Abby Sheneman, PsyD, LCSW

03/06/2026

💜

03/06/2026

We may not get along with someone, or we may think they aren't a good person, but that doesn't mean we should doubt their experience. Someone can be displaying signs of a mental illness, but that doesn't mean something traumatic couldn't, or shouldn't have happened to them. Sexual violence is never, ever deserved.

How we feel about s*xual violence and survivors shouldn't be conditional.

03/06/2026

One of the things bereaved parents learn
is how often they have to swallow words.

People say things trying to help.
Trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense.

And most of the time you just nod
and let it pass.

Not because it didn’t hurt.
But because explaining your grief
can be more exhausting than carrying it.

Izzy Roe 💜

03/06/2026

Most fights in relationships are not actually about what the fight appears to be about.

Underneath the dishes, the silence, the late text is a wound that got poked. Understanding your triggers doesn't make conflict disappear.

It just means you can respond to what's actually happening instead of what your nervous system decided is happening. That changes everything.

Like this if you're learning to understand your own patterns and follow for more on building secure relationships.

03/04/2026

03/03/2026

You escaped the abuse.

So why does your body still react like you’re not safe?

For many domestic violence survivors, the trauma doesn’t end when the relationship ends. It follows them in racing thoughts, sudden panic, hyper-awareness, and emotional numbness.

PTSD isn’t just something that happens in war zones.

It happens in bedrooms.
In kitchens.
Behind closed doors.

Living in constant unpredictability rewires the brain. The nervous system adapts to survive — staying alert, scanning for danger, bracing for impact.

And long after the threat is gone, the body may still respond like it’s happening.

Avoidance.
Flashbacks.
Hyper-vigilance.
Emotional shutdown.

These aren’t signs of weakness.

They’re signs of trauma.

In our latest blog, Understanding PTSD in Domestic Violence Survivors: A Path to Healing, we break down what PTSD can look like after abuse — and what real recovery can involve.

Here’s the question:

How many survivors are judging themselves for trauma responses that once kept them alive?

Healing isn’t linear. Some days feel strong. Some days feel heavy. Both are part of the process.

Read the full blog here:
🔗 https://breakthesilencedv.org/?p=19528

If PTSD has made you feel broken, please hear this — you are not broken. Your brain adapted to survive.

📞 BTSADV Support Line: 1-855-BTS-1777
🕘 9 AM – 9 PM CST | 7 days a week
💜 Confidential. Survivor-centered. Judgment-free.

03/03/2026

During Social Work Month, NASW educates the public about the contributions social workers make, and provides social workers and their allies tools to elevate the profession.

03/03/2026

🙌🙌🙌🙌

Happy ! March 1-7, 2026
The first week of month is also ! During this week, recognizes the powerful impact of school social workers. Honor the incredible contributions of your local school social worker with tools from the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) and consider gifting the Practice Standards for School Social Workers as a support to school social workers professional development. https://naswpress.org/product/practice-standards-for-school-social-workers/

Get a Toolkit from socialworkmonth.org