Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle
@drdoylesays.bsky.social
Psychologist; SEEK Safely board president; marathoner. Realistic, sustainable trauma & addiction recovery.
One day at a time.
One day at a time.
Progress in trauma recovery is not black & white. It's always-- always-- a mixed bag. So you're having a sh*t day as you read this? Just do what you can to be kind to & safe w/ yourself today. That's a successful recovery day.
F*ck "perfect" or "awful." We're works in progress.
F*ck "perfect" or "awful." We're works in progress.
November 26, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Progress in trauma recovery is not black & white. It's always-- always-- a mixed bag. So you're having a sh*t day as you read this? Just do what you can to be kind to & safe w/ yourself today. That's a successful recovery day.
F*ck "perfect" or "awful." We're works in progress.
F*ck "perfect" or "awful." We're works in progress.
Recovery Cards are index cards you carry around w/ you, on which you write quotes, reminders, & tools that you're trying to program into your nervous system in trauma recovery.
They may sound like a recovery tool "too simple" to work-- until you start using them every day.
They may sound like a recovery tool "too simple" to work-- until you start using them every day.
November 26, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Recovery Cards are index cards you carry around w/ you, on which you write quotes, reminders, & tools that you're trying to program into your nervous system in trauma recovery.
They may sound like a recovery tool "too simple" to work-- until you start using them every day.
They may sound like a recovery tool "too simple" to work-- until you start using them every day.
If anyone tried to tell someone you love that all their "negative" thoughts or behaviors were their "true" self, but their "positive" ones were "fake" & "didn't count," you'd tell whoever said that to get f*cked.
Be that protective of yourself when CPTSD tries to do it to you.
Be that protective of yourself when CPTSD tries to do it to you.
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 AM
If anyone tried to tell someone you love that all their "negative" thoughts or behaviors were their "true" self, but their "positive" ones were "fake" & "didn't count," you'd tell whoever said that to get f*cked.
Be that protective of yourself when CPTSD tries to do it to you.
Be that protective of yourself when CPTSD tries to do it to you.
If I let myself go on autopilot, I'd never stop hating myself or doing things that sabotage my goals. That's what trauma conditioning does to us-- & why we have to CHOOSE compassionate self-discipline (not bullsh*t "tough love"), even (especially!) when it feels "unnatural."
November 25, 2025 at 10:17 PM
If I let myself go on autopilot, I'd never stop hating myself or doing things that sabotage my goals. That's what trauma conditioning does to us-- & why we have to CHOOSE compassionate self-discipline (not bullsh*t "tough love"), even (especially!) when it feels "unnatural."
You are acceptable right here, right now, exactly as you are, exactly as you feel & function right now.
That does not mean you have to love where you are, or that you can't or shouldn't work to realistically change if you choose-- it means you don't "have" to hate yourself now.
That does not mean you have to love where you are, or that you can't or shouldn't work to realistically change if you choose-- it means you don't "have" to hate yourself now.
November 25, 2025 at 10:17 PM
You are acceptable right here, right now, exactly as you are, exactly as you feel & function right now.
That does not mean you have to love where you are, or that you can't or shouldn't work to realistically change if you choose-- it means you don't "have" to hate yourself now.
That does not mean you have to love where you are, or that you can't or shouldn't work to realistically change if you choose-- it means you don't "have" to hate yourself now.
CPTSD will try to storngarm you into constantly comparing your trauma & your progress to others'. Not only is this a trap to make you feel like garbage about your journey, it'll get you relating to other survivors w/ judgment & envy.
Don't bite. Refocus on your next baby step.
Don't bite. Refocus on your next baby step.
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
CPTSD will try to storngarm you into constantly comparing your trauma & your progress to others'. Not only is this a trap to make you feel like garbage about your journey, it'll get you relating to other survivors w/ judgment & envy.
Don't bite. Refocus on your next baby step.
Don't bite. Refocus on your next baby step.
We can't expect others to truly understand how loud the trauma "noise" in our head is. We are responding to conditioning that is VERY effective in hijacking our attention & physiology.
This is why we can't just "gut" or "vibe" our way through recovery-- we need plans & tools.
This is why we can't just "gut" or "vibe" our way through recovery-- we need plans & tools.
November 25, 2025 at 10:15 PM
We can't expect others to truly understand how loud the trauma "noise" in our head is. We are responding to conditioning that is VERY effective in hijacking our attention & physiology.
This is why we can't just "gut" or "vibe" our way through recovery-- we need plans & tools.
This is why we can't just "gut" or "vibe" our way through recovery-- we need plans & tools.
Remind yourself today that you don't have to be prefect to be worthy. You don't have to be perfect to deserve to live. You don't have to be perfect to deserve safety, or love, or happiness-- or to deserve more than the bare minimum in life.
You deserve it all. Here, now.
You deserve it all. Here, now.
November 25, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Remind yourself today that you don't have to be prefect to be worthy. You don't have to be perfect to deserve to live. You don't have to be perfect to deserve safety, or love, or happiness-- or to deserve more than the bare minimum in life.
You deserve it all. Here, now.
You deserve it all. Here, now.
The fact that the people who share your name & DNA or who happened to attend the same church you did growing up don't understand who you are, what's important to you, or what you need, can be painful.
And, it has exactly zero to do w/ your worth, value-- or future.
And, it has exactly zero to do w/ your worth, value-- or future.
November 25, 2025 at 6:02 AM
The fact that the people who share your name & DNA or who happened to attend the same church you did growing up don't understand who you are, what's important to you, or what you need, can be painful.
And, it has exactly zero to do w/ your worth, value-- or future.
And, it has exactly zero to do w/ your worth, value-- or future.
Self-validation doesn't have to be this cheesy, superficial thing the culture tries to convince us it is. As a trauma recovery tool, what it means communicating to your nervous system that your reactions matter & make sense-- which is necessary in healing from gaslighting.
November 25, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Self-validation doesn't have to be this cheesy, superficial thing the culture tries to convince us it is. As a trauma recovery tool, what it means communicating to your nervous system that your reactions matter & make sense-- which is necessary in healing from gaslighting.
There's nothing wrong w/ the person you are. You don't "need" to ditch your personality to recover from trauma. And also, you GET to change, to retool yourself .01% at a time from the ground up if you choose, if it's more consistent w/ the life you want. Point is: it's YOUR call.
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM
There's nothing wrong w/ the person you are. You don't "need" to ditch your personality to recover from trauma. And also, you GET to change, to retool yourself .01% at a time from the ground up if you choose, if it's more consistent w/ the life you want. Point is: it's YOUR call.
Feel what you feel. Validate it, explore it, express it (in safe contexts), understand it. Honor it.
Then: breathe; blink; focus; & remind yourself you're not under any obligation to let the intensity of a feeling "make" you do things that'll short circuit your recovery arc.
Then: breathe; blink; focus; & remind yourself you're not under any obligation to let the intensity of a feeling "make" you do things that'll short circuit your recovery arc.
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Feel what you feel. Validate it, explore it, express it (in safe contexts), understand it. Honor it.
Then: breathe; blink; focus; & remind yourself you're not under any obligation to let the intensity of a feeling "make" you do things that'll short circuit your recovery arc.
Then: breathe; blink; focus; & remind yourself you're not under any obligation to let the intensity of a feeling "make" you do things that'll short circuit your recovery arc.
The most elegant psychological theory won't help us in moments when we're overwhelmed by feelings, reactions, or pain. In those moments we need to focus in on the littlest things inside us we can influence: our self talk, (some of) our mental focus, & our breathing & physiology.
November 25, 2025 at 5:59 AM
The most elegant psychological theory won't help us in moments when we're overwhelmed by feelings, reactions, or pain. In those moments we need to focus in on the littlest things inside us we can influence: our self talk, (some of) our mental focus, & our breathing & physiology.
Intense, unconditional validation of our pain & how hard trauma recovery is can-- must-- coexist w/ realistic acknowledgment that we are not powerless, we are not beyond help, we are not "destined" to feel or function this way forever.
November 25, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Intense, unconditional validation of our pain & how hard trauma recovery is can-- must-- coexist w/ realistic acknowledgment that we are not powerless, we are not beyond help, we are not "destined" to feel or function this way forever.
CPTSD is like someone in your ear, 24/7, listing all the ways you suck, & anyone who says you don't suck doesn't "really" know you, & you may as well not try to not suck, because you just SUCK so much.
And they don't shut up & they don't get tired & they don't stray off message.
And they don't shut up & they don't get tired & they don't stray off message.
November 24, 2025 at 4:07 AM
CPTSD is like someone in your ear, 24/7, listing all the ways you suck, & anyone who says you don't suck doesn't "really" know you, & you may as well not try to not suck, because you just SUCK so much.
And they don't shut up & they don't get tired & they don't stray off message.
And they don't shut up & they don't get tired & they don't stray off message.
Trauma Brain will try to get you to dismiss recovery tools like self-talk, visualization, & purposeful breathing as "silly" or weak sauce or otherwise not worth trying-- but don't let it trick you into assuming that because a tool sounds "simple," it's superficial or ineffective.
November 24, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Trauma Brain will try to get you to dismiss recovery tools like self-talk, visualization, & purposeful breathing as "silly" or weak sauce or otherwise not worth trying-- but don't let it trick you into assuming that because a tool sounds "simple," it's superficial or ineffective.
No trauma recovery tool taught by any therapist or resource will be perfectly applicable to every trigger, reaction, or situation. That's reality.
It's also reality that sustainable recovery is built around adapting imperfect tools to our needs, vulnerabilities, & strengths.
It's also reality that sustainable recovery is built around adapting imperfect tools to our needs, vulnerabilities, & strengths.
November 24, 2025 at 4:05 AM
No trauma recovery tool taught by any therapist or resource will be perfectly applicable to every trigger, reaction, or situation. That's reality.
It's also reality that sustainable recovery is built around adapting imperfect tools to our needs, vulnerabilities, & strengths.
It's also reality that sustainable recovery is built around adapting imperfect tools to our needs, vulnerabilities, & strengths.
There is no denying that lack of access to resources can absolutely make trauma recovery exponentially harder-- & there's also no denying that the only real security we can count on in recovery comes from developing skills & tools NO ONE can take away from us.
November 24, 2025 at 4:04 AM
There is no denying that lack of access to resources can absolutely make trauma recovery exponentially harder-- & there's also no denying that the only real security we can count on in recovery comes from developing skills & tools NO ONE can take away from us.
There is no denying that lack of access to resources can absolutely make trauma recovery exponentially harder-- & there's also no denying that the only real security we can count on in recovery comes from developing skills & tools NO ONE can take away from us.
November 23, 2025 at 10:38 PM
There is no denying that lack of access to resources can absolutely make trauma recovery exponentially harder-- & there's also no denying that the only real security we can count on in recovery comes from developing skills & tools NO ONE can take away from us.
Survivors of religious & spiritual trauma can experience specific struggles around the winter holidays in particular that are misunderstood & unacknowledged by the culture-- so much so that survivors can learn to bury or belittle those struggles inside themselves.
I see you.
I see you.
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Survivors of religious & spiritual trauma can experience specific struggles around the winter holidays in particular that are misunderstood & unacknowledged by the culture-- so much so that survivors can learn to bury or belittle those struggles inside themselves.
I see you.
I see you.
Programming that says you "can't" breathe, check in w/ yourself, or speak to yourself supportively is an artifact of emotional & verbal abuse. Abuse programming convinces us we "can't" do ANYTHING other than "take it"-- & makes us feel silly for imagining otherwise.
Resist.
Resist.
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Programming that says you "can't" breathe, check in w/ yourself, or speak to yourself supportively is an artifact of emotional & verbal abuse. Abuse programming convinces us we "can't" do ANYTHING other than "take it"-- & makes us feel silly for imagining otherwise.
Resist.
Resist.
In my experience, survivors working our recovery have little time or patience for moral grandstanding. We're focused on regulating & working our recovery, not telling anyone how they "should" live or what they "should" think. We're realistic about bandwidth & priorities-- our safety depends on it.
November 23, 2025 at 10:36 PM
In my experience, survivors working our recovery have little time or patience for moral grandstanding. We're focused on regulating & working our recovery, not telling anyone how they "should" live or what they "should" think. We're realistic about bandwidth & priorities-- our safety depends on it.
The fact you don't feel like you did anything "productive" today doesn't mean it was a "wasted" recovery day. There are dozens of recovery tasks revolving around how we talk & relate to ourselves that have zero to do w/ outward "productivity," but which move our journey forward.
November 23, 2025 at 10:35 PM
The fact you don't feel like you did anything "productive" today doesn't mean it was a "wasted" recovery day. There are dozens of recovery tasks revolving around how we talk & relate to ourselves that have zero to do w/ outward "productivity," but which move our journey forward.
Safe space imagery is more involved than just "picture a safe space." If that's all it was, it'd be pretty weak sauce. What it actually involves is developing the recovery tool of sensory mental focus to the point we can literally change our brainwaves & nervous system "levers."
November 23, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Safe space imagery is more involved than just "picture a safe space." If that's all it was, it'd be pretty weak sauce. What it actually involves is developing the recovery tool of sensory mental focus to the point we can literally change our brainwaves & nervous system "levers."
Being with emotional pain, w/ acceptance & patience & compassion, is different from "sitting with" physical pain. Consistently being present w/ the "parts" of us holding pain & shame has a transformative effect. Over time it changes our understanding of & experience of that pain.
November 23, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Being with emotional pain, w/ acceptance & patience & compassion, is different from "sitting with" physical pain. Consistently being present w/ the "parts" of us holding pain & shame has a transformative effect. Over time it changes our understanding of & experience of that pain.