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Looking for online support groups
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Does anyone know of, are a part of or have a connection to some online support groups for survivors of childhood sexual abuse? I really need to build up my support system at the moment and am in Victoria with restrictions so online is best for me at the moment, I’ve also never been a part of a support group so it’s probably most comfortable with me to start with a virtual one anyways.
Thanks in advance.
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Hi Anzee,
Thank you for your post. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any online support groups, but we do have a section on PTSD + Trauma and there are a lot of posts there about CSA.
Here is the section here- https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/ptsd-trauma
You can also use our search function up the top of the page here for key words - if you type in 'child sexual abuse' there's a lot of different posts that come up from other members.
I hope this helps. I'll definitely keep my eye out in the meantime to see if there's anything online. There is some things that come up but they are US based so I'm not sure of what they'd be like.
rt
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Thank you mocha delight and rt for your replies, I really appreciate the support I get from these forums. I guess I’m just really struggling to believe that things will get better and easier, nearly all of my phone sessions with my psych ends with me believing her that things are going to change for the better and I am going to make it through and I try to keep that positive mindset and push away the negative thoughts and self talk but as soon as I let one negative or anxious thought in I am overwhelmed with fear and it only takes seconds for my thoughts to go back to this is never going to end, this is never going to get better etc and they just keep swirling around in my head until I feel like I am going crazy and the only way I feel like I can break the cycle is voicing my emotions and fears out loud and having someone listen and respond.
I am up to week 3 now of being on the waiting list for CASA (centre against sexual assault) and I feel like they are going to get me through but I did have a negative experience with them when I was about 12 so then I get feelings of overwhelming fear and anxiety about going through with it and talk myself out of it again until I talk to my psych or 1800respect again and then I get the confidence back that I can do it and so the cycle continues over and over again.
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Hi Anzee,
Oh I'm really glad to hear that. It sounds like things have been really really hard lately, and I'm sorry to hear about the cycle.
I do though think that you should be very proud that you do keep reaching out to people even if that feeling of a positive mindset doesn't seem to last that long. That means that even if it is there for only a second, it's better than not at all. That sounds a bit dismissive and I don't mean it too- I just know from my own experiences that the idea of feeling better or recovery (or whatever that looks like) can seem so incredibly foreign. It's like a different language when we've never grasped the concept before. So it does make sense that it's hard to grab onto and believe.
I wonder if maybe there is something you can do when you're in that mindset to help you when you're struggling? Like writing some of the things down that your psychologist says, or even little affirmations that you can repeat to yourself ?
So to search, if you look up at the top of the screen on the left hand side is Beyond Blue in a big font, and on the right hand side it has the phone number, a button to chat online, email us and Blue Voices. But just to the left of that there's an empty bar with a magnifying glass next to it.
Hopefully that makes sense! For what it's worth, there will always be people here who can listen and respond to you.
Take care,
rt
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