Survivors News and Reviews

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Sharing – New children’s book uses sea creatures to teach kids ages 4 to 8 how recognize and talk about abuse
ByMikeM March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

No, it isn’t fair that we have to have books to teach children how to protect themselves, but it’s reality. I don’t want small children to have to learn about the possibility of being abused, but leaving them uneducated and more vulnerable is not an option.

Oh, the other thing I appreciate about this book? It is focused on the danger from people the child already knows. Our “stranger danger” approach to child abuse has been terribly lacking for decades. I’m glad to see someone taking that on.

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In the News

BBC Football Story
ByCBG March 24, 2021March 23, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

Following the publication of the report into historical child sexual abuse and exploitation in English football, the BBC has a three part documentary.

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Sharing – These Maryland cops responded to mental health emergency exactly the right way
ByMikeM March 23, 2021March 22, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

I often talk about encounters between police and someone in a mental health crisis ending in tragedy. So it was refreshing for me to see a situation handled differently, and effectively. I also felt like it might be refreshing to share it to you as well, to see what it could look like when someone with proper training responds to these calls.

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Sharing – How Trauma Changes The Brain, According To Experts
ByMikeM March 22, 2021March 22, 2021 Reading Time: 2 minutes

I think this says a lot about the things we hear about survivors often. Their testimonies are riddled with muddled memories, they have a hard time not being hyper-alert all of the time, and they can often have difficulty with mood swings, and emotional outbursts.

I think it’s also important to recognize that for the last year, many of us have also been living with various amounts of trauma. COVID-19, racial and gender violence, political violence, etc, just to name a few things that we’ve all been exposed to in overwhelming fashion, and that trauma is having an impact on our brains, as we speak.

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Sharing – Ending Mental Health Stigma Takes More Than Talking
ByMikeM March 20, 2021March 8, 2026 Reading Time: 1 minute

Obviously, talking about can lead to these other things. Not talking about it won’t get us anywhere. But we need to do more than talk, we need to figure out better ways to treat people who need it, and make it accessible. That doesn’t happen until all of society understands the importance of it, and is truly educated about it. So, keep talking, but also keep demanding better.

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Sharing – Survey: More Young People Are Depressed During the Pandemic. But They May Be Using Social Media to Cope
ByMikeM March 18, 2021March 17, 2021 Reading Time: 1 minute

I’ve seen this possibility since 2001, when I started blogging. The possibility that someone, somewhere, dealing with mental health issues, or overcoming abuse, would hop online looking for someone, anyone, who understands that they are dealing with.

We’ve never had more ways to connect with each other, even during a pandemic. Why not use them, and why not be the person who connects others online?

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