I love this whole article from Terry because this was the one concept that kind of put me over the hump in therapy: “We find our voice and suddenly realize: we get to be whoever we decide we want to be.” When my therapist first asked me that question, “what do you want your life…
Brian Cardoza on Surviving Abuse and Sex Trafficking
The Science of How Our Minds and Our Bodies Converge in the Healing of Trauma
5 Reasons Mental Illness Isn’t ‘Abnormal’ (And ‘Normal’ Doesn’t Exist)
Linked: What to say to your boss if you’re struggling at work during COVID-19
Brave Expressions. -Brave Expressions is a mental health storytelling platform that empowers people to express their experiences through any creative outlet. Our mission is to create a space where people can express their mental health stories, learn about others’ experiences, and know they’re not alone.
How Scapegoating Is the Promotion of a False Family Narrative
LSU student creates mental health hotline to combat stigmas in Black communities
20 Mental Health Resources to Follow
How growing and nurturing friendships can boost your mental and physical health
Winning at all costs – how abuse in sport has become normalised
Fight Loneliness by Expanding Your Circle of Concern
I also want you to remember that, as far as I can tell, this study was done regarding adult women being harassed. Imagine how much the victim-blaming in those cases would impact a sexual abuse victim? As a child, maybe we didn’t have any chance to make an accusation, but as an adult we could, except look at what happens to people who come forward years later? Why would I put myself through that trauma?
And if you’re a male victim of sexual abuse, or even assault as an adult? Yeah, you get the extra burden of proving you didn’t want it too.
This all stems from a complete misunderstanding of trauma, and the dynamics involved in going public with our stories. To too many people in society, if we don’t report it right when it happens, then coming forward later is just proof that it didn’t happen and we have some other motive for making the accusation.
Until that goes away, there will continue to be millions of silent victims, and who knows how many predators not being found out.
This is a powerful statement.
“Relationships are at the root of mental health in every way.”
For abuse survivors, we know this, even if we don’t always think about it. It’s the damage from abuse at the hands of another person that has such a huge impact on our mental health. It’s the reason when we talk about it occurring at the hands of a family member of loved one that other people struggle to believe us. That the relationship would be the source of abuse is unthinkable to people with good relationships.
But, we can also turn that statement on it’s head as well. It’s relationships that can undo that mental health damage that was done by abuse too.
Lessons in Self-Talk
When Your “Person” Has Depression
In India, the deepening of the mental health crisis
How Childhood Trauma Causes Imbalanced Growth
People in mental health crises need help, not handcuffs
What Recovering from Depression has Taught Me
Online Mental Health Treatment Shouldn’t End With the Pandemic
Surviving Your Family by Setting Boundaries
Samantha’s article about grief has a lot in common with some of the things I’ve been saying about abuse, and other trauma, specifically this idea: “Society creates the perception that all that is needed after a loss is for the individual to take a little time to breathe — and then get back to work….
