Child Abuse Linked To Cancer

I have just come across a new study that has stirred up in me a great concern. In this study the researchers found that people who have experienced abuse in childhood have a 46% higher chance to develop cancer later in life. It made it clear to me that those organisations that fight publicly against child abuse may need more support and involvement from those who have experienced abuse in their childhood.

Please, take the time to read the publication and then see how you can involve yourself in the fight against child abuse.

Fighting Child Abuse!

The New Zealand media is full at the moment with reports from a horrific child abuse case that cost the life of a little 3 year old girl. It has to stop! It has to stop!I love this song. It's a call to stand up and be counted!
http://www.youtube.com/v/x6-5g78Nr6Q&hl=en&fs=1

Sexual Abuse Survivors: Parenting Model

The theme of the November Edition of the Blog Carnival "Recovery From Sexual Abuse" has the theme PARENTING. Parenting brings up a whole lot of issues caused by people's perception of having been not good enough in parenting their children.

This may have been due to struggling with the legacies of sexual abuse to such an extend that survivors are barely abe to fully there for their children. It may be that they did not have good role models that showed them what good parenting looks like or feels like.

I would like to kick of the discussion with a video clip I found. Let me know what you think of the following piece.

http://www.youtube.com/v/IQO7h9MNCqI&hl=en&fs=1

Do Sexual Abuse Survivors Need Therapy?

I have been asked the other day whether
people need to go to a psychotherapist or counsellor to recover from
sexual abuse. I think that is a really good question. Does a person
need therapy to heal? I don't think it is necessary to go to a
psychotherapist or counsellor. However, they need something because
there is little evidence that people heal 'naturally' meaning by itself
just through time passing.

What do survivors of sexual abuse need to recover? Human beings,
like all mammals, depend on other's to help regulate emotional and
physical states. Babies depend completely on others for state
regulation. Growing up people can do it more and more for themselves –
if they have good enough caregiver/parents. However, people are never
completely able to regulate their states by themselves. That's where
chat rooms, face book groups and other social networks on and off line
are coming in. People need people who care, listen, understand, and are
supportive.

When Does Avoidance Become Self-Care?

Nobody wants to be avoidant. It’s not something that you list in
your CV as a remarkable quality or personality trait because it signals
that you are not dealing with the issues you should be dealing with.
You are not addressing the unpleasant or even painful aspects of your
life – and probably life in general!

However, avoidance is not something a bunch of avoidant people came
up with to legalise avoidance. It’s a human condition to assure
survival and the integrity of one’s body and mind.  That’s why we don’t
walk on hot coals every day – unless we want to demonstrate to our self
and others that we are capable of great courage and can overcome our
fears.

When Does Avoidance Become Self-Care?

Nobody wants to be avoidant. It’s not something that you list in
your CV as a remarkable quality or personality trait because it signals
that you are not dealing with the issues you should be dealing with.
You are not addressing the unpleasant or even painful aspects of your
life – and probably life in general!

However, avoidance is not something a bunch of avoidant people came
up with to legalise avoidance. It’s a human condition to assure
survival and the integrity of one’s body and mind.  That’s why we don’t
walk on hot coals every day – unless we want to demonstrate to our self
and others that we are capable of great courage and can overcome our
fears.

Coping in Times of Stress

The recovery from sexual abuse is not always a straight forward
journey. There are times when survivors will cope easily with the HERE
AND NOW. At other times the THERE AND THEN intrudes and compromises
their daily functioning. Times like Christmas, Easter, Hollidays,
Thanksgiving, weddings, and baptisms, to name a few, are events that
can be highly triggering for survivors.

It can make a huge difference for a person's coping capabilities to
have a plan ready for these difficult times. Once the stress level
rises and people start getting distressed, thinking rationally is not
always possible. Click the following link Download Depression Action Plan for ideas how to construct such a plan for yourself.

Coping in Times of Stress

The recovery from sexual abuse is not always a straight forward
journey. There are times when survivors will cope easily with the HERE
AND NOW. At other times the THERE AND THEN intrudes and compromises
their daily functioning. Times like Christmas, Easter, Hollidays,
Thanksgiving, weddings, and baptisms, to name a few, are events that
can be highly triggering for survivors.

It can make a huge difference for a person's coping capabilities to
have a plan ready for these difficult times. Once the stress level
rises and people start getting distressed, thinking rationally is not
always possible. Click the following link Download Depression Action Plan for ideas how to construct such a plan for yourself.

How To Protect Your Child From Sexual Abuse

This month's Sexual Abuse Recovery Blog Carnival has the theme of PARENTING! One
of the pleasures of running the carnival is that I get to visit quite a
lot of blogs and web pages that I would otherwise not come across. I
suppose, every time I see a submission, I go and check the site out and
… as you do … get a little bit into web surfing.

I found these statistics on the Australian Site Darkness To Light .
This site gives lots of practical information about preventing children
to be sexually abused. It worth checking out. So here the stats that
hopefully convince people to become active on our children's behalf!!!!

Take A Walk In The Park

I have recently read an interesting article about fighting mental
fatigue that I would like to share. Most people know that feeling of
being fatigued, unable to think straight, and catching themselves with
slipping attention.

The advice often given is "Take a break!".
Researchers have now found out that its not any odd break that'll do.
People who took a break and had a walk in the park were refreshed
afterwards and their attention and memory processes improved while
those who took a walk in urban environment showed no improvement.

So
if you feel flat and mentally fatigued, go and have a walk in the park,
at the beach, in the fields … whatever you have access to. And if you
can't easily get to a spot like that, there is a solution for you. Even
looking at nature photographs will enable you to perform much better
and gives your mind the much needed 'break'.

If you want to read more about this research go to: A Walk In The Park A Day Keeps Mental Fatigue Away.