When the Darkness Feels Too Heavy: A Message for Those Thinking of Ending It All Sometimes the pain is so loud, so constant, so unrelenting, that the idea of ending it all doesn’t feel dramatic — it feels like relief. If you’ve ever found yourself searching for ways to disappear, … Continue reading
Neuroplasticity: Rewiring Hope After Trauma For many survivors of childhood abuse, healing can feel like an uphill climb especially when old beliefs and patterns seem deeply embedded. But what if the brain itself could change? What if healing wasn’t just emotional, but neurological? That’s where neuroplasticity comes in. And for … Continue reading
Knowing Yourself: Understanding Behaviour and Building Resilience Recovery from abuse doesn’t start with a perfect plan — it starts with a question: Why do I feel and act the way I do? For many survivors, behaviours that seem irrational or disruptive make perfect sense when seen through the lens of … Continue reading
Facing the Hard Truths: Accepting What Feels Impossible Some facts arrive in our lives like thunderclaps. Others creep in slowly, uninvited, unwelcome — then stay. For one survivor on our Survivor Boards, the truth came in layers: “I really struggled to accept that my dad was a paedophile. It’s taken … Continue reading
The Idiot’s Guide to Inner Child Work (For Those Who’d Rather Not) Let’s be honest: inner child work can sound a bit too fluffy, or way too intense. Maybe it conjures images of sobbing over old toys or writing tearful letters to your past self. If that makes you back … Continue reading
Justice After Trauma: Understanding the Journey Through the Legal System For many adult survivors of child abuse, engaging with the justice system can feel daunting, confusing, and emotionally intense. It’s not simply about pressing charges; it’s about reclaiming agency, seeking recognition, and — for some — finding peace. This post … Continue reading
When the Web Turns Dark: Understanding Online Child Abuse and Exploitation Online child abuse and exploitation is an issue that affects all of us. Whether you’re a survivor, a parent, a mentor, or simply someone trying to navigate life in a digital world—it’s vital to understand how this form of … Continue reading
You Are Not What Happened to You: Embracing Self-Love at Any Age On our journeys through trauma and recovery, it’s easy to confuse the echoes of our past with the substance of who we are. But how we were treated is not who we are. At HAVOCA, we are proud … Continue reading
Grieving What Was Taken: Understanding the Grief Process in Recovery When we think of grief, we often associate it with death — the loss of a loved one, a final goodbye. But for survivors of childhood abuse, grief can take on a different, quieter shape. It’s the mourning of what … Continue reading
Motivating Survivors of Child Abuse to Embrace Second Chances Around three decades ago, American psychologist Dr Stephen Porges developed polyvagal theory, which highlighted the impact of trauma on individuals’ ability to form thriving connections and forge a meaningful life. The basic idea of this theory is that the level of safety we … Continue reading
