Domestic violence recovery · Applied women’s research · Community transformation
Welcome! I’m Veronica Wren, a displaced domestic violence survivor and former cop turned activist.
Your accidental trauma recovery expert, examining abusive systems and individuals harming our health.
10+ years deep in harmful relationships and oppressive criminal systems led me here: advocating for survivors, conducting research on women’s health, and building supportive coalitions in the face of the ongoing political crisis in the U.S.
My goal is to support survivors recovering from violence through accessible research, tools, and community.
All my love,
Veronica Wren
Gallery
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Community care and the wind in our sails: Gift of the Black Pearl
March 20, 2026
Tainted love: Domestic abuse, imperial violence, and patterns of control
February 2, 2026
![Grimace, you’re on candid camera: Fight unconstitutional surveillance in your town [free template!]](https://images.spr.so/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/j42No7y-dcokJuNgXeA0ig/0855d8ed-34fd-42ea-a338-b9c1a7866da5/6ff2194d-e304-469b-a118-5597b87c5596_1593x1187/w=1920,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
Grimace, you’re on candid camera: Fight unconstitutional surveillance in your town [free template!]
January 20, 2026
Political burnout and creative motivation: It’s not you, it’s everything
January 7, 2026
The Mediocre Black Woman podcast: For the ones who grew up too soon
October 22, 2025
Happens to the best of us: All it takes
October 19, 2025
Recovery that doesn’t suck: Reading guide
August 5, 2025
St. Louis tornadoes show need for grassroots disaster response: Show me mutual aid
July 22, 2025
Google AI may be orangewashing Trump’s legacy: How algorithmic bias shapes collective memory and understanding
July 11, 2025
Falling apart (but make it art): Trauma recovery by design
July 1, 2025
Nobody wants to talk about your abuse: Surviving without the heroic ending
June 28, 2025
Take a break (or else): Hyperproductivity won’t get us to the finish line
June 23, 2025
Abusive systems built by abusive men aren’t made to hold them: Bozo in the Ozarks
June 8, 2025
Misinformation loves company: A favorite trauma response turned act of resistance
May 28, 2025
Don’t keep trauma bottled up: Stickers as unexpected tools of the resistance
May 5, 2025
The Orange Rock method?: Laughing at dictators is bad for his health
April 18, 2025
Project management for laundry?: Lighten your load with this simple subtask method
April 3, 2025
Survivorship discount: Because if anyone deserves a discount, it’s you
March 28, 2025
Jay and silencing Bob: Freedom of expression and political Dogma
March 27, 2025
But… How are you, really?: Dropping the act so we can scream together a little bit
March 16, 2025
Moral noncompliance: Let history remember us as a problem for the bigots
March 5, 2025
Procrastinating productively: Hyperfocus as a distraction from coping
February 22, 2025
It’s always something: Respite for the chronically unlucky
January 20, 2025
The hazy intersection of vulnerability and visibility in writing: The uncomfortable necessity of promoting my trauma
January 12, 2025
Don’t look at me: Traumatized, over-productive, and exhausted
January 1, 2025
National park lost and found: More like Gawn Wall
December 23, 2024
The most wonderful time to steer clear: Can stop, should stop
December 22, 2024
A hard and a rock face: Trauma responses, survival instincts, and healing through grit
December 21, 2024
Gaming the tooth fairy: Drama on the 2nd grade soccer field
December 15, 2024
If survivors were honest on social media: What ever happened to her?
December 14, 2024
The last day with my best friend: Nothing but a puppy
December 8, 2024
Sorry for browning out at your baby shower, my dog is dying: Planning my good girl’s good death
November 18, 2024
Writer’s block and preparation as a coping mechanism: “Getting ready” feels safer than “getting started”
November 11, 2024
Staying soft in a harsh world (out of spite): Community Police Officer Smiley
September 18, 2024
It took years to understand that being a victim wasn’t my fault: No one deserves to have their will taken from them
August 25, 2024
The luxury of preventive healthcare: Insurance came through for once, and naturally I’m suspicious
August 17, 2024
Caregiver burnout and mistaking maturity for life experience: Early babysitting mishaps make child-free life sound like a welcome break
August 17, 2024
When you were young: Where can your inner child roam free?
July 28, 2024
Closet space: Trauma, denning, and managing the urge to hide
July 22, 2024
Dearest extroverts and mentally well buds: You can keep your peak hours
July 15, 2024
The final straws: Excerpts on hope, helpers, and finding freedom
July 7, 2024
What 100 articles on Medium taught me about writing: Getting it wrong so you can get it right(er)
July 7, 2024
You just got a “raise” and you’re furious: How to lose a dedicated employee
July 6, 2024
Medium Boost? More like XXL confidence boost: Writing, climbing, and reaching new heights
June 24, 2024
The most sincere promise he ever made: Confiding my (first) assault in the wrong man kept me silent for years
June 24, 2024
Chalk therapy: Overcoming trauma symptoms through climbing
June 18, 2024
Loveable lump: Indescribable care, unmentionable loss
June 13, 2024
Takeaways from 2 years of Duolingo Spanish: Trauma survivors can stick with healthy habits!
June 10, 2024
4 helpful firearms safety reminders for my abusive ex: (To no one’s surprise, he was a cop)
June 7, 2024
7 reasons my narcissist accused me of cheating: An exhausting, but non-exhaustive, list
June 2, 2024
Ain’t no lie: I am bi, bi, bi (even when I’m with a guy)
May 17, 2024
"Life savings” has never been more literal: The arduous journey from financial abuse to financial feminism
May 1, 2024
A survivor’s year of talking smacks on the internet: 🎂 A little treat to celebrate 🎂
April 27, 2024
Overturned convictions, broken systems, and an abuser’s response to #MeToo: Ain’t no arrest for the wicked
April 26, 2024
Honeymoon phase: Facades of bliss and the cycle of violence
April 21, 2024
Would he recognize his own violence: Domestic abuse and the frighteningly real dangers of speaking up
April 15, 2024
Know thy shelf, heal thy shelf: Violence, hyper-independence, and delusions of home improvement grandeur
April 12, 2024
Rare glimpse into a survivor’s diary shortly after escape: Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020
April 5, 2024
Are you afraid of the podcast: Overcoming social anxiety to build community
April 1, 2024
Cocked guns & cocktails: The Easter egg hunt no one wanted
March 31, 2024
3 more inspiring reads for the CPTSD mind: Trauma recovery book club (part II)
March 19, 2024
The beast in me: Embracing animal instincts to combat stress
March 15, 2024
4 thoughtful reads for the CPTSD mind: Trauma recovery book club
March 15, 2024
Breaking free of the booby trap: Bras are obsolete and they can stay gone
March 12, 2024
More tales of gender discrimination from a former cop: Profiled by the fashion police
March 10, 2024
Medium Boost and Vocal Top Story in the same day?: What on Earth is Happening?
March 6, 2024
4 ways my CPTSD brain is annoying as hell today: Trauma can manifest in distressing somatic symptoms such as heart palpitations, chronic soreness, and headaches
March 5, 2024
Denial of the fittest: Intimate partner violence, survival mechanisms, and quiet reinforcements
March 2, 2024
Sorry “sorry”: Careless apologies by careless lovers
February 27, 2024
My worst financial mistake? Being an abuse victim: Rebuilding after escaping money manipulation
February 18, 2024
Just a traumatized “Black Cat” flinching from my partner’s “golden retriever” energy
February 14, 2024
Don’t sweat the small fluff: Celebrating little dogs and big wins
February 7, 2024
Dissecting a CPTSD nightmare: Why is my subconscious yelling at me this time?
February 6, 2024
8 fear conditioning tactics that taught me not to trust love: “Follow your heart” is dangerous advice for survivors
January 18, 2024
Keep it down: Verbal abuse, humiliation tactics, and intimate partner violence
January 6, 2024
Lesser known abuse tactics silencing victims: Communication and the life-saving impact of social supports
December 23, 2023
Coercive control and technology facilitated sexual abuse
December 16, 2023
To the ones who knew me before: Finding healing and comfort in pre-abuse connections
December 10, 2023
Canceled flight response: Coping with stress when life hits turbulence
November 29, 2023
Music video pitch: Absolutely (Horror story of a girl)
November 27, 2023
Driven to heal: Reclaiming the wheel from trauma symptoms
November 19, 2023
Late nights at the search bar: Inquiries from the recently traumatized
November 16, 2023
Penetrable: A warning from the quiet one who escaped
November 11, 2023
An article about my devastating breakup is blowing up: And I am cackling
November 7, 2023
The public health issue of nightmares: Dream a little dream of CPTSD
November 4, 2023
Buckets of betrayal: Post-abuse relationship recovery and lingering effects of betrayal trauma
October 26, 2023
Don’t mind me, I’m just Lemony Snicket-ing: What do you do when your love life has been a Series of Unfortunate Events?
October 16, 2023
The chip on my shoulder: An almost perfect resting place
October 11, 2023
POV: You’re currently bailing halfway through a solo hike (Except pretend your brain is supportive of you)
September 24, 2023
6 more grounding journal prompts for abuse survivors: Can’t stop, won’t stop growing
September 18, 2023
Talking about abuse is uncomfortable as hell: And I’m going to keep making it weird
September 11, 2023
Great news! This sexist is no longer a cop: Now he works for the Feds!
September 8, 2023
Women safeguarding women: The power of female community in times of uncertainty
September 5, 2023
I felt like a writer today: Vocal’s “Ode to Ordinary” challenge
August 26, 2023
8 transformative journal prompts for abuse survivors: Empowerment and healing through self-reflection
August 24, 2023
She’s so lucky: Ever since I was abused, I’ve started celebrating more.
August 22, 2023
Screaming into the void: I decidedly do not accept your apology
August 21, 2023
Run for your life: Domestic abuse, coronavirus, and the exercise that saved me
August 20, 2023
Escaping the “I can fix him” trap: Safety over limitless sympathy
August 14, 2023
Work hard, rest harder: Achieve peak relaxation by satisfying your senses
August 12, 2023
Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first: Abuse-surviving Swifties and community
August 10, 2023
Ask a survivor!: Welcoming your questions on trauma, healing, and mental health
August 8, 2023
Hair ties that bind: Love, elasticity, and entanglement
August 6, 2023
Trauma makes it hard to consistently write: Writing is one of my favorite things, so why is it so hard to actually do it?
August 4, 2023
My doctor lied so she could deny my contraception: Fighting for bodily autonomy in a post-Roe world
July 16, 2023
Predatory systems exploit the most vulnerable: Towing the line
July 7, 2023
Sincerely, a grateful trauma victim: Have you ever started telling a story thinking it was a funny anecdote, only to realize everyone at staring in horror?
July 6, 2023
Sexually harassed by a fellow officer: Supervisors said reporting would harm my reputation
July 6, 2023
Are they dismissive avoidant or just a dismissive asshole?: Learning to cope when it’s both
July 1, 2023
A survivor’s perspective on women’s rights: Abuse, autonomy, and the urgent need to protect reproductive freedom
June 14, 2023
Nurturing bite-sized, healthy habits post-trauma: Celebrating 365 educational days of Duolingo
June 8, 2023
Feel it to heal it: Overcoming disorganized emotions in trauma survivors
June 5, 2023
To all the boys I’ve kicked (part I): Consequences of rape culture
June 3, 2023
I don’t forgive my abuser just because he was abused, too: Navigating systemic abuse, personal responsibility, and healing
May 30, 2023
Self care or be square: Writing the wrongs in order to heal
May 29, 2023
The annoying trauma response born of narcissistic abuse: Overexplaning, explained
May 24, 2023
Healing, unleashed: Navigating trauma recovery with the help of my dogs
May 22, 2023
Urine trouble now: Rent increase warnings from the pee puddle in your stairwell
May 21, 2023
How “Come as You Are” got my motor running post-truma: Pumping the accelerator
May 20, 2023
Baby, you’re a firework: Explosive and dangerous, especially around alcohol
May 15, 2023
Healthy relationships are bizarre: Dating after abuse
May 14, 2023
We both reached for the gun: Fighting to stay alive in my own home
May 11, 2023
I saw the sign: Normalizing “relationship red flag” discussions with loved ones
May 8, 2023
The inciting incident: Origins and escalation of a multi-abuser survivor
May 8, 2023
Senses and sensibility: Coping with triggers associated with trauma
April 29, 2023
Demolishing the deadly silence of abuse: Fighting forward
April 27, 2023
© 2026 Veronica Wren · trauma sucks, recovery shouldn't · hideandspeakmedia.com