Never Give Up: a complex trauma film by youth for youth
A video from the USA National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
This film features a highly diverse cast of seven adolescents and young adults who examine the shared and unique challenges faced, mistakes made, and growth attained in the struggle to transcend legacies of developmental trauma.
Unexpectedly insightful, unsentimentally poignant and always real, Never Give Up is an offering of collective wisdom, inspiration and hope for young people ensnared by adverse life experiences such as chronic neglect, violence, abuse, bullying, and exploitation from seven peers and mentors who helped them find their way through.
Let's take Javier's story:
When I first went to get help, I met my mentor from a Catholic charity. That was the first place where I felt at peace in a long time.
So I met my mentor. He is coming out of this office and I'm just wondering how is he going help me and he did help me. I owe him everything. Thinking about my own life now - where would I be if it wasn't for him?
My trauma is, you know, a volcano. It was exploding and hurting people. My mentor agreed that I was showing this to the world but that I had a purpose to try to help others come out of situations that are going to get them killed, going to get them into jail, going to get them hurt.
Doing this now is the greatest satisfaction in this world.
Watch the 15 minute film:
For more information on trauma, read NCTSN articles here.
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A video from the USA National Child Traumatic Stre, 11/05/2022