Alesha Brown, a child abuse survivor and motivational speaker doesn’t have a memory from childhood when she wasn’t being hurt or when she wasn’t walking around in fear. For years after her abuser died, she was drawn to a pressure cooker-life similar to the combat zone she had known at home and for years she would ask herself why she was unlovable. That all changed on a crucial day in young adulthood when she understood in her bones that what had happened to her was not who she was; that what she had experienced was profoundly damaging but she didn’t have to keep reliving her past. It was the day she decided to stop letting the words of her abuser control her life or dictate her actions; the day she understood the power to survive was in her hands. Alesha shares her story and suggestions for reaching out to those who might be struggling, the signs of elevated sadness in others, and how to approach loved ones who might be in trouble.
Note that during this interview, we encountered some sound inconsistencies.
For more on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs):
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html
Resources for the prevention of child abuse:
https://preventchildabuse.org
http://www.preventtogether.org
For more about this episode visit:
https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com
For more on the work Alesha does:
http://www.thejoyguru.net/about.html
Child Abuse/Resilience/Survivor
Girl Left Behind featuring Judy Temes
Recovering from Diet Culture featuring Stefanie Bonastia
A Dream Come True featuring Robert Miller
Healing Sexual Wounds featuring Leah Carey
Find Your Harbor: Life in the Wake of Loss featuring Margo Fowkes
Shaking off the Past: From Difficult Childhood to a Place of Peace featuring Michael Arterberry
A Better Culture for Women in the Workplace and Beyond featuring Laurel Anne Stark
Life After Childhood on a Commune Featuring Phoebe Pilaro
Generation Cult featuring Dhyana Levey
Parents Who Leave for Cults featuring Lily Dunn
Emma's Laugh: The Gift of Second Chances featuring Diana Kupershmit
Finally Safe at Home featuring Sabrina Osso
Two Sisters on an Organizing Mission featuring Kelly and Katie McNemamin
A Life in 147 Days featuring Andrea Wilson Woods
Strong Like Water featuring Laila Tarraf
Salvation, Injury, and Reinvention: A Football Story featuring Kenneth Scott
Fostering and Nurturing Children with Autism featuring Dr. Lynette Louise
Life After Pregnancy Losses featuring Kim Hooper
From Athlete to Human featuring Kacee Hoffer
Your Body Is Not A Problem featuring Katherine Yasi
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