sexual abuse

Image via Unsplash (Christopher Campbell)

I’m Not The Only One Who Lost Faith

In my youth, our church was a place of liberal political pride for me. Jesus was a role model for helping others. The man who sexually abused me also spoke eloquently of Christian generosity. He welcomed draft resisters to the church during the Vietnam War. He was an intellectual who introduced me to Virginia Wolf, even as he seemed to feel entitled to sexual access to all women — and children who looked like women, like me.

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I want freedom.

How I Coped And Survived My Life — After Being Abused

Trauma has a way of breaking people down. It's consumed almost every moment of the last 15 years of my life- from the mental health consequences, such as PTSD and years invested in therapy, to the trouble I have connecting with other people and opening up.

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I want to feel and share deeply, intimately. I can’t admit any of this out loud. Image: Thinkstock.

Denial Won't Help Me Recover From Trauma

[M]y therapist pointed out there’s a huge discrepancy in the way I present myself. On the one hand, I am a successful working person who seems fine and normal. On the other hand, I have a hard time with basic self-care and very often experience dissociation, depression, and anxiety as a result of sexual trauma and PTSD. And between these seemingly different people is a huge gap occupied by denial.

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Most of the time I can't be present no matter how hard I try: not at the beach, not at a concert I've been eagerly anticipating, not with friends or family. It's frustrating at best. Image: Unsplash, Francisco Moreno

It's Hard To 'Live In The Moment' When You Dissociate

Supposedly, the happiest people are living in the moment, seizing the day, and generally living like it's their last day on earth. It all sounds inspired, wonderful, and profound. And simple. Who wouldn't be on board? Me, that's who. And somehow I suspect I'm not alone.

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Forcing someone to live with pain of that nature is inhumane. Image: Pixabay.

People Shouldn't Be Denied The Right To Die By Assisted Suicide

Until you have stared down that kind of mental anguish and all-consuming darkness for years on end, you cannot judge someone for choosing to escape their torture.

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Image From JK Rowling's Twitter

JK Rowling Continues To Be The Actual Best In Touching Tweet To Fan

We all need a little magic sometimes.

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My tattoos have become a protective buffer against self-injury and an important step in refashioning my journey toward wellness. Image: Thinkstock.

How Tattoos Helped Me Recover From Self-Injury

[CN: cutting, dissociation, auditory hallucinations] I struggle with the need to have physical, visible proof of my inner world. That’s when I realized tattoos can replace my scars. I can reinterpret what my scars stand for and transform them into something beautiful, something worth remembering.

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It’s time we get our facts straight. Image: Thinkstock.

8 Myths About Sexual Assault That Everyone Needs To Ditch

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. Unfortunately, you probably know someone who has been sexually assaulted. 1 out of 6 American women are survivors of attempted or completed rape. It’s not just women: 1 out of 33 men are survivors as well.

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