With the heat this summer came a story of abuse that scorched my soul. A young relative confided in me that she has been sexually, physically, verbally, and spiritually abused since she was a child. Her story broke my heart because I had no idea this was going on. When abuse happens it ignites me and makes me rageful, and it should ignite our communities too!
Trauma and abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, neglect, exploitation, and more. When we speak of child maltreatment, we normally first think of physical abuse, but the shocking truth is that neglect is the number one form of child abuse in America.
According to the state of Florida, a movie or a book can be banned in schools if one parent complains. What? Yes, that’s right and it seems this trend is creeping out of Florida and into more states – like Tennessee and Wyoming.
There’s research that shows that primates evolved the tendency to tell lies to maximize survival, and 2018 study in Memory and Cognition explains [how] false denial can serve as a coping tool for managing shame and guilt.
The mid-term elections are over and it’s time to take a break. Find ways to lower your stress. Don’t forget that stress can cause illness.