Claire Raymond

More people than ever are having money worries. People have been let go, made redundant or furloughed. They’re struggling to pay their rent and are worried about how they will survive. This will naturally cause massive amounts of stress.

Having a family member who is addicted to anything can be incredibly difficult. You have to sit back and watch someone you love make decisions that you don’t think are the best for them. And the whole time you feel completely helpless.

I want to start by saying that any kind of sexual abuse is NEVER the survivor’s fault. There is no excuse for it and there are no “factors” that play a part. Childhood sexual abuse is a crime, plain and simple. Only, for the survivor’s, it’s not plain or simple.

People that make light of panic attacks have clearly never had one. They say things like “it’s all in your mind.” But they can be severe enough to fool paramedics into thinking someone is having a heart attack. If that doesn’t illustrate how serious they are then I don’t know what will.Yes, panic comes from the brain. But it activates an entire system that has serious physical and psychological effects. Yes, it is in the brain, but your brain is triggering an ancient fear response. It’s signalling that you are in serious danger, when in fact you’re not. So if anyone tells you it’s all in your mind, tell them to get fucked.

Please note that this story contains descriptions of domestic violence.

If you’ve been affected by suicide, then there are people you can get in touch with. You can contact an organisation such as Cruse Bereavement Care or Survivors Of Bereavement By Suicide (SOBS)