Let's talk to a therapist about bullying

So many of us have experienced being bullied as a child and even as adults. It is one thing about 71% of us have in common, according to therapist Meredith Stahl, our guest last Monday. She is a licensed mental health therapist, working predominately with individuals aged 13-30. Early in our call, I shared an incident endured in grade school, and I can pinpoint the event as pivotal in my withdrawal from my peer group, except for one friend, until I reached adulthood. The decisions I made about myself from that moment in time will always be a thread from the past, no matter how much personal growth work I’ve done, and my thinking brain knows it was not about me but something about the other child that instigated the bullying. Still, the brain has these imprints that remain a part of our self-narrative. I cannot imagine what it is like for children in today’s world living in the toxic stew of social media, plagued by an epidemic of random gun violence and school shootings. It was fascinating to have a conversation with a therapist who has a specialty in dealing with the trauma of bullying. Some on our call shared their experiences, too. It’s a systemic, cultural problem exacerbated by various factors. Elected officials can set the tone at the top, some mocking children who are different from the norm and encouraging other adults to say these children should not even exist. Thus, other adults may vilify these children for simply being who they are. Can you imagine what that must feel like?Meredith offered some helpful coping tools for those of us who witness bullying. Listen to the podcast, and share it with those you think might be interested. Today’s Call Today, our Monday Zoom guests are heading to the Democratic National Convention as delegates. C. J. Peterson, a Democratic party activist (who once was an active Republican), and Adam Peters, of Davenport. They have been leaders of the Iowa Democratic Party Stonewall Caucus since 2022 (C.J. served as chair for two years, and Adam took over in 2024).Adam recently made the Quad Cities Business Journal's 40 under 40 list for 2024 and is also a national delegate to the Democratic National Convention.These past few weeks have been a political whirlwind, especially for delegates to the party’s national convention. Let’s find out what they’re thinking and doing in preparation for the August 19 to 22 party convention in Chicago. The call starts at noon central time today, Monday, August 12. Zoom Link for C.J. Peterson and Adam PetersNext week, Ruth Harkin will be our guest to discuss an essay book to be launched in September. The title: My Husband Ran for President, and Other Short Stories. The Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat has 18 seats remaining. Thanks to sponsorship from Northwest Bank, you can save $200 if you enroll by August 15. Find out more: Political Junkie AlertDid you catch the podcast with political analyst members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative uploaded on Friday? The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Sunday Roundup is a compilation of posts by our members from the previous week. You’ll find informed commentary on a variety of issues, including by Randy Evans, Cheryl Tevis, Rekha Basu, and Arnold Garson (to highlight a few). Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roundup for August 11. Thanks so much to those of you who become paid subscribers. It helps me extend a hand to emerging writers who want to attend the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat. If you are already a paid subscriber - or prefer not to become one - but still want to help by making a one-time contribution: Venmo = @Okoboji_Writers This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit okobojiwriters.substack.com/subscribe