Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors Information - Issue #153
X(Twitter) it's time for me to go
So, how are we doing after the US election? I wrote about my reaction and the betrayal of sexual abuse survivors in the first post linked below. I will let you read it there instead of going on about it in the intro.
On my work blog, I also wrote about what’s happening with X(Twitter) during the lead-up to the election and now that the election is over.
Thank you for reading the Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors newsletter. Each week, I share new blog posts and other resources that aim to help survivors of childhood abuse and those who are struggling with mental health issues feel less alone as we discuss the issues surrounding our issues.
For more information about me and why this newsletter exists, visit the website - Child Abuse Survivor.
Maybe we shouldn't consider X-Twitter's market-value collapse a horrendous business decision. Perhaps this was always a $44 billion donation in kind to the Trump campaign in exchange for an oversized level of power and influence. Musk turned Twitter into X - a right-wing propaganda machine.
The platform hasn’t been relevant for me in a long time. Gone are the days when there was a community of survivors who could use it to stay connected, as we're all inundated with trolls, bots, and scams. I left the blogs auto-posting there for the folks who wanted to use it to follow it, but now I’m asking them to go.
It’s not worth it.
As I mentioned, several tools are currently auto-posting on X(Twitter), so it will take a little time to untangle things. However, things will stop posting in the coming days as the account eventually disappears.
As a subscriber to this newsletter that may not impact you much, you’re following me here. But, if you’re looking to get away from what Elon has created, you will find me on these tools instead:
In the wake of Elon's actions on Twitter, where are you connecting with other survivors and/or mental health advocates?
New from the Blogs
Society Doesn't Learn - Survivors Aren't Believed
It's disheartening to think that I've spent over 20 years in the online survivor community advocating that we believe survivors and act on accusations of abuse only to wind up here. This feels like we've gone back to the days of sexual violence being unheard of because no one would dare talk about being a victim. It's enough to make you want to quit. I felt that way last week. As I watched my wife's hope for women across the country leave her body while also being overwhelmingly angry at people who voted for a criminal and a rapist, I wanted to walk away and shut myself off from the world.
Instead, I stepped away for a few days and reminded myself that there will be innumerable victims of sexual abuse who can't talk about it and need to know that they are not alone. There are growing numbers of survivors who will be losing their families and friends and need to know that they are not alone. We will all be looking for community.
If anything, the importance of staying online and continuing to talk about child abuse, sexual violence, mental health, and supporting vulnerable people is higher now than it has been in the entire time I've been doing this. Now is not the time to walk away; it's the time to fight for survivors.
Sharing - It Took Me Decades to Feel Angry
Whatever that looked like for you, we know that survivors often have difficulty feeling emotions, let alone expressing them. None of this is good for our long-term healing, and I hope you'll read Andrea's story and how she approaches anger now. I think we need a reminder that we can heal to the point where we feel our emotions and live with them in a healthy manner.
Sharing - A stranger's words have a ripple effect on one man's life.
We all can do small acts of assistance with friends, family, coworkers, and strangers. When someone does, it confirms our shared humanity, which far too many people are not feeling right now. It shows us that we are worthy of assistance. It also shows us the power of accepting assistance when offered because when someone offers to help us, we can connect with that person in that shared humanity.
Sharing - AI-Powered Abuse: The Growing Concern of Child Exploitation Imagery
This is an issue that I suspect gets confusing for many people. Creating deepfake abuse imagery has become relatively easy to do, but in many places, it is illegal. The harm, though, is indirect. A child wasn't being abused to create the images, but once they are in public, the child who is being portrayed in the picture is being harmed in other ways.
Shared from Elsewhere
This week, especially, celebrate the wins going on at work and home:
Give Yourself Credit - Celebrate Those Small Wins!
Also, for this week - here are 10 Self-Empowering Tips to Manage Election Overwhelm.
Since loneliness is increasing among older people and young people, this makes a lot of sense to me. These matchmakers connect teens and elders, and the friendships benefit both sides.
It hasn’t felt much like Fall where I live, but Winter is coming. - Winter Depression Is Real: How to Fight Back and Take Control of Your Mental Health
Making a Difference:
Clyde Edwards-Helaire opens up about mental health, where he stands now
Former NBA Kyle Singler raises alarms with revealing Instagram video on mental health
Comedian shines light on mental health with stand-up comedy show
Ashley Gorley Donates ‘I Am Not Okay’ Royalties to Launch Mental Health Support for Songwriters
A boxing program for abuse survivors is changing lives in Melbourne. Now, they hope to go national
A Tuscaloosa woman is using her brother’s arrest to address mental health issues in Alabama
From the Archives
Some Conversations Are Easier Online
When we write about mental health on a website or social media, we aren't pulling any particular person into the conversation. We're not trying to connect with one individual. We're putting the story out to the public, and we see the folks who respond. We don't see the hundreds of people who don't respond. We are taking a risk, but it's not a personal risk. Talking to a boss or someone close to us is a different risk. It's much more personal. Someone seeing our story and not responding online has no significant cost to us. Asking a person to connect with us puts us in a situation where there may be a significant cost if they don't respond.
Yes, You Do Know Victims of Sexual Abuse
The fact is, if you don’t know anyone who is a survivor, it’s most likely due to the fact that the survivors around you have decided not to reveal it, either to you or at all.
Quick Thought Number 5 – Most People Have Been Traumatized
This may be especially true this year - It’s That Time of Year – Setting Boundaries with your Family.
Thanks for reading. If you find this newsletter informative and helpful, please spread the word. That’s the best way to thank me for my weekly effort.