Have you ever felt both happy and sad at the same time? Perhaps another combination of feelings, like relief that something is over but pride at an accomplishment? People are complex, diverse, and multi-faceted, with varied histories and lived experiences that can lead to mixed emotions.
At Family Services of Greater Vancouver, we provide trauma-informed support services and counselling to victims and survivors of crime. This means listening when people share their unique stories and walking alongside them as they make sense of their feelings and experiences.
Victims and survivors of trauma often feel like their contradictory feelings are dismissed or shamed by those around them. We asked survivors to share their experiences with contradiction so we could help end the stigma around feeling the and. From real people with real experiences, we learned about feeling:
- Isolation and connection
- Want and rejection
- Fear and compassion
- Resent and dependence
- Despair and determination
Explore the And marks our commitment to acknowledging the experiences and perspectives of victims and survivors of crime and bringing them to a wider audience.
More than 4 in 10 women in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime.
IPV can encompass a wide range of behaviours, including psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Some victims tell us about an experience of both wanting to stay with and feeling trapped by their abusers. This feeling – alongside a wide range of connected emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, and hope – is present as victims struggle to recover from the effects of abuse.
Download our guide to learn more about how to recognize signs of intimate partner violence and how to find help.
Reports of abuse and neglect of people 65 and over in BC have increased by 49% in the past five years.
Families can be complicated and so can our feelings towards the people we love. Some victims of elder abuse explain that they grapple with love or concern for their child against their own personal safety – even when they are being abused by their child.
Download our guide to learn more about how to recognize signs of elder abuse and how to find help.
You can help us support victims of crime and violence by donating today.
Women and girls accounted for 95% of human trafficking violations reported by police in 2019.
Every year, hundreds of Canadians are trafficked – recruited, transported, or held to be exploited – for labour or sex. Victims share about a common experience in the grooming process being feeling unsure at what point their relationship with a trafficker moved from compliments or support to exploitation.
Download our guide to learn more about how to recognize signs of human trafficking and how to find help.
In Canada, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 4 boys have been sexually abused by the age of 18.
While victims of childhood sexual abuse share that they want or wanted to tell someone, they say that feeling is often combined with belief that the abuse is their fault, something bad may happen if they tell, or no one will believe them. It’s common for children and youth victims to experience inner turmoil, particularly when the abuse is within the family as it can be difficult to separate the abuse from being part of the family.
Download our guide to learn more about how to recognize signs of child sexual abuse and how to find help.
