It’s a common complaint when reviewing TV portrayals of child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault, that they are not realistic in terms of procedure or the emotional impact on victims. The makers of Private Practice took steps to get it right by teaming up with RAINN for a story about a soldier being raped. The article about that is on the RAINN site here.
– CBG
“Healing is not a linear process. You may revisit a particular issue, say, the fear of intimacy, as you begin a new relationship. Or you may have to learn to set limits with your children if you have always had issues with boundaries. But the process of moving on cannot be rushed. Getting there will…
“Cutting someone out of your life can sound extreme or over-reactive. Maybe other people don’t have all the facts, and they don’t want to tell you to do something rash. The truth is you’re the only expert on your personal experience. You don’t need anyone to validate your feelings. If your gut is telling you…
Last week a student advisor sent me a message about a project her students are working on to use social media to share helpful resources for teens, especially troubled teens who might be in need of help. They call themselves the Happy Hearts Club and their mission is ” raise awareness of issues that teens…
First off, a public apology. It’s been a few months since Lynne Rowland was kind enough to send me a copy of her novel The Gnosis of the Salmon but work, life, and everything in between drew my attention away from you know, actually reading it. So, Lynne, I’m sorry it has taken so long…
There are final charges under consideration against the sole female member of a paedophile ring which abused and filmed two children under 13. Their conviction follows the guilty pleas entered by three other people arrested and charged with multiple offences against those children and the creation of abuse images, following a tip from Australian police…
I will admit, in healthcare, these two types of narrative incoherence could cause a problem. How would a medical professional move forward with a diagnosis when our response to the first question is to dump an overwhelming amount of possibly relevant, possibly not, information, or to dismiss any symptoms? It really would be difficult to know. We know that the folks who get to the quickest, and best, healthcare are the ones who come in with details like what is wrong, how long it’s been going on, what happened previously to an illness or injury, etc. Trauma survivors typically struggle with exactly that.
This is only one way where not being able to tell a story in a coherent, effective, way hurts survivors. It blocks us from legal proceedings, as I said before, and it blocks us from being understood by those closest to us quite often. So, if you really want to connect with others, and maybe get better healthcare, learn to tell stories. That’s how the world communicates. But, if you’re confronted with someone who is struggling to tell a coherent story, consider what kind of trauma they may be dealing with, and have a little patience.
