Surviving police violence and growing resilience
News
New personal account: Not waving but drowning
We were at the Climate Camp in the UK from the 3rd to the 11th August 2008. Download our workshop program.
Trauma Support Database
We have a database with contacts for Trauma Support (trained activists, therapists, herbalists, healers…)
Sat 25 April 2009, 1-6pm for people who witnessed the Ian Tomlinson attack.
Sun 26 April 2009, 1-6pm for anybody attacked by the police or who was destressed by the events around the G20.
Location: LARC London Action Resource Centre, Whitechapel E1 1ES.
A skillshare facilitated by Wellbeing and Activist Trauma Support.
This will be an opportunity to learn and share strategies and skills for coping with police violence and supporting recovery. We will also share information on spotting the early warning signs of post-traumatic stress and how to prevent it. There will also space to process feelings, learn from our emotional intelligence and offer each other support.
Everyone has an individual response to police violence. You may be feeling angry, upset or traumatised, or none of those things. Please don't feel that you need to be suffering in a major way in order to attend. Having a chance to share with each other and finding ways to respond prevents burnout and increases the ongoing resilience of our movement.
Some tea and snacks will be available in breaks, but bring extra to share if you can. This skillshare is free, any donations will help us to cover costs.
Please try and let us know if you plan to come, by sending a text or email, so that we can get some idea of numbers, and can send extra info beforehand if needed:
Phone: 07962 406 940
Activist Trauma Support offers ongoing support for activists. We've set up and run the Wellbeing Space at Climate Camp for the last three years. This is a quiet space where people can rest, have a cup of tea, and if needed, have a chat with someone about any difficulties they're experiencing.
For more information and support: see this website!
Welcome
This site is primarily for political activists who may be injured during or by their political activities and or struggling with other mental health issues related to activism. Hopefully much of the information is useful to other groups and individuals who either have to face violence or repression where ever it may come from. It seems that as a movement we have not sufficiently acknowledged the psychological effects of the brutality and stress that an increasing number of us are subjected too.
Supporting people who have been traumatized should be a central part of our activism, for without support and solidarity we can be easily picked off. This is not exciting or glamorous, it's hard work. However it can be rewarding, interesting and have very positive results. We may sometimes feel powerless in the face of all their power but we CAN help each other.
About Us
We are a bunch of anti-capitalist activists who have either experienced or been close to people who have been effected by PTSD or other forms of mental health issues. We are NOT experts about these issues (and if you are we would like to hear from you) but care deeply and want to help. Just by raising these issues we are helping to cure them.
