Survivors' Stories
Being victimized is a lonely experience.
It can make us feel cut off from humanity, and it can
rob us of our trust in those who are still in
our lives. Remember that you did not choose
to get hurt or stolen from; someone else made
a choice (conscious or not) to hurt you. They made
the choice to make you a victim, not you.
But what happens after you've been victimized is your
choice. You can move from "victim" to "survivor." Survival
can be as "simple" as reconstructing a fairly contented
life or as transforming as developing a new life with
more meaning in it.
ASAAPS hosts survivors' stories here for many reasons:
- So that survivors don't feel as lonely or hopeless;
it can help to know others have experienced the same
traumas and losses.
- To reassure those who feel like victims that it is
possible to reconstruct a worthwhile life.
- To make elder abuse and abuse of adults with disabilities "real." Statistics
can be cold and distant; stories of actual people's
experiences help us understand the problem better.
- To give those who share their stories another opportunity
to heal, and to help.
Also, some of these stories are here to commemorate
those who did not survive what others did to them, and
to give voice to those who were left behind with the
pain.
| Go to stories | I'd
like to tell my story here |
SURVIVORS' STORIES
While we are collecting our own stories, here are some
that others have published:
"The
Jimmy Callahan Story" (elder scammed by "sweetheart")
http://www.elderangels.com/stories.html
Ending Elder Abuse: A Family Guide (physical
abuse in a nursing home)
Diane S. Sandell and Lois Hudson
QED
Press, 2000
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0936609419/ref=ase_teaspirittm/102-2983455-8496101?v=glance&s=books
Is
Your Parent In Good Hands? Protecting Your Aging Parent
From Financial Abuse and Neglect (longtime caregiver
begins defrauding elder)
Edward J. Carnot, Esq.
Capital Books, Inc., 2004
http://www.capital-books.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=77354
There are also many detailed stories of abuse in the
articles listed in our local media database, at http://www.asaaps.org/clearinghouse/media.php.
SURVIVORS SUPPORT
ASAAPS currently sponsors two email listserves that
provide peer-to-peer support to survivors of elder or
disabled adult abuse. We define “survivor” to mean not
just the person who was abused, neglected, or exploited,
but also his or her family members and loved ones. These
are benefits of membership in ASAAPS; to join, go to
http://www.asaaps.org/aboutus/subscribe.php
Survivors' peer-to-peer listserve
The purpose of this listserve
is to support and empower survivors of elder or disabled
adult abuse (including their family members). Although
professionals are welcome as subscribers, expect that
most of your support and information will come from other
survivors.
Still Seeking Help listserve
Seeking and failing to find help can be devastating.
Still Seeking Help is
an email listserve designed to support you if you
sought help from protective services or others and
failed to get the help you wanted. Whether you want
to find another service provider, appeal the initial
ruling, hold the system accountable, file a lawsuit,
or simply grieve your inability to access help, Still
Seeking Help can link you with others who are struggling
with the same issues.
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