Jade Miller – Ritual Abuse

* This is really positive news! Makes my heart smile. I hope some of you would like to participate, either as presenters or as part of the audience.

The Plural Positivity World Conference:
sponsored by Power to the Plurals https://powertotheplurals.com/
Five days of Inclusive, Online, Free, Recorded Sessions
July 13 – 19, 2020

Call for Presentations
Due dates: May 15, panel presenters’ recorded answers to questions
May 31, recorded sessions
Information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hcMkNWcTNbpajqbzVr79QmSBgDZRGKafyCFumjrp2bs/edit?fbclid=IwAR0EXoOd4o3gif-GiSQEA2EWWhd66CeZ6bhcVY7-9FbpkMF85BXTdN42mgA#

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An amazing thing happened to me. The Feelings Fairy did indeed swoop down from the treetops and said. “Oh, Jean, you don’t need this depression anymore. Let me take it away and leave acceptance and satisfaction in its stead.” I watched her slowly fly off into the horizon, She flew slowly because the depression was heavy, but that tiny wee thing sure was strong enough to take it far away.

This is the first time in my life, as far as I know, that a depression lifted after only a few weeks. I am very happy. The only symptom I miss is being able to sleep a full night without a bout of insomnia at two in the morning or upsetting dreams. Interestingly, those problems are back! However, I am not flat emotionally, I have more energy ((altho not as much as I would like), I am once again interested in the outside world, and the suicidal thoughts are gone.

My therapist and I are entertaining the hypothesis that it was a situational depression thanks to being housebound, not a real, nasty, dark, black, clinical depression. Isn’t that weird?

I am very sad, though, at the thought that I may not see people I love ever again in person. I believe that this nasty bug is going to be around for a looong time, and it will not be safe for me to consider flying unless they develop a really, really effective vaccine. And no more snorkeling, either. <sniff>

Thank goodness for <ehugs> and Zoom and email.

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I want to share with you a piece that my friend Jade Miller wrote about helping younger parts adapt to wearing a mask. As an introduction to the article, I’ll share a bit about my style of communicating with both outer and inner kids.

I am very anxious around babies and young children. I am always terrified that I won’t be able to understand what they are trying to communicate. Now granted, most people find trying to communicate with kids frustrating at times but my level of anxiety is ridiculous. I am quite sure that it’s because, when I was young, I tried to communicate and failed. Or rather, I did fine, given my age, but the adults failed to understand.

Here’s a sad little example. My mother wrote, I think in my baby book, that when I was two going on three, I walked down a path saying, “no” at each step. She found it very cute. It never occurred to her to wonder, “no to what?”

And here is a happier little story. When I brought my firstborn home, I thought, “I don’t have a baby to raise. I have a new roommate.” I considered kids fully formed people and always treated them with respect. This approach soon translated into teaching them rather than ordering them around and correcting or punishing them.

So if you (an adult part) is trying to communicate something to a younger part, you will get further by teaching and explaining rather than by throwing your weight around. You will have the authority that comes from wisdom and experience rather than the authority that comes with size, strength, and power. And your kids, inner or outer, will respect you rather than fear you.

On to Jade’s writing about wearing masks and helping inner kids avoid freaking out.

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If Wearing a Mask is Difficult…

I’ve been thinking a lot about those who – for reasons related to trauma – find wearing a mask very difficult. Of course, the safest/easiest thing to do is stay home, but that’s not always an option. Some people have to work. Some people have to do their own shopping. Etc.

So I’ve come up with some suggestions in hopes that one or some of them may help. These are unprecedented times, and these may end up being useless. But it’s worth a shot.

• Try cute, calming, or meaningful patterns – if you have littles, they might find mild comfort in wearing some of my own designs (if you have a request for a pattern I don’t currently have, send me a message and I’ll make one!)

• Try 1-2 drops of essential oil under your nose before you put it on; I’ve had some success in re-training my brain to stay grounded by using essential oils. My own personal favorite is marjoram, but you could try anything that you find pleasant. (Peppermint oil is strong and kind of in-your-face but not usually in a bad way.) Note: some of the oils should not be applied directly to your skin; you may need a drop or two of an oil mixed with it.

• Perhaps gum, candy, or a sucker — another idea with the littles in mind. Especially if these things might be considered fun, or a treat… maybe try having something yummy in your mouth while you have to wear the mask? Gummy bears, Sour Patch Kids, a gobstopper or something that will (hopefully) last a little while. See if you can make it through whatever the task is without biting down. Make it a game.

My thought process is that maybe it will help the littles realize that something good is happening (they get candy!) and that their mouth and nose are NOT – in fact – blocked…at least not in the way they’re worried about. They are in “now time,” where even though it might not seem like it, you are trying to protect them and keep them safe by complying with the current health guidelines.

These are the only things I’ve thought of so far. Maybe you could try doing any of them that appeal to you, but only wearing the mask around the house for 5-10 minutes at a time, while doing something extremely relaxing or fun. “Practice” doing it for short periods of time and then take it off. It’s my hope that any positive association that you can build in your mind with wearing the mask and then taking it off ASAP can help create a tolerance that will hopefully be able to last the length of a trip to the store or for an essential errand, etc.

Try to make it a “mission” for the littles, or turn it into a fun challenge. This isn’t mask-specific but I’ve flat-out used bribery in the past when I’ve been facing something difficult and needed to help motivate my system to do something really hard. Plan to take home ice cream later, or order a movie you’ve been wanting to see for a while, after the errand that requires a mask. Be creative.

We are smart, folks. We didn’t survive all the shit we’ve been through just to be defeated by this stupid COVID19 thing. We can do this. I believe in us!

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Upcoming Holidays

May
5/25 Memorial Day
5/31 Pentecost
June
6/5 Full moon
6/5-6 Penumbral lunar eclipse. The moon will turn a shade darker during the maximum phase, visible in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa. Most penumbral lunar eclipses cannot be easily distinguished from a usual full moon. See https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2020-june-5
6/19 Summer solstice
6/21 Fathers’ Day
6/21 Annular solar eclipse. Visible from parts of Africa (including the Central African Republic, Congo, and Ethiopia), south of Pakistan, northern India, and China. Partial eclipse is visible in south/east Europe, much of Asia, the north of Australia, and much of Africa, Pacific, Indian Ocean. See https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2020-june-21
6/23 Midsummer’s Eve
6/24 St. John’s Day
July
7/4 Independence Day
7/4 Full moon
7/4-5 Penumbral lunar eclipse. The moon will turn a shade darker during the maximum phase, visible in North and South America, and Africa. Most penumbral lunar eclipses cannot be easily distinguished from a usual full moon. See https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2020-july-5
7/25 St. James’ Day/Festival of the Horned God

Dates Important to Nazi and Neo-Nazi groups
6/6 D-Day: invasion of France in WW2
7/30 Tisha B’Av (Day of Mourning)
7/29 Hitler proclaimed leader of the Nazi party

(NOTE: Not all groups meet on Jewish holidays. Some groups also mark Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas, Halloween, the solstices and the equinoxes.)

New Book! Jade Miller’s “Attachment and Dissociation: A Survivor’s Analysis” in e-book form. About intergenerational dysfunctional attachment and Jade’s healing process. (Jade is the author of “Dear Little Ones.”) http://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Dissociation-Survivors-Jade-Miller-ebook/dp/B01DPX76YQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460054531&sr=1-3&keywords=jade+miller

The eating disorders series started on 4/10, 2016 (Eating disorders and genetics,) and continued on 4/20, 2-16 (Over-eating.) The issues discussed in this section apply to anorexia and bulimia as well as over-eating.

Hard as these conditions are for people who were not abused as children, they are far harder for those of us who had to live through ritual abuse. Genetic factors and social pressure, of course, apply to all in our society.

Parents can set their kids up for eating disorders in lots of different ways. Many parents equate food with love, and since they love their kids, they over-feed them or give them candy and other goodies to make their children feel appreciated. Some cult parents act this way because they love as well as abuse their kids; others because they were raised this way and they continue the tradition without thinking. In any event, these children often grow up turning to childhood comfort foods whenever they are hurting. Which, if you are a ritual abuse survivor, is pretty much all the time.

Abusers also use food as a punishment or torture. Children can be deprived of food for a long time and then made to eat (even force-fed) rich foods, which will make them very sick. Most Satanic cults drink the blood or eat the bodies of sacrifices and often make children eat things which were never meant to be eaten, like excrement. They can also be starved for days because it is easier to program a child who is food-deprived and sleep-deprived.

Many adult survivors buy large amount of food or hoard food in reaction to having been deprived as children. Others are afraid of many foods, especially those that are unfamiliar or that remind them, consciously or unconsciously, of “bad” foods used in rituals, in training, or as torture.

It makes total sense that ritual abuse survivors often cannot eat meat, for example, and may even have trouble seeing others eat meat. Remember, though, that the opposite can occur, and some survivors will eat raw meat. This is a form of “acting out” – re-enacting a part of the repressed ritual, probably in an effort to trigger the memory and gain more information about the past. It’s not uncommon to swing between the two extremes, acting out and total avoidance. Being drawn to food can be the basis for over-eating and being repelled by food can be the basis for anorexia.

Then there is the issue of alters. Different alters may have very different attitudes, beliefs, and needs around food. If one alter wants to stop eating in an effort to disappear entirely and another alter wants to gain more and more weight in an effort to become sexually unattractive there is going to be chaos inside and out. And if one of those alters is out most of the time, the other will be seething in the background trying to figure out how to sabotage the alter in control.

Some therapists do not know a great deal about dissociation. They may believe that the eating disorder must be under control before dealing with the DID. That means that no communication between alters is established and no agreements are made inside before working on the eating disorder. This can easily lead to a battle for control between the survivor and the therapist and between the survivor’s inside people.

Even if therapists are familiar with working with alters, they may be frightened by the severity of the eating disorder, get flustered, and make mistakes. Or they may be working in a setting where they cannot make all their own decisions or where others higher up do not believe in RA, MC, or DID. There are all sorts of problems that can arise in therapy that have nothing to do with the client but which have great impact.

(There is another issue which I almost forgot because it is my issue. Survivors are often prescribed meds which cause weight gain which is very difficult to take off. I had eighty extra pounds thanks to various antidepressants. (With much effort, I have lost sixty of those pounds – hooray!) I can assure you that the meds did not increase my appetite because of the speed with which I gained weight. They wrecked havoc on my metabolism. This doesn’t belong in this post because it isn’t really an eating disorder but I thought I would mention it anyway.)

Next will be a discussion of anorexia and bulimia and then on ways of dealing with the external – the actual eating disorder – and the internal – the relationships between alters who experienced the parts of the abuse that led to the eating disorder. As always, I could use all the help I can get, so if you have ideas, please be generous and leave a comment.

Tag: Jade Miller

Jade Miller on Helping Inner Kids Tolerate Wearing Masks, Plus an Update on My Depression,

If Wearing a Mask is Difficult…

Upcoming Holidays

Ritual Abuse Issues and Eating Disorders

If Wearing a Mask is Difficult…

Upcoming Holidays

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