Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2705

Tonight's special guest is Brenda Crompton from Toronto, Ontario, a physical and emotional abuse survivor who suffered both at home and in foster care. Her  schizophrenic mother burned her as an infant and beat her when she was 3-4. Brenda was taken by children's aid on her 8th birthday. "The abuse made me feel powerlessness, confusion, not understanding why other kids did not get beaten," she says, "not understanding why this was happening to me, not understanding why everyone in my life (except my dad) hated me." After many years of adult trauma, Brenda now shares her story as an activist. "I have received lots of therapy of different types (talk, cognitive, energy, EDMR, neurofeedback to stop being in fight/flight, biofeedback (to calm my physiology), somatic healing, inner child work. I had lots of emotions trapped in my body, showing up as illnesses not front language-based trauma, still have flashbacks of people hitting me but far less common now. For a long time, I would collect blame from others, like stepping in front of a business topic 'bullet' and take the blame. Until I realized what I was really doing and that I don't deserve that, so I don't do that anymore." Brenda further explains, "As children we are incredibly resilient and need to first do whatever we need to do so that we can survive the trauma, and then trust ourselves and give ourselves permission to let go of the trauma. We need to each out for help, it's a sign of strength. The importance of forgiveness, not for them who wronged us, the forgiveness is for ourselves." Brenda is active in the survivor community. "I am writing my book and I have spoken to groups as large as 250 people about my story of trauma and how to create a wonderful life after it."