The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook Quotes

“Trauma takes away your identity. It interrupts normal development and turns you into someone different than who you would otherwise have been. If we can confront the things we feel, like fear and anger, and understand how the trauma we’ve experienced drives these feelings, we can restore our identities to what they once were—what they should have been.”
― Tamara McClintock Greenberg, The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook: An Evidence-Based Approach to Manage Fear and Anger, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Your Identity

“You may spend so much time thinking about what’s on others’ minds that you don’t really know what’s on your own. This is a way trauma commits identity theft—if you become solely focused on what others want from you, trauma can rob you of the chance to become the kind of person you might have been. And when you’re frustrated or disappointed, you may check out even more, which can leave you ill-prepared to take care of yourself if things go awry in relationships. These things can lead us to have difficulty with the development of a strong and cohesive identity. To state it plainly, trauma makes us too preoccupied with others or the fear we feel to think about who we are and who we want to become.”
― Tamara McClintock Greenberg, The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook: An Evidence-Based Approach to Manage Fear and Anger, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Your Identity

“Part of your recovery is remembering that as a trauma survivor, you need to be cautious about who you let into your life and who gains your trust. Sometimes our challenges have to do with wanting to believe that someone we care about has our best interest in mind when this may not be the case. Healing involves listening to our inner voice, trusting our instincts, and knowing when we need to let go of certain relationships to make room for people who will nourish us and grow with us.”
― Tamara McClintock Greenberg, The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook: An Evidence-Based Approach to Manage Fear and Anger, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Your Identity

“There may have been people who have not cared or who have even not wanted you to find happiness. You’re an adult now, though. And the universe does not take away good things from people who find joy or pleasure. There is enough good to go around, and you deserve your place in a good life.”
― Tamara McClintock Greenberg, The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook: An Evidence-Based Approach to Manage Fear and Anger, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Your Identity