・ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ・

Who do you help?

  Our outreach focuses its heart on the adult survivors of childhood trauma who have Complex PTSD and/or dissociative trauma disorders.

Does that mean domestic violence?

While some of our survivors have endured domestic violence as children in living in violent homes, or as adults who fell victim to abusive partners later in life, most are survivors of other forms of childhood trauma. This can include, but is not limited to: emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse; human, sex, and/or drug trafficking; extreme parental neglect; child exploitation; recurrent medical traumas; living in a war zone; among many other sources of trauma.

Do you only help women?

Definitely not! Our outreach is for men, women, trans, and nonbinary folks; and individuals of any sexual orientation,
race, nationality, faith, disability, or income level. While our aid program does require that one be in financial need, and can currently only be approved for US residents, there are many other ways we offer support that aren’t dependent on location or income level.
Childhood trauma is the only thread weaving those we help together; everything else is diverse. But even our tools, resources,
education, and compassion can be extended to those with a variety of other mental illnesses or no trauma at all.
We are here for hurting humans in need.
Also, no trauma history, background, or unsavory past is a deterrent to our desire to assist however we can. Period.

What are 'dissociative trauma disorders'?

This category refers to: Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), all Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) subtypes,
and anyone experiencing unmanaged dissociation who is still in the process of receiving a proper diagnosis or is currently misdiagnosed. Not all dissociative disorders are definitively trauma-based, but most are and we are here for you.
These conditions typically present with comorbid Complex PTSD and develop under very similar circumstances.
However, dissociative disorders tend to be even more specific to early childhood trauma, especially DID.
DID only forms before the ages of 6-9, though some research suggests even earlier.
The symptoms of dissociative disorders tend to be more life-inhibiting than C-PTSD and carry considerably larger stigma.

The dedicated page to dissociative disorders may be under construction, but in the meantime, we have two articles (here and here) on DID,
as well as a very in-depth infographic series on our social media beginning here. For more information on OSDD
(and all dissociative experiences), this site is an excellent resource.

what else are you doing to help? 

Our other primary focus is on furthering professional and public awareness for complex trauma and the survivors who experience it.
The public is still largely unaware, but more devastating is the limited number of clinicians trained to even recognize or treat these vulnerable patients. Furthermore, there are less than 5 U.S. hospitals equipped to take a traumatized patient in need.
We are in the process of changing that.

Does the severity of one's trauma Increase their chances of application approval?

To be brief, no.
We take a wide variety of factors into consideration when approving applications—trauma severity is not one.
While we do need to make sure our applicants fit the criteria of having experienced complex trauma, aid is determined on a case-by-case basis and our focus revolves more around patient safety, the severity one's symptoms, availability and/or competence of one's treatment team, level of family/friend support, and - of course - financial need.
How badly one was traumatized in their youth, or adulthood, does not weight one's application heavier.
Because of this, as well as the nature of working intimately with those who endured great trauma,
you may see this CORRESPONDENCE NOTICE from time to time:

Your voice matters. Your story is important. We care deeply about your pain - both past and present.
However, knowing details of the trauma you've experienced - especially those which are graphic in nature -
will not help us help you better. In fact, it can deplete our resources and clarity, leaving us less efficient in guiding you to the help you deserve. Severity of trauma has zero bearing on approval of applications.
We care about you, so for your safety and ours, we ask that you refrain from sharing traumatic material.
In the event of an emergency, please contact your local crisis center or call 911.
We will gladly help when your safety has been ensured.

YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT, LIKE, PROMOTIONS AND ADVERTISING?

All that we create or put out has been volunteer-made or donated. The only expenses that go out are occasions where
event vendors are unable to donate a service or there is an item that must be purchased at a store - but these are all included in the
Budget Balance for that event, where we always return a much greater overall profit for our survivors.
The same applies for promotional items or boosted posts on social media. They are either paid for by our volunteers
or are part of an event’s total budget. Nothing is ever lost or used that we don’t get a far greater return on.

For more information on Complex PTSD,
Dissociative disorders, survivor resources, applying for assistance, OUR THERAPY BOX PROJECT, or how to donate, keep reading through our website!