Everyone can attest to the fact that being heard, truly listened to, is one of the most satisfying things that can happen. As a survivor, being heard becomes especially important because it gives us back a sense of validation and security that was taken away from us. For a number of survivors, being listened toContinue reading “Being Heard”
Tag Archives: mental-health
Suicidal Ideation
Many people, and most survivors, have thought about ending their lives at various times. I would imagine that most everyone has thought about what life would be like if they weren’t around any longer. Life can certainly bring us to such low points that this type of thinking becomes a reality for many people. I’veContinue reading “Suicidal Ideation”
Male Shame
I’ve recently been listening to a podcast on the topic of suicide and suicidal ideation. Today, the host made a very profound statement, at least for me, about how men view shame. For us (and I’m generalizing here), males feel the most shame when they are perceived to be weak. As I pondered that statement,Continue reading “Male Shame”
Friendship Struggles Continued…
If you have read some of my other post, you know very well that I have struggled with building and maintain friendships all of my life. Upon some reflection the past few weeks, I believe I’ve had a small breakthrough. And just to start off, I am fully responsible for the position I find myselfContinue reading “Friendship Struggles Continued…”
Appreciating Home
I have recently decided that one of my future novels is a historical fiction story centered on my hometown. For those of you who might be new to my site, I grew up in a small town in north central Wyoming. Unfortunately, I allowed my sexual abuse to color most all of my memories ofContinue reading “Appreciating Home”
Body Image
Sometime last week, I pulled or strained or injured (anyway, something hurts real bad!) on the left side of my stomach. At first I was worried that I might have a hernia. At a doctor’s visit years ago, my physician at the time said that he wouldn’t be surprised if I had a hernia laterContinue reading “Body Image”
The Process of Healing
Lately, I’ve been working on three different writing projects, none of which have to do with sexual abuse. When I started this blog, my focus was on discussing topics that have to do with survivors. But now that I’m veering from that pathway, I might need to talk about subject that don’t necessarily involve topicsContinue reading “The Process of Healing”
Circle of Friendships
Regardless of what kinds of trauma you have experienced, I have found that various groups of friends and levels of intimacy within those groups is really important. I’ve talked about this idea before, but I think that I’ve matured and learned even more about how this concept works. We naturally have these circles of friendsContinue reading “Circle of Friendships”
Journaling
Obviously, if you’ve been on this site, you know that I am a self-published author. I’ve also posted about writing out our survivor stories before, and I want to emphasize this as a process for you as a survivor again. It truly is a valuable way to express your trauma. In addition to therapy, writingContinue reading “Journaling”
Sharing Vulnerability
I was talking with a friend today at the gym, and he mentioned that he had a pretty rough week. Surprisingly, he mentioned to me that some friends had ghosted him recently, and he was trying to navigate that experience because he believed that these friends were trusted people whom he had known for aContinue reading “Sharing Vulnerability”
Harry L. Estes 