Links (weekly)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
10 Signs Your Teenager Is Depressed
tags: CA
Bikers Against Child Abuse make abuse victims feel safe
tags: CA
Of the 247 children counseled at Hope House last year, only five of them did not know their abuser.
tags: CA
tags: CA
Parents: Be vigilant for signs of child sexual abuse
tags: CA
Child Abuse The Horrifying Truth
tags: CA
Getting Through Sexual Abuse Scandals and Depression
tags: CA
Why there is always a reason for optimism
tags: CA
Eliminating the Stigma of Childhood Sexual Abuse
tags: CA
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
This is a completely valid question: “No one would question the need of a diabetic who needs lifelong insulin, or of someone with epilepsy who relies on anticonvulsants, so why should it be any different for mental health medication? I’m as reliant on my meds to stay healthy as people with physical illnesses like diabetes, heart…
I’ve survived both childhood abuse, and a suicide attempt. I know what it feels like to believe that it will never get better, just as much as I know that it can get better because it has.
Truthfully, you are a survivor, and the world needs you and your story. How else will the other survivors around you know what is possible?
I decided to stay because I knew that, eventually, that final day was coming for me anyway. All of this was temporary.Â
I remind myself of that when I feel anxious or make a mistake in front of people. All of this is temporary. Whatever embarrassment I might feel at this moment, eventually, everyone involved will not be here to talk about it, and I won’t be here to be embarrassed by it.Â
I find that freeing. It is freeing to remember that I’m only here temporarily and to remind myself that I only have so much time to do the things I want to do and make the impact on people’s lives that I want to make.Â
As the article says, right now for many of us, there’s a lot of sucky stuff going on. There’s been a lot of sucky stuff going on for a long time. We need something to laugh at. We need something to smile about. We need to know that we can enjoy one moment of life and be ourselves again. So watch more silly videos. Make more stupid jokes. It helps.
She goes on to opine that very few people in the world can actually provide safety. It may seem like a damning statement, but I believe there’s a lot of truth to it as well. How many of us can sit with others’ stories? Honestly sit with it. Let them share it without having an uncomfortable response. Based on my experience, she is correct. There aren’t many people who can do that. I am glad I’ve had some in my life. I also know that makes me lucky. I strive to be that kind of person to others, even as I acknowledge that there are times when I fall short. I probably fall short more often than not.Â
It’s almost a week since teenager Megan Stammers, 15 and her 30 year old teacher Jeremy Forrest failed to use return tickets on a French ferry and the alarm was raised. Since then it has emerged that there have been three other major abuse incidents at the same school, at least one of which also involved a…