06/08/2026
The day I realised I was healing wasn't dramatic.
There wasn't a big breakthrough.
No fireworks.
No moment where I woke up and thought, "I'm healed."
Instead, I noticed something missing.
The night terrors had stopped.
For years, sleep had never felt safe. I'd wake up terrified, my body reacting as though the danger was still present.
Then one day I realised I couldn't remember the last time it had happened.
The second moment came at the grocery store.
That might sound strange if you've never experienced post-traumatic stress.
But after leaving a 15-year abusive marriage, even something as ordinary as shopping could trigger a panic attack. Crowds, noise, people standing too close, feeling trapped—it was enough to send my nervous system into overdrive.
One day I walked through the supermarket, did my shopping, paid for my groceries, and got back to my car.
No panic attack.
No overwhelming fear.
No scanning for danger.
Just groceries.
I sat in my car and realised something had changed.
Not because life had become perfect.
But because my nervous system was finally beginning to understand that the danger was over.
June is Post Traumatic Stress Awareness Month.
When I was diagnosed in 2011, I thought post-traumatic stress only happened to soldiers returning from war.
I didn't realise that years of abuse could leave the same kind of imprint on a person's mind and body.
If you're living with post-traumatic stress, please know this:
Healing isn't always measured in giant leaps.
Sometimes it's measured in sleeping through the night.
Sometimes it's walking through a grocery store without panic.
Sometimes it's discovering that survival mode isn't running your life anymore.
And those moments are worth celebrating. 🌿🌸
