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Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Unknown userMember02 May 2019, 1:52 pm AEST

Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hello everyone! You may have seen that 2 months ago we relaunched our Service Spotlight event, slightly renamed and updated, in the carers side of the forums. Well now it's time for one in this side of the forums! For this Ask Us Anything- Service Spotlight we are lucky enough to be featuring the Blue Knot Helpline and @BlueKnot will be coming through to respond to questions throughout the week!

Blue Knot provides a range of trauma-informed recovery-focused services to help adults who experienced trauma as children. We think this service is really special and makes a huge difference for the people they support; we have learned a lot from them over the years. This Spotlight will be focusing on their national Helpline.

*Please be aware that while we will be discussing the Helpline service and related topics, Blue Knot will not be offering counselling during this Spotlight. While we will approach the discussion sensitively and with care, the event may discuss trauma-related themes. We ask that everyone who participates check in on the guidelines and, in particular, avoid sharing anything which includes specific, explicit or graphic details.

How this event works:

We invite a specific service to come along to the forums and introduce themselves and what they do. Members will then be able to ask them any questions about their service or organisation over Monday to Friday at any time. The service provider will be checking in each day to answer and reply. We really encourage you to come along and ask any question you like, there will be no judgement and no question too big or small.

Want to ask something completely confidentially? Submit a question anonymously right here!

To get a reminder for when this event starts, hit the support button!

30 replies

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In response to: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Unknown userMember27 May 2019, 10:24 am AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hi everyone @Sans911 @Razzle @Former-Member @Zoe7 @outlander @BlueBay

Welcome to this weeks Ask Us Anything! We have special guest @BlueKnot answering questions about their helpline service and organisation! They will be checking in each day so if you will get responses to your questions within 24 hours. And if you want to submit an anonymous question you can do so here:

Submit a question anonymously right here!

Please do remember that while we will be discussing the Helpline service and related topics, Blue Knot will not be offering counselling during this Spotlight.

To get things started I thought I'd start with the first question to @BlueKnot:

How does Blue Knot foundation support survivors of complex childhood trauma?

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueKnotContributor27 May 2019, 10:33 am AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Blue Knot foundation provide counselling support via the Blue Knot Helpline and workshops for survivors to help them understand how and why trauma impacts them as adults. Our website also has a range of resources for survivors to read and short videos to watch on a range of topics. The Blue Knot Helpline provides short term counselling, support and referral for adults survivors of complex childhood trauma and also for their families, friends and supporters. Counsellors are available Monday to Sunday AEST 9am – 5pm. You can also email the helpline helpline@blueknot.org.au. Our counsellors are here to listen and support you. We acknowledge that everyone’s experience of trauma is different and everyone has different needs. Our counsellors will be focussed on your needs when you call. We provide short term counselling support, information and referrals to trauma informed long term counselling and support. We also provide support for people who have been sexually abused as a child, in an Australian Institution who wish to apply for the National Redress Scheme.

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Unknown userMember27 May 2019, 11:00 am AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hi @BlueKnot and @Former-Member

Thank you for coming to the forum @BlueKnot

i have used the services you’ve mentioned above and they were literally a life saver and an incredible stepping stone to understand my feelings, my rights as a client, finding questions to ask to find a health professional and supporting me in crisis.

a few year into therapy I have found a few crucial things missing for recovery.

There are clinics with programs for ptsd for armed forces, emergency personnel. There is to my knowledge nothing for ‘complex ptsd’ from childhood.

to my knowledge the diagnosis ‘complex ptsd’ still does not exist in the current

support groups for survivors do not exist

reducing stigma and help lift shame for survivors who were not abused in institutions or were abused overseas does not exist

Insufficient education in health facilities about trauma sensitive treatment to avoid further trauma

i feel it’s easier to say I have bipolar 2 and although there is stigma attached to it, if I say I have ptsd, complex ptsd or childhood trauma (ptsd main diagnosis) I feel as though the shame I carry from childhood carries through to everyone I talk to.

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueKnotContributor27 May 2019, 12:41 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hi Aeiou, thanks very much for your insightful comments. I am glad to hear that you have been using BKF services. With complex childhood trauma we always focus on what the individual impacts have been and the strength and resilience of the individual in our work. We understand how difficult it is to access mainstream services whose focus is on diagnosis and labels. On the BKF website you can access some alternative frameworks which move away from diagnosis such as,

http://www.blueknot.org.au/ptmoverview

Thanks again and take care

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueBaySenior Contributor27 May 2019, 12:52 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

The following post discusses child sexual assault and may trigger strong/negative emotions. Please use your discretion as to whether you click to view the post.

Content/trigger warning

Hi @Former-Member @BlueKnot

this is really hard for me as I was sexually abused at 9-12 yrs by a few different guys at different times. (Neighbour uncle snd brother). My parents know about first two but nit my brother. How do I tell my mum (if and when she asks) about my brother.

Hi this is really hard for me as I was sexually abused at 9-12 yrs by a few different guys at different times. (Neighbour uncle snd brother). My parents know about first two but nit my brother. How do I tell my mum (if and when she asks) about my brother.

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Unknown userMember27 May 2019, 1:22 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hey there @BlueBay, thanks so much for sharing and being so open and honest. We definitely honour your pain here on the forums, and appreciate your being vulnerable. If you need any further support or this discussion brings anything up for you, please do remember your supports too

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueKnotContributor27 May 2019, 1:41 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Hi BlueBay,

Thank you for reaching out. Its a really difficult situation for you and there are lots of complexities to what you've shared. Maybe a call our Helpline one 1300 could be a good start . It takes a lot of courage to reach out and speak about what you've been through. Our counsellors would be very happy to talk your situation through with you. Take good care.

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueBaySenior Contributor27 May 2019, 3:16 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Thanks @Former-Member

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

RazzleSenior Contributor27 May 2019, 6:19 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

The following post discusses child sexual assault and may trigger strong/negative emotions. Please use your discretion as to whether you click to view the post.

Content/trigger warning

hi @Former-Member and @BlueKnot

I have a history of CSA. I was sexually assaulted by a group of 4 people when I was 8 years old. A couple of weeks later one of these group members got to me and sexually asualted me again.

When I was 10 I was sexually assaulted by a friend of the family.

When I turned 11 I was sexually abused by an old man, a friend of the family. This abuse lasted almost 2’years. The abuse was frequent.

I never told my family about these abuses. I only ever told my best friend at the time, I told her something was happening but I never gave details. It has only been in the last 12months that I have opened up and told my councillor and my husband.

My question is this, if I were to go to the police, what could I expect to happen? I am in 2 minds on wether I could even go to the police, especially as I don’t know what the procedure is. I am 48 years old, and as it happened 40years ago there is no evidence. I’m not sure if the law is different in each state, I am in Victoria.

**Apologies if this post comes up twice, I submitted the same question earlier but it has disappeared

hi and I have a history of CSA. I was sexually assaulted by a group of 4 people when I was 8 years old. A couple of weeks later one of these group members got to me and sexually asualted me again. When I was 10 I was sexually assaulted by a friend of the family. When I turned 11 I was sexually abused by an old man, a friend of the family. This abuse lasted almost 2’years. The abuse was frequent. I never told my family about these abuses. I only ever told my best friend at the time, I told her something was happening but I never gave details. It has only been in the last 12months that I have opened up and told my councillor and my husband. My question is this, if I were to go to the police, what could I expect to happen? I am in 2 minds on wether I could even go to the police, especially as I don’t know what the procedure is. I am 48 years old, and as it happened 40years ago there is no evidence. I’m not sure if the law is different in each state, I am in Victoria. **Apologies if this post comes up twice, I submitted the same question earlier but it has disappeared

In response to: Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

BlueBaySenior Contributor27 May 2019, 7:00 pm AEST

Re: Ask Us Anything // Blue Knot Helpline // Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May

Very brave to share this @Razzle

Hugs and love ❤️❤️

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