Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors Information - Issue #95
Back from break - a year older.
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. If you’ve tried to follow the resources I share on social media and find that the algorithm has decided for you to not show you the things we post, this is the best way to get caught up each week.
For more information about me and why this newsletter exists visit the website - Child Abuse Survivor.
Taking some time away was good. It was a nice break, a good time to spend with my wife, a chance to learn some history, and an opportunity to indulge in my favorite hobby, photography. Interestingly, I also saw this link while I was away and saw myself in it - The Powerful Benefits of Photography for Mental and Physical Health
If anything, that link reminds me that doing healthy things for ourselves might look different for many of us. I get physical exercise and an appreciation for the world around me by getting out with my camera gear and exploring. I’m never going to be a runner, yet I know a lot of folks who are. That’s their joy. That’s their self-care. The details of what you enjoy aren’t as important as just doing it. We all need self-care, and we all need to have things that we enjoy just for the sake of enjoying it. That’s how we keep from falling into despair. So, whatever your thing is, find some time to spend in it soon.
What’s your thing?
New from the Blogs
A long five years since I turned 50
If 50 was all about celebrating still being alive, 55 is more about just being tired. It feels old. It is getting harder and harder to find the things worth celebrating, but I know that they are still there. It just takes more work to focus on them than it used to.
Most importantly, I know that being alive at this age means I can still make a difference. I can continue to write and encourage others. I can continue to listen and support the people in my life. I'm still here.
Sharing - Teen Suicide: What Parents Need to Know
We have said often that the best prevention we can offer is to simply keep people connected to those around them. When you're talking about teens, staying connected to them as parents is vital. When it's a friend, another family member, an adult, a kid, etc. the best thing we can offer is staying connected with them.
That connection, that knowledge that they are not, in fact, going through this pain alone can make all the difference.
Sharing - Pay attention to the chameleon kids
Jake describes the risk of these kids growing up to be people pleasers. I'd go one further. Not only did I grow up as a people pleaser, but I also had zero sense of self. Without someone to react to and to become the person they wanted me to be, I was no one. I tell people this often but I spent more time in therapy figuring out who I am than I spent trying to process childhood trauma and that was a direct result of growing up as this chameleon kid.
Shared from Elsewhere
Laughter is good for our mental health - 5 Health Benefits of a Good Laugh
Also:
Guys, we need to be better:
I write often about physical and sexual abuse, but I found a lot of good information about neglect here - All you need to know about the Long-Term effects of Child Neglect
How To Establish Healthy Boundaries - always an important topic.
Some more resources you might find helpful:
Finally, a reminder that correlation is not causation. The connection between social media and mental health is much more complicated than headlines would have us believe. - Child depression rates are skyrocketing - but social media isn’t to blame. Here’s why
From the Archives
Leaving an Impression – Lessons from Otis Redding
The simple truth of life is that someday, we will be interacting with the people who are important to us for the last time, and most of us will not have any idea that it is the last time.
How We Make It Harder For Kids to Tell
We celebrate and talk about killing abusers but is that just adding more trauma to victims and something that discourages them from telling?
It’s when we see other people as being “less than” that we see all sorts of abusive, anti-social, and sometimes violent behavior. In general, we don’t treat other people that way when we are looking out for their best interests.
Thanks for reading. If you find this newsletter informative and helpful to you, spread the word. That’s the best way you can say thank you for the effort I put in each week.