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Book Review: Exploring the Lifelong Impact of Trauma
by Bhone Kyaw
When I reached the middle of Osamu Dazai’s novel ‘No Longer Human,’ I was struck by how much influence a person’s childhood can have on their identity as an adult. Yozo Oba, the protagonist, demonstrates that. From a young age, the author depicts Yozo as suffering from depression, a direct consequence of the sexual abuse he suffered from at the hands of his family’s servants.
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Not Safe Enough to Feel It All
by Olivia A.
When I was very little, my father, Troy, beat me, but not my older sister or my mother. He chose me because he didn’t think I was his child. He’d scream, “You’re not mine; you’re too light-skinned!” He did abuse my mother in other ways, though: He would push her and yell degrading things at her, and keep her from protecting me when he went off on me.
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What Happened After Rehab
by K.G.
Names have been changed. It was a week after my mom returned home from court-ordered inpatient rehab. My home finally felt as it should, comfortable and full of laughter. My smile lingered as I left my mom and little sister playing their memory card game at the table in our living room.
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Mother to My Mom
by K.G.
Names have been changed. When I was little, I would come home from school to find my parents laughing together over a funny work story. My dad ran his mechanic shop while my mom volunteered at my little sister’s school. While they talked, my sister Evelyn colored another masterpiece for my mom to hang up on the fridge.