Hi, I’m Mike McBride. I am a survivor of childhood abuse. I am also a survivor of major depression, dissociative fugue and a suicide attempt. This is my place. This is where I share my thoughts, my knowledge, and educational resources about all of these topics, in multiple ways. I don’t do this for fame, and I’m definitely not making any money from it. I do it so that the next survivor, of any of these things, has at least one place on the world wide web to know that they are not alone.
You are, in fact, not alone. Far from it, and I hope that by looking around here, and maybe even subscribing, you will learn this simple fact, and draw strength from it. If you know anyone who might benefit from that, please share this with them.
If you are a social media user, I hope you’ll consider following this little website using the links in the sidebar or at the top of the page, and if you’re interested in technology, or photography, I hope you’ll click over and follow my work on other pages as well!
Latest Posts from the Blogs
- The act of going from being silent and ashamed of your trauma to talking about it without shame is not something that just happens. It takes time, and it's a step-by-step process. You won't one day get out of bed ready to address 1,000 people and tell your story. You'll find one person you feel safe enough with to share your story, probably shaking with nerves. You'll be afraid of how they will react, you might even feel a little ashamed […]
- Mental health is complicated. The solution to one individual case is complicated. The solution to the lack of resources is complicated. Telling people to get more exercise, let alone selling them the diet and workout that will solve all their mental health issues, is a fraud, isn't it? Saying that we simply need to give everyone free therapy without addressing the serious shortage of therapists is as well. Anyone who suggests there is a simple solution to the mental health problem […]
- ‘When it comes to mental health, all countries are developing countries’ 11 Books For Sexual Abuse Survivors Cultivating Creative Moments of Healing for Yourself Finding Hope After Trauma Can Actually Happen Supporting a Family Member with Serious Mental Illness Is Harder Than It Should Be Books Under Review: Summer 2022 – "Reviews of five recent books reflecting various perspectives on the mental health system." The post Shared Links (weekly) Aug. 7, 2022 appeared first on Survivors News and Reviews.
- This study shows us something really interesting. I don't know that I can remember the last time I just spent a short period thinking and not doing something to distract me from thinking. The post Sharing – The Legit Mental Health Benefits of Doing Nothing, According to Science appeared first on Survivors News and Reviews.
- I wanted to share this with you because John Oliver makes some important points about how we have made so many strides in acceptance and encouraging people that it is OK to ask for help, and then the system doesn't provide it. Sadly things have gotten so bad that we're trying just about anything, and even the technology isn't living up to the hype. Real people with real needs are left with nowhere to turn. A society that claims to care […]
- Read the whole thing. It's important. Children amid trauma focus on surviving. Their brains focus on surviving and not development. They then grow up to be adults without a chance to develop fully. The fix is to get kids with resources to help them develop as early as possible. (And to also get them removed from the things causing so much trauma.) The longer this goes on without any treatment, the more damage is done. We may not be able to […]
- How to be a Good Friend: Tangible Ways to Support a Struggling Loved One How Writing a Letter to People Who Are Suicidal Changed My Life Why You Don’t Always Have to Forgive, According to a Psychologist The Secret to Giving a Compliment That Makes People Glow Why Male Victims of Child Sexual Abuse Keep It a Secret Healthy Boundaries and Getting Your Needs Met: What's the Link? The post Shared Links (weekly) July 31, 2022 appeared first on Survivors News […]
- The way to start believing in yourself is to have experiences you can look back on and draw strength from. When I feel anxious about something at work, meeting new people, moving, or other stressful situations, it helps tremendously to recall when I have already successfully done those things. Or, sometimes it helps to remember the times I wasn't successful, but I survived nonetheless. That can also be a huge relief, the memory that these failures, or accidents, won't kill me. […]
- Clearly, the reality is that work is too much for almost everyone across the entire spectrum, and there are lots of people looking for something better. Something that gives them the ability to be economically stable and also the ability to live a life outside of work with their mental health intact. The post Linked: The C-suite and workplace wellness appeared first on Mike McBride Online. If you want to see more like this, consider subscribing to the RSS Feed.
- I think a little anxiety and anger are appropriate now. Being distracted from your work should actually be a pretty normal reaction to what is going on in the world. Just replace your own national politics for the UK in that survey and can you really say that something hasn't prevented you from being your best at work during the last couple of years? I'm in the US, I think it's crazy that there are people going about their work as if nothing is happening, but I also know that is the corporate culture for many […]
- The reason I wanted to focus on this is that it can also be very easy to underestimate how much time people are spending on their work when the work is being done remotely, or in a hybrid situation. Even in the legal or consulting worlds where many of us are billing our time, or at least tracking time worked on projects, it's not telling you the whole story. There is a lot of time spent on miscellaneous tasks that are getting lost in whatever tool you're using to track the amount of time worked. It's […]
- Having HR professionals understand this is important. Having them try to influence the business leaders might help too. At the end of the day, though, this only gets better if the entire culture buys into it. Any individual manager who isn't capable of making reasonable accommodations because they haven't been trained or because the actual business practices create a roadblock for them only proves that this is all just talk. People who've struggled for years to continue working at the risk of their mental health deserve a lot more than talk. The post Linked: Employers Grapple […]
- It's that first line that should grab your attention because so many people do not see mental health struggles as something that impacts them, or will impact them. But the numbers don't lie. Someone you know, probably even someone very close to you, is dealing with mental health struggles as you read this. Someone you work with is doing the same themselves or supporting someone else who is. How great would it be if we all recognized that and provided a safe place for them to talk about those struggles instead of not welcoming their voices […]
- This is sometimes a missing piece regarding mental health and work. It’s not just the people who work for you, it’s the people who work for you with kids or other family members dealing with mental health issues. “Why do employers need to take a leadership role in addressing this crisis? For starters, young people… The post Linked: It’s Time For Employers To Support Youth Mental Health appeared first on Mike McBride Online. If you want to see more like this, consider subscribing to the RSS Feed.
- Talking About Male Sexual Abuse Survivors on the It’s a Wrap Podcast
- My Story on the Blue Radio Podcast
- Talking About World Suicide Prevention Day on Moments of Clarity
- Overcoming Your Childhood Trauma on Finding Your Voice
- Talking Child Abuse and Blogging on Moments of Clarity
- What Adult Life is Like for a Victim of Child Abuse with Aimee Cabo
- Balancing Privacy and Responsibility with Monitoring and Security on Nuix Unscripted
If you’re looking for a podcast guest to talk about child abuse or using blogging and social media to share stories of surviving and mental health advocacy, get in touch.
