What is On This Page:
This page has grown quite large, and I would like to divide into separate pages so the resources here would be easier to locate for people. However, I am disabled by chronic, physical diseases which are often seriously debilitating, and I have very limited energy for working on this website. So taking on that task is not something I can do at this time. I would rather spend the energy I have to work on this website in adding more useful resources here, even if it does mean this is one very long page. To make things easier for you, here is a list of what is on this page. To get to a particular section, just click the linked title of that section, and if all is working well, you will be taken there.
-General support sites for survivors of child abuse (and also often applicable to survivors of adult abuse and sexual assault). Many of these sites have chat rooms, message boards, email lists, or other methods for you to find support from other survivors, as well as having useful information and lists of resources. Some outdated links have been removed, and new sites have been added recently.
-Dissociative Disorders, including Dissociative Identity Disorder. These sites and articles relate to the survival tool of dissociation, which many survivors of abuse rely upon as children, to live. They also give information, support, and ways to find help in dealing with dissociative disorders, something that affects many survivors of prolonged and severe trauma.
-Depression and Suicidality these sites have information and offer support online in the form of message boards, chat rooms, and email lists for people who are dealing with depression and other mood disorders, or feeling seriously depressed and possibly suicidal
-Self-Harm information for people who have addictions to self-injury, otherwise known as self-mutilation or cutting.
-Eating Disorder resources are found on separate page, which is also linked here.
-Other Mental Health Issues has a few sites related to anxiety, panic, passive-aggressive behavior and so-called "borderline personality disorder"
-Prostitution, Sex Work, and Re-enacting Trauma provides information about and for women involved in any type of sex work, as most women involved in such work are survivors of abuse, and very often sexual abuse. The articles and websites linked here relate to all forms of sex work, including stripping, escort jobs, street prostitution, pornography, and others. They provide useful facts about the dangers of such jobs, the real experiences of women who are in them, and some of these sites are specifically geared towards harm reduction for people involved in sex work right now.
-General Self Help, Treatment, and Recovery has sites where you can locate a therapist near you, or search large databases to find self-help and support groups on a large variety of life issues. There are also some sites here geared towards advocacy for people labeled with mental illnesses. There are also a couple of sites here where teenagers can find support and information on a variety of mental health issues and life problems, including abuse, depression and suicidality.
-Articles and Research. These relate to a large variety of issues that affect survivors of child abuse, and sites with collections of articles also.
-Activism to Prevent and Combat Child Abuse. All the links on this section go to websites or organizations which are dedicated to creating awareness about abuse, preventing abuse, promoting the welfare of children, and stopping all forms of child abuse and exploitation
Child Abuse Survivors' Support - General
VOICES: Victims of Incest Can Emerge Survivors is an international organization with a web site in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Dutch. It offers members support through a variety of Special Interest Groups, one of which is an email group, and The Chorus Newsletter.
The Wounded Healer Journal is a huge forum on many topics related to abuse, which has been online for several years. It is a popular site with a lot of people who can give you support. There are links to two chat rooms for survivors here, and a large number of message board folders. There are also resources to get help in dealing with specific issues and finding treatment.
The Saferoom Project has conferences for adult survivors of child abuse. Their website has several different ways for you to find support, either via Yahoo groups, email lists, and online chat. Some of these are not immediately available to new members. This organization is specifically designed for adult survivors dealing with child abuse isses.
The Healthy Place.com Abuse Issues Community has a message board forum, a place where you can create online diaries or read the diaries of other survivors there, an email list and support systems through Instant Messaging and ICQ chat online, as well as several chat rooms for abuse survivors. Healthy Place is a large website and also has a community on dissociative disorders, which is relevant to many abuse survivors, one on eating disorders, on on addictions, one on sex and sexuality, and other topics. There unfortunately a lot of advertisements on this site, but the chat system is easy to use as it uses java scripts, and this may be more simple for some people that IRC (internet relay chat) type rooms, which many other sites use.
All These Years is a site for adult survivors of child abuse, inspired by Tori Amos. There is a message board forum here and information.
Pandora's Aquarium is a large message board forum used by survivors of childhood abuse, particularly and most often sexual abuse, and all survivors of sexual assault/ rape. This forum is connected to several large websites for survivors of sexual violence, including Welcome to Barbados, and Escaping Hades, which are linked on the rape resources page here.You have to join and become a member to use this forum (which is the norm for most message board forums online). It is well-managed by several people and is very popular so there are many other users there to give support.
Peel Out the Watchword is the internet chat room connected to the Pandora's Aquarium message board forum.You can chat here at unscheduled times, and at scheduled times when structured chat discussions are held by moderators.
Two email lists for survivors are listed here. They are run by women affiliated with the Pandora's Aquarium forum. These are lists for survivors of sexual violence. One is for people in the beginning stages of recovery and the other is for those farther along in the healing process. These lists are kept small, intentionally.
I Survive.Org a support site for survivors which has online forums, articles, and information. This is somewhat like Healthy Place.com in being a huge mental health overall-type site which is also somewhat commercial (I try, mostly, to list non-commercial sites here that have no advertisements and are created by individuals. Sometimes the larger sites are useful to people who don't mind commercial type websites).
Rainbow Hope a site especially for lesbian survivors with forums, articles, online diaries, and links
Mirrors is a support site, for online communications for lesbian survivors of childhood abuse and incest, as well as for l lesbian survivors of adult abuse and rape
Asarian has some links to other survivors sites and they used to provide an anonymous MUD client on the internet for survivors to communicate, but, since their site information has stated since 2000 that they are not accepting new members, and it is now 2002, I am only keeping their link here because their site has links on it which you might find useful
Asarian-Host.org (updated in addition to the above information). This site has the Asarian free, anonymous email accounts for survivors to used (web based email which can also be used on your PC with your email program), to protect your privacy online, as well as a long list of internet newsgroups hosted by Asarian, on many issues connected to abuse and its aftereffects, with information on how to use these newsgroups.
Butterflies is an internet magazine for victims of incest, sexual abuse, and ritual abuse who have reclaimed their lives. The large site has a support system of several different email lists you can join, poetry people submit, articles, book recommendations, and more resources.
Transformations (another site with the butterfly symbol) is a support and resource site for adult survivors of childhood trauma, with chat rooms, message boards, and an e-zine you can read online with articles and poetry about trauma related issues. This site is applicable to survivors of any form of trauma, not just child abuse.
The Survivors Forum has message boards specifically for survivors of childhood sexual abuse as well as chat rooms for you to use, the poetry of some survivors, and listings of resources
The Link-Up provides survivors of clergy abuse with information on resources such as self-help groups. They publish a newsletter and document cases. This site lists many valuable resources for survivors, and particularly survivors of abuse by clergy. (updated link)
Reformation.Com adresses the sexual abuse of children by Protestant ministers
Write to Tell is a print newsletter (offline) by and for adult survivors.
The Treehouse chat and internet forums for adult survivors of childhood abuse and trauma, to provide support
Male Survivors Issues and Resources a site created by a male survivor with links and information specifically for male survivors of childhood abuse, put here, even though this is a site for women, because this is also a feminist website and the patriarchy that allows child abuse to flourish affects boys and women as well as girls and men
Healing Journey is an M-IRC chat for survivors of abuse (now connected to the Wounded Healer Journal site) (updated link)
# Survivors On the Net is a site linking to an IRC (internet relay chat) chatroom on the web, with information on how to join this chat room and how to use it. It is open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, based in the U.K.
MollyKat's Resources for Survivors is a large collection of links on many abuse issues, including dissociation and PTSD, other aftereffects, advice, and places to find support (corrected link)
Still Rising is a resource site wth many links for survivors of trauma, with a section for survivors under the age of 18 separated from the rest of the site, which is geared toward adults.
Angels in the Night is a site particularly for kids and teenagers who have been, or are now being, abused. They have information of use to you, ways to get help right now, and a chat room for you to have a place to talk
Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or disorders)
Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery was a landmark book on the topic of trauma, and specifically detailed "complex post-traumatic stress disorder" as the proper definition for what many survivors of prolonged childhood trauma suffer from. This is a page that has excerpts of her book and information about it, on Jim Hopper's recovered memories website. You can find several quotes from this book on the Testimony pages of this website too.
The EMDR Institute has information about EMDR, a type of treatment some therapists use for people with post traumatic stress disorder
Trauma Central by Hope E. Morrow, MA, MFT, CTS is most likely one of the most comprehensive resources for trauma information of any kind on the web. Just about everything you can imagine related to trauma is here, including extensive articles on PTSD, dissociation, and all forms of abuse of children and adults.
Pat McClendon is a clinical social worker with a large site of resources and information on trauma
Sidran is an organization located in Lutherville, MD that provides information on traumatic memories, dissociation, PTSD and related issues on it's web site and through mail-order. They also have a page with dental tips for adult survivors.
Dissociative Disorders, Including Dissociative Identity Disorder
Many Voices is a print newsletter you can order about trauma, dissociation, and Dissociative Identity Disorder. The site has some samples to read and information.
Dissociation Articles this is a large bibliography of many articles related to dissociation and dissociative disorders that can be found offline
members of their organization and trained in treating dissociative disorders
The Myth of Sanity is a recent book by Martha Stout, Phd on dissociation and dissociative disorders, which explains that DID is more common than many people realize and often misdiagnosed or not recognized. You can read excerpts of this book on this page.
The Wonderful World of the Mid-Continuum (updated since the old link didn't work but I found this page again so it has been added here, again) describes the experience of dissociation on a continuum by someone who is "plural" (ie, multiple) but does not fit the criteria for Dissociative Identity Disorder. The diagnosis used by mental health professionals for people in this category is usually Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS). Some people who are diagnosed with DDNOS may later by diagnosed with DID; others may remain in the same state of dissociated with different parts but not with parts that are as separated as those in people with DID. See this page for some other people's possibly less confusing (or more confusing, depending on who you are and what confuses you), ways of describing this.
Healing Hopes has many helpful articles about various aspects of DID and also a forum and chat area. There articles giving advice to people with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and also information for other people.
Mosaic Minds has articles and a forum for discussions on many topics related to DID, for people with DID as well as supporters. Their are sections for child parts/alters here too.
Shattered Selves is an informative site with a page on a topic that is hard to find information about, "co-conscious DID/MPD" - made by a person with DID
WeRMany has informative articles, chat, forums, email support lists and a section for child parts
The MPD-DID Information Pages have coping tips, a description of DID and what it is, a list of email groups, and a list of treatment centers for DID
Depression and Suicidality
Wings of Madness: Depression Information and Support is a large site which has articles on many aspects of mood disorders and related issues for people with various forms of depression, including Bipolar disorder, information on using online support forums and advice based on personal experiences
Andrew's Depression Site is not specifically for women but it is one of the most comprehensive sites on depressive disorders that I have come across
Walkers In Darkness is a large site with information on depression and support via chat rooms and email lists, which has been online for several years and seems to be one of the more popular sites on depression and other mood disorders for people looking for support and information
About.com's Depression site has a forum of message boards and a chat room where you can communicate with other people dealing with depression and mood disorders. There are also a number of links here that might be useful. Like all sites on About.com (which is owned by the same company that owns Delphi forums, you have to join and become a member, before being able to use the forum portion of the site).
Healthy Place.Com's Depression Community has information on many different types of mood disorders (biochemical depression and other biochemical mood disorders), information on treatments, links to other resources, and their site has chat rooms, message boards, and a mailing list you can join. The HealthyPlace.com website is a large mental health community site which also has sections on other issues, not just depression.
Teen Help.org has support groups and online chats for teenagers to talk with other teenagers and "peer mentors" about various problems, including depression, suicidality, self injury, rape and abuse. They also offer email support, responding to teenagers who write to them about problems.
Why Live? reasons not to kill yourself, geared specifically toward people who have a biochemical (ie, a "disease") depression as opposed to depression that is not endogenous (such as the kind that results from abuse. Some people who are abuse survivors also have a biochemical depression. If you are feeling suicidal, please also see the resources at the top of this page
Spirit of Wisdom is a forum online for people dealing with depression to find support
Beating the Beast is a message board forum and chat room website for people dealing with depression to find support from others
Self Mutilation ( Self Harm, Self Injury, Cutting)
Secret Shame: Self Injury Information and Support was one of the first web sites in existence on self mutilation, although this addictive act is not uncommon, especially among abuse survivors. This site offers a chat room and the Bodies Under Seige email list for support.
Self Harm.Com has lots of information on self injury issues for people with this addiction and for people who care about them; links to many resources
Kharre's Home is a site created by a woman with a self-injury addiction that has resources and information for other people who injure themselves
SAFE Alternatives is a treatment program for self-injury. Their web site apppears to be gone.. You can call toll-free: 1-800-DONT-CUT (information line, not a hotline)
Eating Disorders
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) international web site is in English, French, and Spanish and can give you listings of support groups wherever you are. These are the 12-step support groups originally created by a man named Bill W. who was a stockbroker in the 1930's and these groups have a strong focus on people's need to consider alcoholism a "disease" (not just an addiction) for which they need a higher power (a spiritual higher being of some kind, which to most people is some type of a god), to recover, and that recovery is a continual, lifelong process. For people who do not believe that following this system that has become popularly accepted as the only method of recovery to many people, there are actually a number of other resources in existence, some of which are linked below.
AA Deprogramming is a website where some people share their criticim of the AA program, and of its related parts such as Alanon and describe why they are critical of these programs, using specific reasons, and also personal negative experiences. Women might be interested to read some of these articles as they discuss the outdated view of women that exists within some of the AA books that are still used today despite that these books were all written in the 1930's or shortly thereafter (women got the right to vote in the U.S. in 1920, to put that date in persepective), and were all written by white upper middle class men. This is a unique website, in that it challenges a program which has come to be believed by so many people as the unquestionable standard needed to recover from alcoholism, which is not something all people agree with.
Adult Children of Alcoholics also has an international site with listings of groups for adults dealing with the effects of having alcoholic parents
Alanon is another twelve-step group for people in relationships with alcoholics and the web site also lists Alateen groups for teenagers with alcoholic parents around the world. These groups are connected to AA.
Women for Sobriety Inc., gives information on a support groups specifically for women with alcohol addictions, which may be more empowering than the traditional AA 12 step group model, for some women, and has information on women and addictions. There is some online support available on this website in chat rooms where you can talk to other women dealing with substance abuse problems.
Sober Dykes: Women in Recovery for Substance Abuse has information particularly geared to all women, and some specifically for lesbian women and gay men on recovery, primarily using the AA 12 step model, with listings of 12 step groups. They also have several email lists, and a newsletter online which you can joine regardless of whether you are using a 12 step recovery program, some articles of information and recommended books.
Lifering Secular Recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction is a program that differs from NA, AA and other 12 step groups in the AA model, in that there is no focus on any higher power as necessary for recovery
Habit Smart is another place to find a recovery program that is an alternative to the AA model
Rational Recovery is another self-help program for alcoholism and drug addiction which is an alternative to the AA higher-power-based model. This group does not advocate needing a higher power or considering yourself powerless to alcoholism or drug addiction.
SOS: Save Our Selves an "alternative path to freedom" is another secular sobriety group for people with addictions
Moderation Management is a self-help program people can use that advocates moderating drinking rather than trying to achieve total, lifelong abstinence
Practical Recovery has programs for treatment of alcohol and drug addictions in California and some infomation on their website. They do not view addictions as "diseases".
Other Mental Health Issues
The Borderline Personality Disorder Sanctuary has a chatroom, articles and other resources for people diagnosed with this so-called disorder (this is not really a legitimate diagnosis at all in the opinion of some mental health professionals and many other people who understand trauma and the history of how women have been treated by the mental health system)
Kathi's Mental Health Review has clinical information and advice on Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and other personality disorders (please note I personally am not endorsing any of this information; most of these "disorders" are always the result of abuse)
Sexual Compulsions, Addiction, and Re-enacting Trauma
Myths About Women and Sex Addiction is an article that describes the myths that are commonly believed about women in relation to sexual addictions, as well as mentioning that the huge majority of women with this type of addiction are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Women's Sexual Addiction Screening Test that can be taken online from sexhelp.com (a site that also provides referrals to therapists for treatment of sex addiction and sometimes these therapists have experience in dealing with abuse and trauma issues). This test is different from another test online that is for women and men both, because it does not include sexist questions that obviously do not normally pertain to women, such as "have you ever paid for sex?". Women are more likely to have been used for sex in the "sex industry" than to be consumers of it, so such tests are obviously created more for men than women. This one is not.
Sex Work, Prostitution, Re-enacting Trauma
Prostitutes Speak Out on how prostitution harmed their lives, how childhood abuse led them into prostituion, and how they were forced into prostitution at the Maxim Institute website, New Zealand
Survivors of Prostitution Tell Their Stories on the website of the Sage Project, and organization founded by a woman who escaped prostitution and now helps other prostitutes get out of it, get their lives back, and also works with authorities to testify in court when they are prosecuting pimps and johns, and started a program for convicted "johns" (ie, men who hire prostitutes), to educate them about what prostitution is really like for these women and what they are actually doing by being part of it
Prostitution Research and Education maintains a website full of information on how prostitution harms women. This is a U.S. project sponsored by San Francisco area women's groups. There are resources to many services for people who want to escape prostitution, a large list of articles and links.
Interview with Melissa Farley of the Prostitution Research and Education organization, on Merge Magazine's website, lets you know what Farley has learned through her research on prostitution by talking with many women involved in prostitution, and gives her strong opinions about how this is a horrible form of abuse against women, and that all forms of so-called sex work are horrible abuses of women. Her viewpoint is extremely in oppostion to the self-proclaimed feminists and other people who defend the rights of prostitutes and claim that it is a "chosen" profession which some women actually like
Children of the Night "saving America's children from the ravages of street prostitution" helps many teenagers escape homelessness and prostitution
Sisters Offering Support is affiliated with EPCAT and works to combat commercial sexual exploitation and help people escape the abuses of the sex industry
PROSPER: Prostitution Prevention, Education and Risk Reduction works to improve the lives of prostitutes while simultaneously working to end all systems of prostitution. This site provides statistics about prostitutes' lives, such as the huge percentages that have been raped and abused or been homeless. There is information explaining the realities of prostitution, stripping, ad pornography work, on separate pages. There are also "survivor testimonials" here, a page called "What is Sexual Violence" and a harm reduction information page.
Strip Clubs According to Strippers : facts about strip clubs, how strippers are actually treated, and the ugly realities they face in these "jobs" where they are degraded, just like all sex workers
Would You Want This Job? a prostitution "want ad" written by the organization, WHISPER: Women Harmed in Systems of Prostitution Engaging in Revolt (as far as I know WHISPER itself no longer exists at this time)
HIPS - Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive is an organization in Washington D.C. that works to provide support and empowerment to women involved in prostitution and also operates a national toll-free hotline 24 hours a day 1-800-676-HIPS. HIPS uses a "harm reduction" philosophy to help people involved in sex work lead healthier lives, and addresses the threats of STD's including HIV/AIDS, abuse, and discrimination can have on sex workers.
Maggie's of Toronto provides information and education to assist sex workers in safety. This is a self-help organization for sex workers
Sex Workers' International Media Watch observes and responds to the media when sex workers' lives are portrayed. This group does not necessarily view prostitution as harmful to women or the result of sexual abuse, however, it may be of interest.
Working In Nevada a sex worker writes about life working in the Nevada legal brothel system
Danzine is an organization of sex workers sharing information for their own safety and rights in Portland, Oregan. They produce a zine that they put out sometimes in strip clubs for the workers. This is a sex workers' rights type of organization, meaning they do not necessarily view sex work as harmful to women at all, and think of it as a choice people make for a job. This link is only being put here for people who might find useful information through it.
The Exotic Dancers' Alliance addresses the lack of civil, human, and labor rights for exotic dancers and other sex workers and advocates for sex workers. This is another sex workers' rights type group, which provides help to people in this field of work but does not necessarily view the work itself as harmful to all the women involved in it.
Nikki Craft's website has information on pornography, why she disagrees with porn being protected as free speech when it is really violence against women, and links to articles by Andrea Dworkin on this topic
General Self-Help, Support Groups, Treatment, Recovery
The Self-Help Sourcebook Online of the American Self Help Clearinghouse is a huge database listing support groups for all kinds of problems. Many do not have websites, but the locations and phone numbers are provided.
Support Path.Com has listings of newsgroups online and other forums to find support on the web, for people dealing with a variety of life problems
Recovery, Inc. has support groups for people with a variety of mental illnesses and problems. They operate under the idea that there are "no hopeless cases".
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Therapist Finders - a huge list of sites that you can use to find a therapist near you, from mental health databases to professional associations. Just about every way to find a therapist online is listed here. From Hope E. Morrow's Trauma Central site.
Teen Advice Online is a site dealing with many issues that can cause difficulties in the lives of young women and young men. Teenagers can chat online here, and talk to trained counselors.
Teen Help.Org has support groups on a variety of issues including suicidality, depression, rape, abuse, and other topics, and live chats for teenagers to talk to other teens experiencing similar problems, and to talk to "peer mentors" for advice. They also offer support via email.
The Bright Side is a website designed in a cheery orange and white color scheme that does, actually look "bright". This site is to offer hope, inspiration, and encouragement to people dealing with mental health issues and various life difficulties. A rather unique concept in that the entire focus is on "the bright side" of things. This may be useful to some people.
Looking-Beyond is a site that provides support in message board forums and chat rooms, and in allowing people to tell their stories online, for people dealing with a variety of life difficulties and mental health issues, not just any one specific problem.
Articles and Research
The Recovered Memory Project is a collection of legal cases and clinical cases corroborating the existence of recovered memories of abuse, from Brown University.
The Recovered Memories Resource Page has excellent information particularly related to so-called false memories, the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF), and who is behind that organization
Sibling Abuse a subject of which there is still far too little information available, is discussed in this article
Am I Gay Because of the Abuse? this investigates how homophobia influences the lives of lesbian and gay survivors of sexual abuse and affects how they feel about themselves as well as the societal myth that sexual abuse leads to people becoming homosexual
