May 26, 2009

 

Child Abuse "Veterans" Remembered

After getting some feedback from some of you, thank you very much, I've decided that we'll go with the Memorial Day/Memory theme for May's Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse and we can use the Parent Day/Father's Day theme in June if we want to.

In the wake of the United States holiday we call Memorial Day, we can choose to be survivors-turning-thrivers and put our victim status to rest. We can think of our childhood abuse as simply a memory, but not as charged as it was before therapy and/or healing. Or, you can choose to focus your submission post on what it's been like for you in therapy, processing childhood trauma memories.

But, that's just a theme and nobody's bound by it. We still have our regular submission categories every month: Survivor Stories; Aftermath; Poetry; In-The-News; Advocacy & Awareness; and Healing & Therapy. So you can submit for the theme or go with one of the six categories. Just hurry! The deadline is tomorrow--Wednesday--for our Friday, 5/29 edition. You can use this handy-dandy submission form here. As often happens, for some reason, our submission form over at BC is way down on the page. So, when you click on the link, just scroll down to get to it.

Update/Please Note: Like we've done before--if you've submitted your post already, leave me a comment saying so. That way, I won't come and bug you to get your submission in. So far--of the bloggers I have on my blogroll--I have submissions from: Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker; Marcella at Abyss2Hope; Little Sheep at My Story; Nancy at Heal & Forgive; JIP at Life Spacings; Just Be Real; Colleen at Surviving by Grace; Buffalopine; and Mary at Nippercat.

Am I forgetting anybody? I haven't sorted through all the spam yet and we always get a lot of last-minute entries (I'm the biggest offender!), so let me know if you submitted your post. Thanks! See ya Friday!

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Comments:
Hi Marj,
I submitted a post for the May carnival on 05/19 via the Blog Carnival submission page. Hope you got it! If not, please let me know.

Thanks,
Rick
 
Yep, I just checked and I did get something from you on 5/19. Thanks, Rick!
 
love your carnival. thanks for posting. how are you doing???
 
Hi, Mile 191. Nice to "see" you. I'm doing pretty good, thanks. I'm busy with a landscaping project in my back yard. I've taken some photos of it with my digital camera and I hope to figure out how to post some photos after the Blog Carnival. Hope you are well.
 
I submitted one yesterday dear one....
 
Duh.....I just re-read your update and I saw that you did receive mine. Ignore comments, or post them anyway dear......

Blessings and hugs!
 
JBR: No problem. Thanks for checking.
 
Hello,

I saw you are a big supporter of abuse blogs and wondered if you have
heard of iSurvive? I am currently trying to involve bloggers to raise
money for this forum, and it is as easy as making a post! I am a
survivor and have found great support at iSurvive. It is a forum for
abuse survivors (sexual, emotional, physical, ritual, etc.) to share
there stories and paths to healing, and a place for them to interact.
I hope you will help the cause by "Blogging For A Cause". Here is some
more information, if you are interested: http://mymonsterhasaname.com/2009/05/isurvive-blogging-cause-part2/
. This is a great forum that has had trouble raising money given the
current economy worldwide.

Thank you for being a part of the abuse survivor community!

My Monster
 
STOP CHILD ABUSE NOW! since 1975 to 1999 from Donora, Pennsylvania to Portland, Eugene, Oregon
by a survivor and handicapped. Paul M. McLaughlin from Donora graduated from Ringgold High School in 1970, at the age of 21, Special Education. Pauls twin sister, Paula graduated in 1967.

Paul had traveled over 25,000 miles across the U.S. with open forums, radio talk programs, televison commercials and nonprofit fund raising in each community for abused children. You will never, ever see
this in your community.

On August 27, 2007, Paula McLaughlin passed away at the age of 59. Taken ill in 1970 with kidney
stones and nothing but problems and sufferings. Paula and Paul spent over 18 years of suffering from
severe abuse. Paul and Paula's older brother and sister were not abused at all.

"Our Children Are Our Future, but their well-being in OUR Society Continues to decline. The health and safety
of our children is EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY. Please HELP to ensure Healthy, Safe Children in OUR COMMUNITY by taking action as an individual, group or business". (c) 1993 by Paul M. McLaughlin. Stop Child Abuse NOW! by a handicapped since 1975 to 1999 from Donora, Pennsylvania to Portland, Oregon.

Photo of Paul M. McLaughlin and his street campaighn on Child Abuse.
http://www.efn.org/~scan/images/paul3.jpg

For many years, I had no hope for a better future. I thought I would never grow up, that I would always live in a world of pain and hate. You see, I was a battered and abused child. I was placed into two foster homes and later returned to my parents. I almost lost the chance to grow up. At the age of two, I was admitted to a hospital–malnourished, battered, almost dead. I later wished that I was dead. I was placed on top of a hot stove, choked with a rope around my neck, beaten two to four times almost every day. This physical and mental abuse made up almost 18 years of my childhood. My older brother and sister were not abused. Stop Child Abuse NOW! since 1975 to 1999
from Donora (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania to Portland, Oregon by a Handicapped. Paul M. McLaughlin graduated from Donora High School in 1970 at the age of 21, Special Education. Paul's twin sister graduated in 1967.

One individual who makes his story know in many ways, from radio to TV is Paul McLaughlin, "The Abuse Man". Whether it is standing on a street corner or talking with someone at a grocery store Paul is always on the job to make people aware of abuse and telling them what to do about it. He is an inspiration to us all. Read his story of abuse and see for yourself what abuse is. Then ask yourself this question, "How long are we going to sit around and let this happen?"

Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene, Oregon about Paul M. McLaughlin
from Donora (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania to Portland, Oregon.
"The Child Abuse Man" Story 6-14- 92
http://www.efn.org/~scan/abused00.htm
RGLetters@guardnet.com

The Valley Independent Newspaper from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Area Native's Mission Is To Help Abused Kids 4-21-07
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_503910.html

"I Was Loved In The Midst of Suffering"
1989 by Janice Lemke for computer and Newspsper for
Paul M. McLaughlin
http://www.efn.org/~scan/story5t.html

"Bring Me All The Flowers Today
1970 by Donna Baldwin and Paul M. McLaughlin
Paul's first wife
http://www.tasgreetings.com/flowersnow.htm

"She Sits On A Rock"
Liz SEVEN McLaughlin
Paul M. McLaughlin - 1998
http://www.tasgreetings.com/onarock.htm

Web Page
http://www.efn.org/~scan
scan@efn.org

(541) 344-7244

Paul M. McLaughlin
Stop Child Abuse NOW!
298 Hunington Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97405-4055
 
I am copying and pasting the following comment as the original had an e-mail address on it that I'm not sure she would want made public:

Hi my name is Tammy and I am a child abuse survivor. believe it or not typing that line took me almost an hour. I found your site by accident and cant stop reading it. Im 39 years old and have come to a cross roads in my life. At least twice a year at family functions i have to face the woman who beat and tortured me for years and smile. its getting harder and harder every year and i know that sooner than later i will not be able to do it and keep my mouth shut. I have been online for months looking for court records on my abuse but cannot find anything. everything is so hush hush now plus my abuse happened in the 1970s. Ive talked to my family about it but so many different stories over the years that i really dont know where to start. court houses are no help and even contacting my old therapist got me no where. Files are to old is what they say. Everyone tells me to move on and let it go, but for some reason I cant. The not knowing the whole truth is doing more damage. I know the who but not knowing the why or how it could go on for so long right in front of people is disturbing. I probably should listen to my boyfriend and family and let it go but the truth is i need to know what happened to me. the wedge between me and my sisters is getting bigger and im tired of all the stories. I just want the truth, for myself and my sisters so we can move on. looking on the web and hours on the phone and still coming up empty is so frustrating. im not that good on the computer and im running out of options. if you know anything that may assist me in my quest for the truth please contact me. sorry to have taken up so much of your time with my bad spelling have a wonderful day or night.

Not a victim just a girl
 
Anon/Not a victim just a girl: Thank you for having the courage to share here. I know it's hard, at first, to say the words: "I am a child abuse survivor." I appreciate your reading and I hope you may find something in my blog that may be helpful to you.

I, like you, was really on quite a quest there for a while, trying to get to the bottom of what happened to me as a child. I even went to my old pediatrician's office to get my old medical records, but I was told they were "lost."

I think, really, the best thing for me, personally was just to do my own, internal searching for healing. I'm sure I'll never know all the facts. But, I wanted to know why I had so many PTSD and dissociative symptoms and I wanted to know how to live a more healthy life. For me, the best thing was getting a therapist who really knew about dissociation and early childhood trauma and working my buns off with her. It's been really hard, but I think it's paying off. And I no longer feel haunted or like I'm driving myself crazy trying to find the "facts" of the abuse history. I know about the dysfunctional ways I tried to adapt to the trauma and I know more functional, healthy ways of living now. That was freeing for me.

I wish you many blessings on your healing journey. YOU DESERVE TO HEAL!
 
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