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.
psychology
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
Diagnosis Primer: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by intrusive and uncontrollable obsessions and compulsions.
Informational Article: Implicit Memories and Memory Systems
Implicit memories are memories that we carry unconsciously and cannot be actively recalled as stories or facts. They are the groundwork our lives are built on and influences our relationships, responses to stress, behavior, arousal, and skills.
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
The False Memory Myth & Memory Repression
A common question we've got is people asking if their memories are "real" if they "made it up" and similar concerns. This is distressing to us because it comes from a place of not only misinformation but the effects of a deep culture of victim-blaming, the denial of sexual abuse and dates back to truly … Continue reading The False Memory Myth & Memory Repression
Diagnosis Primer: Borderline Personality Disorder
Criterion, aetiology, relations to other conditions, connections to trauma and neurology. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Also known as Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) is a personality disorder that affects identity, impulse control, relational issues and emotional understanding. In the general population, there is a diagnosis rate of 1.6-2.7%. (Lenzenweger, Lane, Loranger, & Kessler 2007; Tomoko, … Continue reading Diagnosis Primer: Borderline Personality Disorder
Informational & Opinion Article: The Cycle of Abuse
The cycle of abuse needs to be understood as it really is, not as a fate for all victims, an excuse for perpetrators or catch-all explanations of the culture of abuse we live in.
Informational Article: Attachment Theory (Pt 2)
Understanding attachment can help people understand why they are dealing with what they are and to make sense of specific experiences with our caregivers and abusers (for many of us these are the same person) Attachment theory can help people know what is making relationships so hard and begin to address what it is and form better relationships going forward. Knowing it's a piece of other mental health struggles can also help be a piece in recovering from DID, BPD, or C-PTSD. It gives us words to explain our struggles and find others dealing with similar.
Informational Article: Attachment Theory (Pt 1)
Attachment theory is a bedrock of our current understanding of child development in their ability to form relationships, have a stable affect, understand emotions and self-sooth. It is one of the earliest and most important stages of development when talking about emotions and relationships.
Survivors Healing Survivors 