Robyn provides some good information. This is something I know many survivors struggle with – Well-meant urging or pressure to reach out in a time of need does not work for those who have experienced trauma in their lives. Something (seemingly) simple like accepting a compliment may be painfully hard. But the ability to integrate these…
Obviously, I feel pretty strongly that blogging can be a great way to not only help yourself, but also help others by connecting with others who are dealing with the same thing. This quote though, reminded me of something else: Imparting skills and knowledge on others is a fantastic way to reaffirm your sense of…
OK, stop rolling your eyes and think about this for a minute. Yes, this seems kind of funny, but as much as I’ve talked about how having an abusive childhood means not developing the skills we are supposed to learn as children because we were too busy just trying to survive, I wonder how effective…
Can a smartphone, which already knows so much about us, be used to monitor the mental health status of patients? This sounds far-fetched, but as I think about all the ways my smartphone knows me and my behavior, this doesn’t seem that unrealistic: “The force they hope to harness is the power of daily behavior,…
Growing up with an addict in the house, whether in ab abusive situation or not, leads to learning a lot of things as a child that are not good for us as adults. Living with an addict (including alcoholics1) can feel like life in a war zone. The addict’s personality changes caused by addiction create…
When you grow up in an abusive situation, your mind learns things that are very hard to unlearn. Yes, it’s a form of PTSD, and it can throw you for a loop: I still avoid many things that remind me of her; I still flinch sometimes when people raise a hand near me — a…
