Tag: abuse

  • How Sharing Trauma Can Make A Difference

    Heartbreaking Stories of “Late Term Abortions” Helped Me See The Lies I’d Been Told By the “Pro-Life” Movement I was raised to believe abortion was murder. That as an adoptee, it was only because I was born before Roe v Wade that I was born at all. My mother told me often, when I complained…

  • Why I Hate Mother’s Day. Also, Please Don’t Say This To Me

    Mother’s Day is really painful for people with abusive childhoods. We try to avoid the day on social media, but it’s nearly impossible. Obviously lots of people have mother’s worth celebrating or that they miss, and they deserve to have a day. But there needs to be a way for those of us with trauma…

  • Donald Trump Shows Typical Abuser Behavior by Blaming Nancy Pelosi For Not Stopping J6

    CW: Victim Blaming The events of January 6, 2021 are seared on the brains of many Americans. My household watched the carnage unfold via YouTube livestreams until it finally got picked up by mainstream media- well after the crowd had broken through the barricades, climbed the walls of the Capitol and forced the certification of…

  • A Word About The Oscar’s Incident

    My oldest was surfing Twitter when it happened, and soon the whole household was debating whether or not it was a bit. Then we saw Jada Pinkett Smith’s struggles with alopecia. And a closer look at the video of her reaction to the “joke” made it clear this was in no way staged. I realize…

  • The Mórrígan as Mother and More: My Appearance on Personal Pans

    I had the honor of appearing this week on the Personal Pans podcast with Vanessa Walilko. We had so much fun, I feel like I’ve gained a new friend. Here’s how she described the episode: What happens when your mother is not a mother?  Where do you find a maternal figure?  When you find yourself…

  • Do Abusive Ancestors Grow On The Other Side?

    More thoughts spurred by Tyler Henry’s new Netflix series, Life After Death. In one episode, Tyler gives a message where a departed mother apologizes for how she treated her child in life. “I see it now,” Tyler quotes her as saying to him. “I couldn’t before but I do now.” (May not be exact, I’m…

  • Britney Spears: Trauma Is Messy Cut Her Some Slack

    For 13 years, Britney Spears wasn’t allowed to stand up for herself. She was not allowed to speak publicly without a filter. Her every move was controlled, to the point of being forced to take medication and even have an IUD implanted against her will. The fact that it was her own family who put…

  • Mourning Dexter

    I am not ok today, and the reasons why are really throwing me for a loop. It just doesn’t make sense except as a trauma response. Apologies if this article is messy and disjointed, but I’m trying to sort this out. I’m grieving y’all. Spoiler alert: I’m going to discuss the end of Dexter: New…

  • After Abuse: Do We Have To Forgive To Heal?

    Tina Turner has an incredible life story. From abject poverty in Nutbush, TN to world superstardom and rock Icon status. But no matter what she does or how much she accomplishes, she cannot get away from the shadow of Ike. See? I didn’t even have to say his whole name and you know exactly who…

  • Can People With Family Trauma Do Ancestor Work?

    So apparently there are some occult-types who think Ancestor veneration is required for all of us. But for those of us with trauma, family is often a tricky subject. If you don’t know what it’s like to be disowned or rejected by family, you really don’t have a clue how painful the idea of setting…

  • Going “No Contact” With Hurtful Loved Ones

    It can be one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever make, and even harder to follow through with. But for those of us who fight trauma, cutting contact with hurtful family members can be necessary for our healing journey. Notice I said “hurtful,” family and not “toxic” or “abusive.” That’s because I believe in setting…