Child Abuse Survivor - Issue #186

There's an interesting side effect to all this stress - we're more easily manipulated

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Dr. Jennifer Fraser shares the details, but if you’ve been paying attention to the media, politics, society, etc. this all makes sense:

When We're Stressed, We're Easier to Manipulate

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.

If you can push people to feel stressed all of the time, that fear and stress makes them extremely vulnerable because when we’re on the edge of our ability to cope, we’ll take whatever valve we can locate to lessen the stress. Whether that valve is true or not, if it makes us feel less stressed, we’re likely to welcome it.

So, when the media pushes story after story in an effort to scare us, we become open to suggestion in a way that bypasses our normal cognitive abilities.

It’s a well-worned tactic among abusers. There are a lot of abusers out there who’ve latched on to it. Make people stressed, then feed them easy answers to make them feel safe. You’ve got a fairly controlled group now.

---

New from the Blogs

Sharing - The Loneliness Epidemic

It requires so much more effort to even have basic interactions anymore. We've spent decades designing society this way. It's not just a personal failing; it's the entire system. Changing the system can't be done by one person. But Mandy has some small steps we can take, and if enough people start taking them, maybe we can make some progress and shift the design toward something less lonely.

Sharing - Carrying heavy secrets alone: sexual trauma disclosure in boys and men

We shouldn't act surprised when claims of abuse are revealed many years after the act. That's not evidence that the claim is false; it's just the norm.

How is the mental health of workers in 2026?

Do you see the trend? Many of us have gotten more comfortable talking about mental health with people we trust. We do not trust corporate leaders. And, why should we? How many people do you know who’ve been laid off in recent years, not because they weren’t meeting the requirements of the job, or the company was losing money, but because the stock price needed a nudge? It’s impossible for employees to trust that you care about their mental health when you’ve watched them cut staff and make it more difficult on those left behind over and over again.

Supporting your workers’ mental health requires them to feel a sense of safety. That no longer exists in most workplaces.

Sharing - Two to three cups of coffee a day may protect your mental health

To put it bluntly, drinking two or three cups of coffee per day may help ward off some mental health issues for some people.

For an individual, it may help, and it may not. It’s important to note that a lower incidence of mental health issues does not mean no mental health incidents. You can exercise, drink two cups of coffee, and get a good night’s sleep every day, and while that is good for you and has benefits, there’s no guarantee that you will not be impacted by mental health issues.

---

Shared from Elsewhere

I thought this was very interesting. I have dealt with DID as part of my trauma. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD, but there are signs. - Understanding the Link Between ADHD and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

I will always share this kind of advice - How to start a mental health conversation with someone you love

Or this kind of advice:

What to Say When Someone Tells You They Were Sexually Abused

If you’ve heard about it and wondered what it was - Mental Health Minute -- Understanding Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

Sleep matters. Why protecting your sleep is beneficial to your physical and mental health

But, even with healthy habits, some systemic issues still impact mental health - Racial Discrimination Linked to Mental Health Risks and Increased Psychiatric Detention

Not every survivor gets closure. That’s not a deal-breaker for healing. - How to Move On | What to Do When You Can’t Get Closure

Making a Difference:

• Lady Gaga donates $100,000 to Atlanta non-profit supporting youth mental health and education

• York coffee shop hosts 7 am ‘rave’ for mental health group

• Annual ice hockey tournament raises funds for free mental health care for first responders

• Kansas Profile: Young farmer offers mental health assistance to ag community

---

Thanks for reading. If you find this newsletter informative and helpful, please share it with others. That’s the best way to express gratitude for my weekly efforts.