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Sharing – Understanding the ways children cope with threats
Again, another reminder that if you simply froze in response to abuse as a child, instead of trying to get away, or fighting, that’s actually pretty normal, and beyond your control: The stress response is a survival response. It is an innate biological response to threat or perceived threat. It prepares the body to fight…
Link – Lets be honest about healing
Unfortunately, I think too many survivors seem to think this way: You will hear many phrases about healing. ‘When I heal’ etc. The idea of this is to give us hope. Hope that one day we will be cured and have no suffering. At the time of our darkest hour, thoughts of healing may help…
Shared Links (weekly) Feb. 21, 2021
The Confess Project: How barber shops support mental health
‘Why Does Being Told to Stay Positive Piss Me Off So Much?’
Changing the Conversation About Suicide in the Black Community
It’s Not Just You: The Pandemic Has Made Social Anxiety So Much Worse
How to Create an Antidepressant Home
Boys, too, are victims of sexual violence
The Power Of A Good Friendship
Victims and survivors of sexual abuse being reminded they are not alone
Does Childhood Trauma Disrupt Our Storytelling Abilities?
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.
