose Syndrome”—a benefit is that the best treatment obviously then is to start supporting people so they no longer have to be so damn resilient rather than fix anything that is “wrong” with them.

2/ It recognizes and honours everything the person has done so well while also saying “hey, this is hurting you to have to be so strong all the time and you shouldn’t have to do it anymore so let’s create some circumstances in which you don’t have to be so resilient.”

3/ It says not only is nothing “wrong” with you, you’re amazing and incredible and deserve a break from having to be so amazing all the time. And I don’t just mean the type of resilience and success we typically acknowledge, I mean the resilience inherent in every survivor.

4/ Step 1 would be learning from survivors about all the amazing ways they’ve survived (even the ways we aren’t accustomed to seeing and celebrating). Step 2: help create conditions in which they can have some support rather than having to use those survival skills all the time

I want to do a blog post on this soon and start lobbying for changes to the DSM (somewhat kidding, somewhat not) to include this. Or just recognize it among ourselves for those with whom it resonates (perhaps a club of one lol)