Child abuse, part 1: Introduction to my story
Channel: spiritanvil
Date: 2011-07-11

NOTE: The videos in which I talk about my own abuse may be triggering for self-injurers, people with PTSD or others. If you're concerned that this might be you, please be careful.

Abuse can mean anything from beatings and rape to ridicule and deception; anything that creates suffering either deliberately or instrumentally (i.e. to achieve some goal) is abusive. These videos are about my own experiences of abuse, suggestions on how to fight off abusers / gather evidence against them and my thoughts on strategies for overcoming the large segment of humanity that fosters abuse through its negligence or collusion.

These are my first YouTube videos and also the first few times I've spoken to an unmoving, expressionless camera for fifteen minutes non-stop. I apologize if the mumbling gets incomprehensible at times and will include subtitles on request.

I think I've experienced most general kinds of abuse as a child - the notable exception being rape, though I was sexually abused in more subtle ways according to the definitions I've encountered in the academic literature. The two things that helped the most in my recovery were hearing from other victims, who acknowledged the horrifying nature of my experiences, and understanding how much my father had in common with other abusers, which allowed me to put his evil nature into context.