Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors Information - Issue #98
Where's that same energy for survivors?
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.
The political news has been abuzz with people who seem to think it’s perfectly fine to teach kids that enslaved blacks in America might have benefited from slavery, and a news program where it was suggested some Jews might have even benefitted from surviving the Holocaust. The majority of us agree that trying to “look at the bright side” of these horrific events is terrible. There’s no positive that can be used to diminish how horrific these events were.
So why do we insist of telling abuse survivors to find the positive in their trauma? Just stop it. This is toxic positivity run amok.
New from the Blogs
Sad News - The loss of a mental health advocate and friend
It was shortly after the newsletter went out last week that I learned my friend, radio show host, and mental health advocate Tiffany Werhner passed away. I’m still shaken by the news and saddened by the fact that events in both of our lives had prevented us from making time to chat for these last few months. Now, I won’t get to talk to her about mental health issues, the excitement in her voice about upcoming guests on the show, or hear about how her kids are doing, etc. There’s a lesson in that for all of us. Make the time.
Have you found your creativity to help with your mental health?
Turns out that doing things we like is good for our mental health, so it's not selfish to make time for them.
I Started Healing When I Convinced Myself I was Safe Now, What About People Who Aren't Safe?
Casey calls out those of us who would say "love is love" and support our LGBTQ friends and family members without standing up and doing what we can to actually make this world safer for them. I'll go one further. If we want to call ourselves mental health advocates and advocates for trauma survivors we need to do what we can to push for a world that is safe for everyone. We can't heal when we don't feel safe, and for too many people in this world, they have no reason to feel safe.
We need to advocate for a world that is safe for them too.
Shared from Elsewhere
NoFiltr Resources Help Youth Navigate Online Risks - a resource for youth by youth and the Thorn organization.
July is BIPOC Mental Health month, but this should be a concern for everyone, all the time. - Facing the Black Suicide Crisis
What to Say When Someone Is Depressed: 14 Perfectly Worded Texts - If you want to reach out but aren't sure how, maybe these suggestions combined with what you know about the person will help you find the words.
Just when we start to think we’re seeing some improvement on this front - They Needed Treatment. Mississippi Threw Them in Jail Without Charges.
Also, for the bookworms among us - The Psychology of Reading
From the Archives
If your first instinct when hearing about sexual abuse, even as a rumor, is to think to yourself “that person wouldn’t do that”, you are part of the problem. No one thought that nice, charming, doctor working with the gymnasts was a predator, and here we are now, learning there were hundreds of victims. So I have to ask, if someone told you a nice teacher, of any gender, or coach, neighbor, or even relative, was abusing children, would your first instinct be to believe the child and seek an investigation, or remind yourself of how nice the adult is?
You Survived – “That’s Enough” – How a Line from Dunkirk Speaks to Abuse Survivors
By surviving, you’ve done enough to guarantee another day to fight for yourself. For today, well done. Here’s to tomorrow.
Want to Support Someone But Don’t Know How, Maybe Just Try “Plus-One”
Maybe it would be easier to simply think in terms of what thing I can do that will add a “plus-one” to their game. What assistance can I offer to help them navigate the current level of their life, whatever level that might be? People in various kinds of pain, depression, grief, etc., generally use a lot of energy just to get through the day. Maybe the thing you do to “plus-one” their day is simply to take an extra task away so they can save that energy.
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.