Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.(US Department of Justice)
CSA Basics
Informational Article: Five Trauma Responses
The trauma responses are neurophysiological; they are not bad or good. They happen without us choosing what to do. These responses help us survive. Healthy activation of these stress response systems is predictable, moderate and controllable. (Gobbel, 2023). When it's not it dysregulates us and can cause trauma
Ideas To Begin Trauma Healing
It's really common to feel very confused and unsure about where we can start in our healing journey. Intense emotions of any kind make it hard to even know what we can or should do to begin. Everyone's healing journey and what's right for them is going to be hard. But some of what is … Continue reading Ideas To Begin Trauma Healing
Coping Skills: Emotional Flashbacks
An emotional flashback is when we are triggered into living in the emotional/psychological state we experienced during our traumatic childhood experiences.
Informational Article: Child Sexual Abusers
Child abusers exist across races and gender. Understanding what is behind sexual abuse can help us more effectively prevent sexual violence. As well as just give victims power and understand what their abuser was doing.Â
Symptom Explainer: Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, cognitively and emotionally disruptive thoughts. These thoughts are characteristic of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive class disorders. They are also found in mood, eating, trauma & addiction disorders. Intrusive thoughts are usually thoughts about actions, scenarios or fears the person finds upsetting and often taboo in their culture. Common topics include inappropriate … Continue reading Symptom Explainer: Intrusive Thoughts
Informational Article: Define Trauma
The essence of trauma is the responses to the event when our brain and body's window of tolerance is overwhelmed.
Symptom Explainer: Dissociation
Defining Dissociation General Dissociation: Dissociation refers to the natural mechanism our brain has to disconnect us from our surroundings and ourselves. This is sometimes as a benign reaction but severe dissociation is associated with trauma and other mental illnesses. Every Person has the capacity for dissociation and many experiences some degree of the skill like … Continue reading Symptom Explainer: Dissociation
Advice Post: How To Start Talking About Our Abuse Stories
Talking About Our Abuse Stories Putting Words to The Abuse: Drawing can be a good first step to allowing thoughts to be externalized. Music and dancing even can be a way to communicate the way the body and subconscious carry trauma in a way that words don’t always understand. Journaling is often a good way … Continue reading Advice Post: How To Start Talking About Our Abuse Stories
Diagnosis Primer: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD) is a relatively common disorder in those who have experienced trauma. It includes much of the cultural assumptions of what trauma causes like flashbacks and reactions to reminders of the trauma. The depictions are often done with some real misinformation so hopefully, this will help flesh out how PTSD is understood … Continue reading Diagnosis Primer: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Survivors Healing Survivors 