Revue newsletter for Child Abuse Survivor - Issue #9
New Stuff From the Blogs
Sharing - 5 Powerful Self-Care Tips for Abuse and Trauma Survivors — www.childabusesurvivor.net How often do I see survivors talking about being healed as if there's some end where they are done and never have to think about the trauma again, and berating themselves for not having yet reached this state when it doesn't really work that way. Self-care and learning never stop. We never reach a point where we know everything and live happily ever after. Real-life does not have a happily ever after, it has ups, downs, twists, and turns, and healing will not be any different.
Sharing - Validation Is Important in Supporting Trauma Survivors — www.childabusesurvivor.net It's true, there are people all around you right now who have experienced horrific traumas in their lives, and the reason you don't know is that they don't feel safe talking about it. They've lived years, even decades, with this truth, only to be met with invalidating remarks like "Why can't you just let it go?" or "you should be over that by now", "it wasn't that bad", etc. When your trauma, the thing you are struggling to overcome, is met with that kind of response you aren't going to rush out to talk about it, which is a shame because talking about it to people who can be validating to us is one of the best ways to actually heal from it and have it no longer dominate our daily lives.
Sometimes Self-Care Isn't About The Self — www.childabusesurvivor.net I have heard Shelly Tygielski's story before. Right at the start of the pandemic, she put together a sort of community-based mutual aid organization that was designed to match people in need with people who could help. She has now written a book about that experience and shared her mindfulness teachings. I caught an interview piece/book review over on the Time website this week and I thought this is something that really makes a lot of sense, and might be something we need to think much more openly about when we encourage people to self-care.
It's The Time of the Year When We Need to Talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder — www.childabusesurvivor.net As I realize that those of us in the US will be turning the clocks back to standard time this weekend, and those of you in other Northern Hemisphere countries may have done the same last weekend, it's important to remind ourselves of what that time change, and change in the amount of daylight to follow, can mean for folks. So, I'm sharing a link and an image from the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) to remind us that SAD is a thing, and it can be mild and treated by taking some small actions, or it can truly interfere with living our lives and might require something more than eating healthier. Either way, keep this handy and know when the season might be affecting you.
Shared From Elsewhere
Painted Brain | Great Ways To Save Your Mental Health In Fall Season — paintedbrain.org For most people, the onset of fall is the cause of seasonal depression. Hence, this is a great time when nature endows nature with bright colors. But what if th
Mental Health Effects of Different Types of Abuse — www.verywellmind.com There are many types of abuse and each affects people differently. Learn about how abuse affects overall well-being.
Linked: Making workplaces better for people struggling with mental health will make work better for everyone — www.mikemcbrideonline.com The reality is if you allow people to be flexible and get their work done in the way that makes the most sense for them, individually, they will all benefit from that decision. There won't be a fairness issue because of some accommodation because everyone is getting the accommodation they need to do their best work. What's wrong with that? Isn't that what management says they want?
Painted Brain | Why Everyone Needs Self-care — paintedbrain.org In order to take care of others, you must take care of yourself. Self-care is defined as taking time to practice and be active in one’s own health and
From the Archives
When You're A Kid You Don't Know It Happens To Anyone Else — www.childabusesurvivor.net I was listening to the recent episode of the Psych Central Podcast, an interview with Erik Coleman, a former NFL player, and the child of drug addicts. The whole thing is interesting, but around the ninth minute of the show, Gabe asks him about what he thinks are the most important thing that can be...
Sharing - How To Identify Grooming Predatory Behavior & Stop It — www.childabusesurvivor.net That's our blind spot. We're so busy looking for creepy, anti-social, stereotypes that we miss the charming abusers right in our midst, and we miss all the signs and hints that our kids might be dropping because we just didn't stop to consider that adult to be dangerous. We just assumed they were safe, and our kids would somehow know better anyway. Clearly, that strategy isn't working.
How Trauma is Like Living Behind a Wall of Water — www.childabusesurvivor.net I recently posted this photo to my photo blog, and as I looked at it, a thought occurred to me. In context, with the other photos I shot that day, I know