Child abuse

PTSD – 30 Famous Trauma Survivors – Part 1

/ did-isnt-rare https://traumadissociation.wordpress.com / 8 Comments

30 Famous Trauma Survivors – Part 1 - Politicians, Civil Rights Leaders, Athletes, Singers, and Musicians. These survivors of trauma are famous despite, rather than because of, their traumatic experiences, and many of these names and traumas may surprise you. All of these people are known to have lived through significant trauma

Some have disclosed that they have Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and some have not. Some experienced trauma prior to 1980, the year that PTSD first became a diagnosis, before this it was recognized using trends such as ‘shell shock’, ‘combat fatigue’ or ‘traumatic neuorsis’, ‘battered woman syndrome’ and ‘rape trauma syndrome’ but often symptoms were ignored.

Politicians and Civil Rights Leaders

1 Martin Luther-King
Civil rights leader.
Harrassed, frequently beaten and sent death threats prior to his murder.

2 Nelson Mandela
Former president of South Africa.
A political prisoner for 27 years, he was jailed for ‘terrorism’, treated brutality and experienced near-starvation during the apartheid years in South Africa. Mandela was against violence and became the first black president of South Africa.

3 Bill Clinton
Former US President.
Child abuse, violent and alcoholic uncle. Secondary domestic violence.

4 Abraham Lincoln
Former US President.
Almost drowned at age seven, his mother died 2 years later, his older sister another 10 years later, and his first love died before they could marry. Three of his four children died in childhood, and he is described as experiencing long-term clinical depression and PTSD before his murder in 1956.

Athletes

5 Joe Simpson
Climber and author.
Simpson was a world-class climber when a climbing accident almost killed him. Seriously injured, with no emergency rescue available, and his climbing partner believing he was dead, Simpson somehow crawled down the mountain and survived. His book Touching the Void was the first of five climbing books he has written.

6 Monica Seles
Tennis player.
Seles was stabbed in the back by a rival’s fan during a match in 1993, at the height of her career. Her autobiography describes how her PTSD left her afraid to go back on the court with her back to the crowd, and how her injury affected her ability to play. Her attacker was not jailed so she also remained in fear of further attacks. She regained her health and athletic form, and overcame her PTSD avoidance enough to play professionally again.

7 Sheldon Kennedy
Ice hockey player in NHL.
Canadian athlete Sheldon Kennedy never fully reached his potential and remained silent until his autobiography Why I Didn’t Say Anything (2011), which revealed his coach’s frequent child sexual abuse. Kennedy raised $1 million for Canadian Red Cross sexual abuse programs.

Comedians, Artists and Musicians

8 Axl Rose
Musician, Guns N Roses.
Child sexual abuse.

9 Billy Connoly
Comedian.
Child sexual abuse (incest).

10 Marilyn Manson
Musician.
Child sexual abuse, his album and single “Smells Like Children” reflects this theme.
Lyrics may be triggering.

Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/stars-whove-spoken-abuse/story?id=18122368
http://m.ranker.com/list/famous-survivors-of-child-abuse/celebrity-lists
PTSD Self Help: Transforming Survival into a Life Worth Living, p205. A. E. Huppert (2014).
The Everything Guide to Overcoming PTSD: Simple, Effective Techniques for Healing and Recovery, p91-94. Romeo Vitelli (2014).
Monica: From Fear to Victory. Monica Seles and Nancy Ann Richardson (1996).

Related Links

More info: http://traumadissociation.com/ptsd
Follow us: Facebook tumblr Twitter

Viewing life through the filter of trauma

/ did-isnt-rare https://traumadissociation.wordpress.com / 3 Comments

If you or someone you know has experienced trauma then you may find some of these familiar:

  • can’t trust anyone[1]
  • intense or prolonged distress caused by reminders of the trauma [1]
  • others will betray my trust [2]
  • the world is competely dangerous [1] and unpredictable [3]
  • I’m completely incompetent (in coping with this dangerous world) [3]

Mental Filters

Each of us, whether we have experienced trauma or not, have mental filters (schemata) as a result of our past experiences, and these affect how we view the world in the present. Trauma affects these mental filters, even in people who do not develop PTSD symptoms. Our past experiences affect our perception of the present –

You are here in this current reality, reacting to events as they occur, and at the same time are influenced by your past reality.

Your past not only filters your interpretation and reactions to current events, but also serves as a template for expectations, assumptions, and a whole array of emotional and physical reactions.
Healing From Military Sexual Trauma, Katz & Hammerslough (2014)

A past which includes maternal abuse or neglect, or awareness through others of the long-term impacts of this, is likely to heighten your awareness of indicators that someone may be experiencing abuse or neglect in the home. But many people in society choose to deny or minimize the reality that some mothers are abusive, and generalize about the positive qualities of ‘all mothers’.

image

Rose-colored Glasses – a Defense against Reality?

Common defenses against trauma help with coping in the short-term, but cause more damage in the longer term. These defenses are not only used by the trauma survivor: but also by their families and friends, the media and society.
Common psychological defenses include:

  • Denial – nothing happened, I’m fine
  • Minimization – it wasn’t that bad, other people went through worse, victim-blaming and self-blame
  • Dissociation – e.g., emotional numbing, amnesia for some of the trauma (PTSD symptoms) or dissociative amnesia
  • Avoidance – avoiding trauma reminders (a PTSD symptom), or avoiding emotions like anger or rage (e.g., premature forgiveness), or avoiding any awareness of trauma (e.g. on the news)

The popular film Black Swan, about a rising but naive ballet star who “just wanted to be perfect” contained many psychological and dark themes. Which did you recognize?
Did your mental filter consider the possibility of mother-daughter incest?
Incest survivor Faith Allen gives her views, seen through her mental filter: Black Swan: A movie about Mother-Daughter Sexual Abuse (http://faithallen.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/black-swan-movie-about-mother-daughter-sexual-abuse)

References

  1. DSM-5 PTSD criteria
  2. The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress. Mary Beth Williams (2002)
  3. Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD: Emotional Processing of Traumatic Experiences Therapist Guide. Edna Foa, Elizabeth Hembree, Barbara Olaslov Rothbaum (2007).

Related links

http://traumadissociation.com

Book Review: A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

/ http://traumadissociation.com / 1 Comment

Coloring and healing book released by Dr Ellen Lacter

Ritual Abuse

You can read the introduction and order the book through http://colortoheal.com

The year ends on a high note for wonderful RA/MC books!!!

This book was a good five years in the making and it is absolutely gorgeous. The paper is really heavy, so you can use watercolor pencils or pastels as well as crayons and colored pencils. That’s inviting for adult and teens parts as well as child parts, who usually get to do all the coloring. (Not fair!)

The book is designed for all survivors of child abuse, but there are many sections that speak directly to multiplicity and ritual abuse. It’s hoped that it will tap into the immense inner strength and wisdom that survivors possess and to help make these resources recognized at a deeper level, cherished, and celebrated in all aspects of life and self.

There are seventeen chapters, each organized around a theme like safety…

View original post 350 more words

Surviving the Holidays: Making a List

/ did-isnt-rare https://traumadissociation.wordpress.com / Leave a comment

Surviving the holidays – how important are all those “jobs”?

So, I was making a list and checking it twice. Wanted to find out if there’s a Psychiatrist willing to prescribe emergency Xanax and trying not to hyperventilate. Seriously at this time of the year the list gets a little long and out of control, right? Last time I sat down to do my holiday to-do list, I got to page 3.5 and burst out into tears.

But after I blew my nose and medicated myself with a small amount of premium dark chocolate, I was able to address the list again. And I realized something. I really didn’t NEED to do everything on the list. The list was more a wish list than a highly prioritized, realistic list of the most important stuff I absolutely needed to get done. So I took my list and put it through triage. I sorted out the stuff that MUST get done, from…

View original post 742 more words

Pedophiles groom both the child and the family

/ http://traumadissociation.com / 6 Comments

Did you know that pedophiles groom families as well as children?

Read more … Some secrets should never be kept book cover

http://somesecrets.info/blog/2014/1/21/pedophiles-groom-both-the-child-and-the-family

 

This excellent post comes from the author of Some Secrets Should Never be Kept, a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book to keep kids safe from sexual abuse.

 

Pedophiles groom families not just kids - quote from a pedophile