From Fear to Fulfillment

Foreword: I’m delighted to welcome Sharri Burggraaf to our blog as a guest poet. Sharri is a survivor of RAMCOA (ritual abuse, mind control, and organized abuse) with DID (dissociative identity disorder). She is also a writer, an artist, and a speaker who advocates for herself and others through her website, blog, podcast and YouTube channel. Sharri is the facilitator of Dissociative Writers’ Draft & Discuss workshops. In her poem, Sharri beautifully shares her journey from fear to fulfillment in language we can all understand! ~ Lyn


by Sharri Burggraaf, Guest Poet

Fear of...

Abandonment

Rejection

Betrayal

Getting hurt

Being alone

Getting triggered

Being uncomfortable

Being unsafe

Myself

Others getting harmed

Remembering

Telling

That I’m making it up

That I’m crazy

That my anger will turn to rage or go out of control

That I’m only ever going to know survival mode

That there is no end to the pain

Being judged

Failure

Losing Control

Shame

Guilt

Intimacy

Change

Being vulnerable


That causes ….

Anxiety

Depression

Low self-esteem

Hypervigilence

Isolation

Withdrawal

Distrust

Dissociation

PTSD responses like fight, flight, freeze and fawn

Self-sabotage

Avoidant behaviors

Reaching for anything to space out and numb the pain

Overworking

That leads to …

Finding my strength

Healing

Recovery

Setting boundaries

Finding support

Building trusting relationships

Reilience

Self-acceptance

Self-compassion

Hope

Taking risks

Sanity

Emotional regulation

Coping strategies

Vulnerability

Authenticity

Grounding

Mindfulness

Feeling safe

Connection with others

Thriving

Meaningful activities

Empowerment

Self-discovery

Purpose

Joy

Peace

Confidence

Balance

Fortitude

Fulfillment


DW is Officially a 501(c)3!!!

We are happy to announce that Dissociative Writers has been notified by the IRS that we, as a nonprofit registered in the state of New Mexico and, having met all the other criteria, are exempt from federal taxes and are officially a 501(c)3, retroactively effective to August 21, 2023. We are grateful for all of you who have supported this effort to become a nonprofit and look forward to many years of serving our community and beyond!

2025 Anthology Submissions Due September 15

Subscribers to Dissociative Writers are invited to submit prose, poetry, and art for the 2025 Anthology. The deadline is September 15. For complete instructions, see Documents/2025 Anthology in Heartbeat.

Special Events

Dissociative Writers is now offering Special Events led by our gifted and talented subscribers. The first Special Event is a Book Study led by Kim E. Up ahead (and not yet on the calendar) look forward to Healing Music led by Cynthia and Little’s Playtime led by Sharri. Check our Announcements and Calendar for updates on our Special Events.

DW Fall Calendar

Stay abreast of Dissociative Writers workshops and events by checking our Calendar on Heartbeat!


🕊️

Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.
~ Tori Amos

Lyn

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