A guest speaker on PTSD didn't recognise this evening that a Kiddo was in a full out Flashback Panic Attack because of the actions of a <**&%$*&^%*$%> father who coincidentally was a Sergeant in the British Army.
The topic was Help For Heroes and remembrance day, and these expert speakers stood between their audience and the door, the exit. The experts caused more harm than good.
It was an accident.
They would never have realised that there could be a 14 year old in their audience experiencing in real time the very thing they were discussing.
In the middle of England, in a Youth Club, who could have anticipated that?
What I need is a commitment.
A promise that people will leave a space sufficient for a different opinion, that you leave a physical space sufficient for a person to excuse themselves and that you stop and ask the question if something seems amiss.
To avoid embarrassment, give everybody a 5 minute break to walk around and give the kiddos the freedom to choose if they return to the room.
Now, this Kiddo has amazing Youth leaders who couldn't figure out what was wrong but who recognised something was amiss even though she couldn't explain herself, and they sustained her until her Mum got there. They did everything they knew how to do and from the bottom of my heart I thank them.
People, make a space for safety, even if that safety means leaving. Please.
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