Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is primarily used as a treatment for PTSD. Discovered and developed by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., EMDR uses eye movements, taps or tones to reprogram trauma victims' thinking. The end result can be relatively fast relief of PTSD symptoms, including the re-experiencing of the trauma and other symptoms resulting from horrific events like rape or combat. EMDR also helps with "little t" traumas having to do with beliefs about ourselves formed during childhood and other mental health disorders.

The cycle of dysfunction - you grow up in a significantly dysfunctional family and it has an impact on you. Now you have kids and the cycle of family dysfunction continues. Without recognition and positive change, the family dysfunction is passed from generation to generation.

If you're a child abuse survivor you've no doubt heard "get over it" on more than one occasion. But I hope no one ever gets over child abuse. The fact that child abuse hurts kids really ought to be enough to garner everyone's attention. Beyond that nasty reality, there's the fact that the effects of child abuse are often lasting, continuing to impact survivors and by extension their friends, families, and co-workers throughout their adult lives. Like it or not, child abuse impacts everyone in one way or another.

According to the  Workplace Bullying Institute, 35% of the U.S. workforce - an estimated 53.5 million Americans - report being bullied at work. If you're one of them, you're already well acquainted with the dread and anxiety that goes along with being a victim of chronic psychological violence. But how well do you know your tormentor? Is she a narcissist, driven by a grandiose sense of her own importance? Is he a psychopath, devoid of compassion and empathy? Arming yourself with information about workplace bullies and their methods may help you find ways of coping with them.

Keith Smith speaks out about his horrific experience of abduction and rape by a stranger at the age of 14. It's taken him years, decades, to speak out about the trauma. Read his story below and then view his interview on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show,  Male Survivor of Rape Speaks Out.

The general public used to associate PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder with soldiers in war zones. Now we know that anyone who has been in or witnessed a consistently highly stressful, traumatic or life-threatening situation can develop PTSD. And in so saying, life for Melissa has been anything but kind. Exposed to all types of abuse since the age of five, Melissa finds living with PTSD a living hell. But she's taking positive steps and getting treatment for PTSD.

I'm reading the Bipolar Vida blog, and wondering "how much can one person take?" Cristina, admittedly, had a bad childhood which, she says, probably triggered the bipolar disorder she now lives with. In the months since she started her bipolar blog here at HealthyPlace.com, Cristina has endured depressive episodes, hypomania, and everything else bipolar disorder can bring your way. Yet, in almost every blog post, she mentions that she's doing everything she can to keep her bipolar recovery on track.

PTSD is an extremely challenging condition and people with post-traumatic stress disorder face the added stress of PTSD symptoms such as nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, rage, intrusive thoughts and more on a regular basis.  This week, on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show, we'll explore the causes and impact of PTSD and how you can deal with trauma in your life with Drs. Rosemary Lichtman and Phyllis Goldberg. You can read more about them at the bottom of this post.

Sexual abuse--whether by a loved relative or a violent rape by a stranger—is an attack on a person’s sexuality (The Damage Caused By Sexual Abuse). It’s no wonder that many survivors of incest, rape, and molestation report that they suffer from problems with sexual relating and intimacy.

For Anne A. Johnson Davis, the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse started at the age of 3 and continued on until she was 17 years old.  She was tortured by her parents, relatives and other cult members -- all in the name of Satan.  The details of this satanic ritual abuse (SRA), as well as her recovery, are laid out in her book.