My brother and I both grew up with the same abusive father but he's convinced our childhood was normal while I'm deep in C-PTSD recovery work and family gatherings have become minefields where I can't tell what's my hypervigilance and what's actually toxic.
More people experience this than they realize.
Two people who survived the same system of harm have developed incompatible narratives about their shared reality, making family connection feel impossible.
“Where Are You with Complex trauma — C-PTSD?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.