Revue newsletter for Child Abuse Survivor - Issue #36
I love the Live Oaks in Louisiana because there is something beautiful about the way the branches spread In all the haphazard directions, finding their own way to grow and create a path to the sun and water they need. There’s no one path, they each find their own. Like each of us finding our path to healing.
New From the Blogs
Sharing - Online business from hell: Child trafficking in video games. — www.childabusesurvivor.net Penelope gives a very detailed explanation of how trafficking starts online, in chat around popular online video games, and how it spreads. Most of all, however, she provides an incredibly important look into what a trafficker looks for in a kid playing video games:
Want to Share Your Story for Mental Health Month? Check This First — www.childabusesurvivor.net Choosing to tell your story for the first time or to a more public audience is not a decision you want to take lightly. Many of us who have done it and are "public" about our past or current issues can tell you that while there are great things that can come from sharing, there are also things you should be prepared for. I'll be the first to admit that I was not prepared for things. As much as I have never regretted starting this site and sharing my story, there have been times when it's been a bit awkward. Times I did not think enough about ahead of time and might have handled differently if I had thought more about it. So, with that in mind, let me share this resource from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
Sharing - Nature helps mental health, research says—but only for rich, white people? — www.childabusesurvivor.net See, it's easy to tell people who live pretty comfortable lives what a difference some time in nature can make for their anxiety or other issues. People living in poverty or dealing with racism every day might not get the same benefit from an afternoon hike. We don't know what impact it would have, because we've mainly only been testing in relatively wealthy countries with relatively wealthy subjects. We should be considering all of the societal and environmental obstacles that exist for people when it comes to mental health challenges. I suspect it's only very recently that we've begun to do that, so any of our typical "advice" about self-care might not be appropriate until we've done more.
Linked: How to Be a Mental Health Ally — www.mikemcbrideonline.com It's that first line that should grab your attention because so many people do not see mental health struggles as something that impacts them, or will impact them. But the numbers don't lie. Someone you know, probably even someone very close to you, is dealing with mental health struggles as you read this. Someone you work with is doing the same themselves or supporting someone else who is. How great would it be if we all recognized that and provided a safe place for them to talk about those struggles instead of not welcoming their voices and causing more harm? I don't think we can even imagine how helpful that would be because we see it so infrequently. It's time for that to change.
Shared From Elsewhere
12 Kids Books to Read During Mental Health Awareness Month — www.newyorkfamily.com As May approaches, we’re stepping into Mental Health Awareness Month. As mental health becomes more of a priority in our day-to-day lives as well as our children’s, it’s important that our kids are educated on such an important topic. Books will help them learn and become aware of their own mental health.
4 Self-Care Habits That Involve Doing Less | Psychology Today — www.psychologytoday.com Self-care advice to do more might not be what you need.
Self-Care Is Really Mental Health Care - The Best Brain Possible — thebestbrainpossible.com Self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of mental illness and brain decline, elevate your mood, and improve the quality of your life. Even small acts can have big results.
The Problem with Preaching Gratitude | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness When dealing with the challenges of mental illness, it can be difficult to feel and express gratitude. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Support Kids and Teens in Tough Times With the Best Books for 2022 — www.healthline.com Reading can help young people feel seen, heard, and supported.
'People are dying because of silence:' Experts encourage change for Mental Health Awareness Month — www.abcactionnews.com Mental Health advocates are pushing for change to normalize the conversation around mental health while working to expand access to care to make it more available.
Linked: In Praise of Doing Nothing — www.mikemcbrideonline.com I'm sure these statistics will not surprise anyone: "American workers’ productivity has increased dramatically since 1973. What has also increased sharply
The Best Short Films about Mental Health | Short of the Week — www.shortoftheweek.com Created for Mental Health Awareness Month: A collection of ten short films aiming to provide insight and provoke discussion around issues of mental health.
From the Archives
Link - Why You Need a Wide Mental Health Support Network — www.childabusesurvivor.net There’s a lot in the article, and there are more reasons than this one, but really, isn’t this enough to show that you need a wide network: “Don’t Overburden a Single Person” It’s not fair to make any one person responsible for our mental health support. We are the only one’s who can take responsibility...
2020 Brought us More People Talking about Mental Health, not Necessarily More Treatment — www.childabusesurvivor.net Some numbers from an Anthem survey show that while many of us were talking about mental health more in 2020, there was not any corresponding increase in the availability of treatment.
The Importance Of Fun — www.childabusesurvivor.net I've always been a big fan of taking a break and having some fun, no matter where you are in your healing. Sometimes the best way to get past a
Link - I Was Sexually Abused—And All Parents Should Do What Mine Did When I Told Them — www.childabusesurvivor.net Without it, there’s no way to even start the healing process… What my dad did next is what he should have done. It’s what any parent should do when a child says they’ve been abused. It’s what any church leader should do when someone says they’ve been abused. But terribly, it’s not what many parents...