Ripple effect.

[momebie]

ETA- WordPress has decided to shut down A Search for Survivors entirely. This decision saddens me, but waywardradish made a post thanking everyone for their support. It's unlikely that new e-mails sent in to the WordPress TOS department will be paid any attention. She has set up a mirror site here: http://attachmentquackery.wordpress.com/.

I follow the lj and blog of waywardradish, who is doing an irreplaceable and much needed service in the name of holding therapy survivors, of which there seem to be very few when compared to the amount of holding therapy victims. Right now she needs our help. I'm going to steal from copperbadge's post.

As many (I hope) of you know, one of my friends, waywardradish, runs a support blog for survivors of "holding therapy", a dangerous, abusive, and sometimes lethal practice performed exclusively on children. Predominantly aimed at adopted and foster children, who often have no strong advocate and like all children have little physical defence, this abuse can involve wrapping them in blankets until they vomit, holding them down until they lose consciousness (or die), and forcing them into humiliating and terrifying situations over which they have no control.

Her main site, A Search For Survivors, has been suspended by wordpress because she has become visible and is being targeted by practitioners of holding therapy, who are threatened by her voice and (one hopes) losing money because of the truth she's telling.

A mirror of her likely last post on wordpress is here, and links to a survivor's account:

"The therapist diagnosed me with ODD and RAD and my sister with RAD, she showed my mom how to do 'holding therapy.' She ignored the fact that our adopted father had physically and sexually abused me and that restraining me sent me into panic attacks...Everyone in the room was helping to hurt me, and like a rapist, they told me when I just stopped fighting and took it like a good girl, everything would be okay."

I strongly urge you if you have a spare moment to send a letter of protest regarding the suspension of this journal to WordPress at tosreports@wordpress.com and to pass this message along.

Put this in the subject line: [WordPress #352210]: 493@childtorture.wordpress.com

She asks that you phrase any protests, inquiries and arguments with the utmost courtesy. This is the letter I have sent, which you are welcome to use:

I strongly protest the suspension of the Wordpress journal childtorture.wordpress.com. It is a vital and invaluable resource for holding therapy survivors, and has assisted individuals like myself in becoming educated about this practice. Holding therapy is abusive and lethal and aimed at children, who have no voice. The documentation it presents includes firsthand experiences, eyewitness accounts, and news, medical, and legal documents available to the public.

In suspending this journal you are doing both the community and your own public image a severe disservice.

Please remove the suspension on this journal and give abuse survivors back their voice.

Email Copypasta takes a minute and a half, but it means a lot to Radish and to abuse survivors to know that they're not alone. Please lend a hand. Thanks, guys.

Please, please, please help if you have the minute and a half it takes to copy and paste copperbadge's message. I copied and added a few words of my own and now it's been sent off into the ether to do its magic, but these can't work if there are only a few. What waywardradish does is beautiful, and it needs to be done. Her detractors have shut down everyone else and now they're trying to shut her down too. We can't let this happen. If we have the luxury of being thankful that this didn't happen to us, then we can also do what we can to help.

Thank you very much for reading this.

Comments

[mseuphrates.livejournal.com]

E-mail sent.
Thank you for spreading the word.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your help. :)

[presentiment.livejournal.com]

I'm running short on time, but I copied the message and sent it along. I hope it helps. I really, really do...

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I honestly thought 'they' didn't do that anymore. I remember seeing films of the 'therapy' in action and being horrified and confused on why that 'worked' to 'cure' kids. Makes me sick, esp. now that I have kids of my own.

I can't believe that they closed her down. I hope she moves it somewhere else, like blogspot...though I am sure those who attacked her (hmmm, interesting behavior on their part, isn't it?) will try to do it again. Unfreaking real.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

The people who are for attachment therapy have managed to shut down every other blog who's tried to do what she is trying to do. They probably will continue to attack her, but in one of her latest LJ posts she mentioned that there's a non-profit server she might be able to move it to where the info will be safe.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Now THAT would be awesome. Makes her all the more determined doesn't it? Nick's thoughts on this therapy were pretty much "idiot American methods."

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Ugh. It's not an 'American' thing. It is an idiot thing, though. And it does make her more determined. She's really kind of amazing.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I didn't think it was just American lol but it definitely is something the Germans don't do, no way.

that one woman's description of what it was like? Omg. yeah. Geesh. Break the kid...it is nuts.

"Look at Jimmy how happy he is now?"

Jimmy: "Six years, four months, three days and 10 hours and I can get the hell out of here."

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

How about that, that is sad to hear--my boyfriend is studying Psychology (and is German) and said that it is highly frowned upon (and then some). He is a current student.

I'll go read.

[kickingrad.livejournal.com]

Email sent. It's absolutely disgraceful.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you love.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I emailed, but I completely reworded it to suit my thoughts.

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

I remember one pediatrician who'd advised me that I should start this type of "therapy" with Bryanna when she'd started "acting out". (i.e. staring or refusing to move or answer an adult while they were talking to her)

There was so much wrong with this concept:
A) Bree had seizures.
I'd been taught that you never restrain someone who's having a seizure unless they are doing themselves damage.
B) As a rape survivor, I experienced PTSD involving being held down or restrained by my brother during arguments. To the point where I'd fly into rage and tears if he grabbed my arm to stop me leaving the room to calm down.
C) You cannot force a child to bond with you. This takes time, patience, and lots of love.

This is something that I am loathe to discuss or admit, but when she was very young, I admit to having tried to hug her until she'd calmed down, but it only made her fight me more. I stopped as soon as I recognized that she was panicking like I used to. (And, in her case, this could have led to more seizures.) Fear should never be a motivator, and love shouldn't hurt. I stopped listening to what other parents told me to do, and started listening to my child's body language. And, I switched pediatricians.

Later on, I read up on survivor stories, and was completely sickened by this. You've got my support.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you dear.

[starkdependant]

I have sent my email in and I will post this is my own journal asap but my friend is just about to walk through the door and demand constant attention for the whole weekend. thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your help. I haven't had a chance to check my flist, but if you hadn't already posted it, feel free to the share the info, but ask people to not send e-mails at this time. All updated info can be found at waywardradish.

[remembering.livejournal.com]

I sent one. I think I've actually seen this site before when I was looking up child abuse issues on the interwebs. It really shocked me that anyone would do that. I can't believe doctors still suggest this.
I mean if you wouldn't like to be held down until you do what someone else is telling you to do, then why would you do it to anyone else?

So fucked up.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

I don't think most doctors advocate it, just these few wackos who are rabid in shutting down detractors. It is sick.

[revii.livejournal.com]

That's terrible. I had never even heard of such a practice before. E-mail sent, hope we can do something. Thanks for posting this.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for helping.

[cinnamon-sakaki.livejournal.com]

Email sent - thank you for posting about this.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[soundandvision.livejournal.com]

Jesus Christ that's terrible. This is what frightens me about psychiatry and therapy--just because one has a "degree" doesn't make them right, you know? *immediately sending an email* I hope her voice is heard again soon!

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[mrsquizzical.livejournal.com]

this therapy makes me so mad. particularly because i AM an advocate of 'true' attachment parenting which involves a lot of in arms time for infants. but to try and force something like this on children with attachment disorders, to try and fabricate something that has been stolen from them in the first place in this way that lacks all respect for them as individuals, and perpetuates and escalates their issues like this makes me froth . it's inconceivable.

[mrsquizzical.livejournal.com]

too late. but i sent an email expressing my dismay.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for helping love.

[paint-the-days.livejournal.com]

email sent. can i repost this in my journal as well?

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Feel free to repost this information. Please ask people not to send e-mails to WordPress at this time, though, as WordPress has backlashed at her and told her that they are being bombarded with abusive statements. (Which is ridiculous, but we don't need to push their hand any further.) If you go to the waywardradish LJ you'll see all the latest information. :)