Abuse / Survivors of Abuse

According to Ross and Halpern (2011), there are several definitions of dissociation. One of them (referred to as “the general systems meaning of dissociation”) is “the opposite of ... Read More

Thank you for your question, and congratulations on your sobriety! Fifteen months is great; clearly, in spite of your current woes, you’re doing something right. I think the answer to ... Read More

The continuum of exposure to domestic violence ranges from chronic arguing and yelling to controlling behaviors, threats, and intimidation, to physical threats, threats of suicide or murder, ... Read More

Sexual assault, a difficult subject for many people to talk or even think about, is an unfortunate reality for the approximately 250,000 people who are sexually assaulted in the United ... Read More

Matt and Michele, as we’ll call them, had a pretty good engagement period. Matt spoiled Michele with flowers and sweet, little notes. They went to movies, took long walks, had heart-to-heart ... Read More

A friend, loved one, or family member pulls you aside to talk. He or she is normally quiet and reserved; this seems out of the ordinary. “I have something very important to tell you. ... Read More

It is the nature of abuse within families to be as behaviorally nuanced and emotionally complex as the individuals involved. Relationship abuses nearly inevitably reveal a life-draining ... Read More

Victims of domestic violence will sometimes display specific behaviors or attitudes that make loved ones unsure about how they can help. Please keep in mind that victims of domestic violence ... Read More

The topic of domestic violence entered the media spotlight well ahead of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this year. October has been dubbed domestic violence awareness month since 1987, ... Read More

For many people, there are few things that evoke a more reassuring sense of warmth, comfort, stability, and safety than going home. Many people see their home as a personal stronghold—a ... Read More

It can be hard to know for certain whether what you have been experiencing is, in fact, a series of previously repressed memories or something else. It is very possible to rediscover memories ... Read More

Most everyone has at least one traumatic memory embedded in their brains. One that still resonates for me was the time my mother left me alone when I was six years old to take the babysitter ... Read More