Book Review: Exploring the Lifelong Impact of Trauma
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 […]
Read MoreBeautiful Now
I’ve always thought that I was too fat, in part because my parents told me I was. My sister was also “chubby,” and my mom encouraged me to get her to diet with me. She’d say, “Let’s get our summer bodies ready!” My dad was even more critical. Nothing was ever good enough for him. […]
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Finding and Trusting the Right Therapist
Names have been changed. My father sexually abused me as a child and, a few days shy of my 13th birthday, I entered foster care. When detectives were first assigned to my case, I had to explain the what, when, where, who, and how of the assaults over and over. I felt like I was […]
Read MoreWriting Contest Winners Spring 2023
Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In spring 2023, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about family, addiction, generational trauma, and finding one’s voice. Congratulations to our winners and be sure to apply for our […]
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