I am writing this blog article in response to a blog comment / question sent to me re: the frequency of ritual / cult abuse. I am also going to clarify what the term "organized abuse" means to me. For the purposes of this blog response, I am going to give an answer based on my personal experience as a trauma therapist that specializes in Dissociative Disorders. Some day I will check into the official … [Read more...]
Prevention of Sexual Abuse – What helps?
To all the Trauma Survivors Reading this blog – I have some questions for you. What kinds of things do you wish your parents had been able to do that would have protected you from sexual abuse? What kinds of things would have helped prevent your being abused by people outside of the home? If you were abused within the home, what would have helped you to get help from safe people … [Read more...]
50 Treatment Issues for Dissociative Identity Disorder
"I have DID. How long will it take for someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder to feel better?" As a clinical therapist, I hear that question frequently. It's a reasonable question. I certainly understand that when dissociative trauma survivors are deeply hurting and struggling in their life, they want to feel better as quickly as possible. However, the clinical treatment for someone with Dissociative … [Read more...]
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder – From Separated Splitting to Safe Solidity
Do you feel like you can be very different people? Do you have trouble remembering what happened through your week? Do you have minimal memories of your childhood? Do you feel a lot of conflict within yourself, and have unexplainable extremes in your behavior, thoughts, or attitudes? Do you have conversations in your head, and do the voices in your … [Read more...]
SAFETY FIRST: Assessing Safety of Sexual Abuse Survivors
The violence must end for healing to truly begin. Current safety is the foundational building block of healing for people who have been sexually abused. It is a known fact that children are being abused and exploited on a daily basis by sexual predators. Any child trapped in an abusive situation will naturally continue to use trauma-based coping strategies. They need safety in order to develop … [Read more...]