In this video, Russell talks about the lack of support and services available for older men who are starting to confront their childhood trauma. He explains that he often gets asked for advice on how to provide support for survivors, but he didn't receive any help himself. He believes that creating safe spaces for men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s to talk about their childhood trauma is important, but unfortunately, this is not the norm in society. Russell encourages listeners to find support and understand that there are others who understand what they're going through. He would like to see more conversations and support for older men in their journey to deal with their childhood trauma.
One of the things that I get asked a lot, um, when I'm conducting trainings and working with survivors and organizations that support survivors is what kind of help and support and services did I receive. And unfortunately, I have the worst answer for them because they're hoping to find like a cookie-cutter response of how they can provide support, and I didn't get any. And I think that that is a very common situation for older men who are starting to, you know, come to terms with their childhood trauma. And unfortunately, you know, we don't value or create safe spaces for men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who want to really confront this childhood trauma, unless they have the money and resources to pay for private therapy and, um, psychiatry. And I think that that's a real problem because the fact is, is that most men, especially, won't even begin to consider confronting this issue until they're in their um, 30s, 40s, or 50s or even later. And while I do find it important and I support the work that people need to do to reach young boys and children and young men and adolescents in their journey with this trauma, um, because the sooner we can help somebody, the sooner they're going to have a longer, more positive life. But as I said, it's just not the way it's done in this society and in this country. We do not provide a safe space for men in their 30s or older to feel comfortable talking about these childhood issues. And so I think it's really important, and it's one of the reasons why I'm here today, to, you know, share this information and share my journey so that if you are listening and you're wanting to deal with this trauma that you've been through in your own childhood, that you can find that there are people that do understand what you're going through and the challenges that you're facing and trying to begin to have that healthy relationship with your childhood trauma. And, um, I would love to see more conversations and more support in this area of supporting older men in this journey.
