Revue newsletter for Child Abuse Survivor - Issue #22
Happy Friday! Another week down, and some more reading material for subscribers to take in. If it's cold where you are and you're looking at an indoor weekend with warm beverages and blankets, I hope you'll take a look at the things I'm sharing here and that they help, a little bit. Stay warm out there!
New From the Blogs
We Teach Children all the Wrong Things — www.childabusesurvivor.net I came across this video of Emma Jean Taylor's TedTalk about child abuse the other day and wanted to share it with you. First because, as the title of the video says, we teach kids to be wary of strangers all the time but we don't teach them to also be wary of people they know, despite the fact that up to 90% of sexual abuse victims know the abuser. I fell into that category. I remember learning all about windowless vans and strangers with candy. No one ever told me that someone within my own family could also be a sexual abuser.
Sharing - Healthy Boundaries for Adult Children of Toxic Parents — www.childabusesurvivor.net There is some good advice in the article about how to create, and maintain, healthy boundaries with a variety of toxic parent "types", but I will always fall back on one fact of life as a survivor of childhood abuse, we came out of childhood with no idea of what a boundary is, let alone why we would create one. We were never given the opportunity to learn or practice this skill. It's OK if it takes us a minute to figure it out before we get it right.
Sharing - Talking Openly About Anxiety — www.childabusesurvivor.net I recently had a conversation with someone dealing with anxiety and trying to learn more about it. She desperately needs to know that what she's experiencing is something that many other people are going through and have gone through. So, I've told her about my anxiety. I've told her about the times my brain just won't turn off, and my heart beats faster for no apparent reason at all. I've told her about the days when I struggle to remember things because my mind is racing so fast it doesn't process things I just heard. My wife has been there for those conversations. She's heard me talk about things I've not really told her because I don't want her to worry. Does she worry now? Maybe. Does it really matter to me? Yes, it does. I don't want her to worry, but I'll trade that for letting someone we both care about know that they are not alone. This is why we need to talk about it. No one should feel alone and ashamed about any mental health issues they may be having. There are just too many others having the same ones for there to be room for judgment instead of support.
Sharing - Shower Meditation: Wash Away Your Stress and Anxiety — www.childabusesurvivor.net So, maybe Steven's suggestion to start with a shower meditation might work for some of you who struggle like me. I'm going to try it, assuming I remember to actually do it instead of rushing to get finished and on to the next thing! How do you incorporate mindfulness or meditation into your daily activities? Does it help you?
Shared From Elsewhere
Mental Health is More Complex Than Snap "Out of It" — marciasirotamd.com Mental health is in their brain, not their body, but that doesn’t mean they’re not suffering from a real condition—one that is not going away on its own.
Toxic positivity & victim blaming women – VictimFocus Blog — victimfocusblog.com Dr Jessica Taylor 29th January 2022 I never knew I had such an issue with positivity around women’s trauma and abuse until a few years ago, and even then, I couldn’t put my finger on why it annoyed me so much. A professional I knew shared positive, uplifting messages about women and girls who had…
Make It Stop: Mental Health Stigmas That Need To Be Cancelled — madamenoire.com African Americans are already at a heightened risk for common preventable diseases, and less likely to seek help for mental health conditions
These Mental Health Podcasts Can Teach You New Ways To Feel Happier And More Fulfilled — www.womenshealthmag.com Mental health podcasts can help you learn ways to deal with emotional struggles and feel less alone. Here are the best ones for anxiety, depression, and more.
How Acceptance Can Reduce Substance Use, Suicide Risk for LGBTQ Youth — www.healthline.com New research examines the realities of substance use and suicide risk among a diverse sample of LGBTQ young people in the United States, taking a more comprehensive look than previous studies.
From the Archives
Sharing - Mental health books: Books to boost your mental health — www.childabusesurvivor.net These are Joanne’s suggestions, and I wanted to share them with you all in the interest of offering some small reviews of books about mental health issues. As she says: ” I think everyone needs a self-care library – if you need a little inspiration for what to include in yours, here are some of...
Link - How Comparing Mental Illnesses Can Lead to Stigma — www.childabusesurvivor.net I’m not sure how this ever became a thing. Yes,it may be somewhat normal to look around and see that there are other people out there who might have it worse, I’ve never understood using that as an excuse to not get treatment, or to ridicule others. If you broke your arm, you wouldn’t look...
Link - 'Teachable moments': How to talk to kids about sexual abuse — www.childabusesurvivor.net This is a really interesting comparison: “Jennifer Alvaro has never met anyone who’s had to escape a burning school building. But as a parent, she’s grateful students are taught about fire safety and how to react in the event of a fire. She does, however, know thousands of people who have either been sexually abused...