Dr Kate

We need to protect our mental health as well as that of others.

When you ignore your privilege(s), you ignore your power.

MEANING: You ignore the power that you have to advocate for those who do not have the same power and privilege(s).

Kudos to everyone acknowledging theirs and speaking up for others.

👏 👏 👏

This combination= internal conflict = anxiety, depression & urges to escape through addictive behaviours.

Sensitive but validated = less internal conflict.

Less sensitive & invalidated = you may not have noticed the latter = may have escaped more unscathed.

Inspired by Amy Yandel Grabowski

5/5

Sensitive people are also better at sensing danger, and often have a strong sense of justice and need to advocate and speak up.

They will be the ones telling the emperor he has no clothes on. This is not always welcomed in families, or society, which adds to sense of invalidation.

4/5

Through these experiences, we pick up messages about ourselves e.g., not good enough, not important, bad, unlovable, broken, powerless, which become self-fulfilling prophecies & shape how we see experiences.

Add to this, sensitivity, some people are just more intuitive & empathetic than others

3/5

Invalidation:

-Personal invalidation (don’t look like you look, or talk/ think/ feel that thing)
-Criticism (e.g., you’ll never get a boyfriend looking like that)
-Cultural invalidation (we’re X, we don’t waste time with that).
-Medical invalidation (e.g., being told you were ‘fine’).

2/5

As a psychologist, I know people often wonder “Why Me? Why am *I* so anxious / depressed / addicted? My #trauma wasn’t that bad.”

Many factors influence how trauma affects us, the 2 that jump out to me are:

1) Being repeatedly shamed / invalidated in childhood +
2) Having a sensitive nature

1/5

Sensitivity is not a negative trait.

And I'm pretty sure empathy is not a sin.

#sensitiveperson
#empathy

“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”

Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943

Trump’s neofascism is here now. Here are 10 things you can do to resist | Robert Reich America has deep problems, which is why we can’t give up. Protect the vulnerable, organize boycotts and keep fighting

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"E̶v̶e̶r̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ a̶ r̶e̶a̶s̶o̶n̶"

Some things should not have happened, nor be happening.

It is a misconception that trauma survivors are fixated on the past. We never want to think of the past ever again. We do backflips trying to NOT think about the past. We're actually really good at denying the past even happened.

Problem is: the past isn't quite through w/ us.

The uncertainty is so stressful...all we can do is wait and see right now

I wish I could be more positive right now, but I can't help feeling we're in a boat heading toward the brink of a waterfall.

Jfc. It feels like we're in a boat heading toward the brink of a waterfall.

...So, what happens is these neurodivergent kids become scapegoated.

They become designated to carry the shame and blame by the narcissistic parent, who has to pretend to be perfect.”

~ Rabbi Shais Taub

Sharing in case these words are helpful to anyone else.

#traumahealing

because the narcissistic parent thrives on the lie that they are perfect, and the neurodivergent child can’t help themselves from saying the truth.

Not maliciously. The neurodivergent kid is not trying to bust anyone or shame them. ⏬️

They don’t know that they’re saying anything wrong, they’re just: ‘I was just telling the truth’.

If you have in that same family and a narcissistic parent, then that truthteller child will be scapegoated ⏬️

#NarcissisticParents vs. #Neurodivergent Kids

“You know what happens often? You have a family system where you have a neurodivergent kid who is the truthteller.

Because they don’t know what’s socially inappropriate, they say uncomfortable truths. ⏬️

Hey, good to see you over here, too!

10 good memories DOES NOT compensate for 10 trauma memories.

10 good memories DOES NOT compensate for 5 trauma memories.

10 good memories DOES NOT compensate for 1 trauma memory.

After you leave, it's a common tactic for abusers to try and remind you of the 'good times', or the 'nice' things they did, which can leave you feeling guilty and confused.

Please, do not let past abusers guilt you back to them.

#trauma #abuse

"If you hold a match to a candle, sooner or later, it will start to burn."

Reactive abuse is when someone, pushed to their limits by ongoing abuse, reacts in a way that is out of character.

The reaction is then exploited by them to justify their abusive behaviour.

Take care out there.

#trauma

If you wake up in the morning and think:

"I can't do this anymore"

Please, take a minute to remember all the times you felt that way before, and still made it through the day.

In other words, if you’re going through hell, keep going. ~Churchill.

#depression #mentalhealth #trauma

Soooooo true!

They’ll judge you if you don’t say your opinion, but once you say it?
They’ll judge you too.

People will judge you.
No matter what you do.
So, remember, it’s your life, not theirs.

Be yourself, and let them talk.

- unknown

But darling, people will judge you. Whatever you do.

People will judge you if you’re confident and say what’s on your mind.
They’ll also judge you if you’re quiet.

They’ll judge you if you eat a lot.
They’ll also judge you if you don’t eat much. ⏬️

Sometimes, your mind plays tricks on you.

It can tell you you're no good, that it's all hopeless.

But remember this, you are loved and important, and you bring to this world things no one else can.

So hold on. 🤝

Cr: The incredible Charlie Mackesy

#mentalhealth

Great post.