Introduction to Bethany Avery, Author of ‘Trauma! A PTSD Blog’

My name is Bethany, or Beth Avery (sometimes just B), and I suffer from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). I started showing symptoms of C-PTSD when I was 16 years old, and I first sought treatment for my disorder when I was in college. Finding solid footing in the shaky world that C-PTSD creates has been a tough but important battle, and I’m excited to share my story and coping methods as part of the Trauma! A PTSD Blog at HealthyPlace.

Beth Avery’s Experience Leading to PTSD

I grew up in an abusive household, where I experienced physical, emotional, psychological, and religious abuse starting at age five. When I was young, I escaped the dangers in my life through books, disappearing into fictional and fantastical worlds that were safer than my own. When I became a teenager, however, I started to hang out more with my classmates and realized their home lives were much different from my own. I wanted what they had, and it made living in my own home much more difficult for me. I couldn’t ignore my reality anymore.

I finally self-imploded at age 16, unable to deal with my intense emotions any longer. My anxiety spiked to an unhealthy extreme, bringing with it heart palpitations, panic attacks, and nightmares. Depression soon followed and I began self-injuring in the confines of my childhood bedroom.

Bethany Avery Starts to Heal from PTSD

I left for college when I was 18, and being in a safe environment for the first time in my life allowed me to start healing. But with healing also came pain and that’s when my PTSD symptoms started to consume my life. Flashbacks, panic attacks, nightmares, insomnia, hypervigilance, and depression became my new normal. I couldn’t trust anyone, not even my closest friends, and I had no idea how to form healthy relationships. I was finally free from my abuse, but I felt trapped in my own mind.

Pursuing treatment for my PTSD was a scary choice, but it’s one I am so glad I made. Going through trauma therapy has taught me so much about myself and my past, and it has been worth every struggle. Join me as I detail my journey towards self-discovery and self-love while navigating life with PTSD. 

Learn More About Beth Avery

Watch this video for more about Bethany Avery and where she wants to take Trauma! A PTSD Blog.