Physical violence

Being physically harmed by law enforcement or while in custody

Physical harm at the hands of police, corrections officers, or others while in custody or during an encounter with law enforcement.

Harm from the people empowered to enforce the law breaks something basic about safety, because the ones you would call for help were the danger. Survivors of this often carry fear and anger that others dismiss or politicize. Here it is neither debated nor doubted. It happened to you, and it mattered.

What can follow an experience like this

No two people carry the same experience the same way. These are some of the effects that people with this experience often describe. Having some of them, all of them, or none of them says nothing about how real what happened to you was.

PTSD After certain experiences, the brain can get stuck, replaying what happened through flashbacks, nightmares, or sudden intense reactions to things that remind you of it. Hypervigilance The nervous system that learned to scan for danger all the time. Trust issues Trust that was broken, repeatedly, by people who were supposed to be safe. Depression Not just sadness. Anxiety The background hum of dread that is always there. Problems with authority The original experiences with authority figures, parents, teachers, institutions, abusers, shaping the automatic response to anyone who holds power. Rage Anger that comes fast, feels bigger than the situation, or has caused harm to relationships or situations. Loss of meaning The questions that will not resolve.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

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