“Talking about suicide is one of the best ways to prevent it. But how we talk about it is critically important. When addressing the topic of suicide, it is essential to convey messages of hope, healing and help. “ It is so important to stay hopeful in the face of depression and suicidal thoughts. Depression…
When Meg was 12, her mother, Annie, found herself unable to look at her. Seeing her daughter made Annie feel unsettled, at times almost angry. At first, she couldn’t figure out why. “And then, Meg turned 13 and suddenly, everything slid into place for me,” Annie says. “I found myself thinking, ‘She’s so tiny. She…
Two things from this article I wanted to comment on: People always ask me what I think should have happened to Youssefi. Years in prison? Intensive counseling? Even after all my reporting, I’m still not sure. But I do know one thing: When Dodd told her school counselor about Youssefi, I hadn’t started taking gymnastics…
“When Alexis Gonzalez tells her story about overcoming child abuse, she’s surprised by how many people it resonates with. At one event after another in the Central Valley, she’s approached by audience members who can relate. “People would disclose their own abuse and that they had never told anybody,” said Gonzalez, now 21. “People are…
But mental illness is messy and it impacts people in unique ways. While a doctor can estimate the healing time required for a sprained knee ligament, the same cannot be said for a mental illness such as schizophrenia. Each person has a unique experience with mental illness. While two people may share a diagnosis, their…
“Invalidation is triggering. It makes a white hot anger rise up inside. We want to defend ourselves the way we couldn’t when we were young. At the same time, we lean towards self-doubt because we’d all rather believe the abuse didn’t happen at all. Invalidation makes healing slow down and we feel like we don’t…
