Skip to main content

CCASA

I remember hearing about CCASA (Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse) about a year ago when I was in the midst of coming to terms with my own difficult past. As an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse I wished that I had had the support and care that one needs after a traumatic event to develop the proper mechanisms for dealing with the acute stress reactions that tend to occur after. Of course it doesn't help that I was very young and the mind refuses to deal with issues beyond its coping abilities therefore showing up for many children in the form of stomach aches and chronic nightmares.

Denial is so much easier than facing your demons, but eventually they refuse to be ignored. I've faced my demons and will continue to do so for the rest of my life, but like many survivors I want to help other survivors, or even better, educate the public so that the next generation will not be as afraid to tell a loved one when someone is hurting them. Sexual abuse is one of the topics that many avoid in our society. No one really wants to talk about it.God knows I don't. The problem is its happening all around us. The statistics are alarming at best. Men, women, and children throughout Canada in every age range, in every religion, of every ethnicity, and in every tax bracket are affected. I want to help. Many of these crimes are not reported and yet the statistics are still 1 in 3 girls will face unwanted sexual acts before the age of 17 and 1 in 6 boys.

Tonight I am going to CCASA's orientation and next Saturday I start my first day of volunteer training. I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing there on a regular basis but there are plenty of opportunities to educate, comfort, and support others. I think being educated in this will perhaps help me heal (though I expect it might hurt at first), but also I hope that by being brave enough to talk about this topic and admitting it's impact on myself, I will help others around me who have been affected know that they are not alone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2010

So once again it is that time of year when people reflect back on what they have accomplished in the last year and make plans and goals for the next. I have spent some time looking over the last year and have been very happy with positive changes I have made in my life and tough challenges I have faced. It wasn't an easy year by any means, but it brought many neccessary changes in my life. This year I want to continue that trend and work on one of my weaknesses. Tne biggest weakness I think I need to work on is my lack of consistency. You see I tend to be very good at starting things, often too many things at a time, but I lack the discipline to carry things through. I tell myself I'm going to write down all of my purchases and track my spending...yeah that plan lasts about two days before I toss it. I say I'm going to do my exercises every day...but really it ends up happening very randomly and not nearly as frequently as it should. So this year instead of making a huge...

Jonathan

I wanted to take a few minutes to write about someone who became very dear to me in a very short time. Jonathan and I had been exchanging regular e-mails asking each other everything about our lives and hopes and dreams. I tend to be a very private person (runs in my family), so I wouldn't normally share this much with someone I've only known for such a short time, but after reading his first few e-mails I found myself surprisingly comfortable with this partial stranger. Over the months of getting to know each other I learned about his past, his hopes for his future, and even the sweet little details like what he wants to name his first child. We talked theology, philosophy, literature, movies, and anything else that popped up. Eventually we made plans to get together and went out for tea at a local tea house. Despite live music that, though well performed, made conversation difficult, we talked and enjoyed our time together. We continued to dat...

no pain no gain?

I've discovered that there is something worse than pain...self induced pain. Also that there is something worse than self induced pain - waiting to hear back from the bank to find out whether or not you are approved for a loan to pay for self induced pain. Okay, so it's not exactly pain alone - it's neccesity. According to my insurance company it's cosmetic, but I'm pretty sure a back molar will be more functional than aesthetically pleasing. My dentist recommended that I get an implant put in because it lasts 25-30 years and will not destroy other teeth in the process (like a bridge might). She sent my x-rays to a periodontal clinic and after a few days I was set up with them for an initial consultation. I went to the consultation nervous as I have never been a big fan of dentists and I wasn't really sure what to expect. They were very warm and so willing to answer every question. Of course for $250 I would expect at least that at an initial consultation. The...