Trauma gave me shame, and shame sent me mad. This post explores how unravelling my own shame in a ‘mock trial’ helped me to heal.
Note: This post explores detailed impacts of child sexual abuse.
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One of the most difficult challenges I’ve had as a mental health consumer advocate is when people deny our lived experience. It drives me nuts. So-called recovered consumers. Last year I came across a person who used the term ‘so-called recovered consumers’. Worryingly, this person had influence in national mental health policy and she directly challenged the credibility and relevance of consumer advocates. She believed that no-one could really recover from ‘serious mental illness’, because that had been the experience of her family members. And so, her logic went, if people with ‘serious mental illness’ can’t really recover, then consumer […]
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In a world where there is so much talk about suicide prevention, I find it hard to understand how so many people still use phrases like ‘it’s just a cry for help’ or ‘she’s just attention-seeking’. This post is a reflection on what we mean when we say these things, and a call for greater understanding and compassion.
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Madness can bring a strange comfort. For me it often came with a seductive quality that lured me to relax and fall into the familiar comfort of its waiting arms.
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