Scam Victims Often Begin Recovery But Find They Give Up Early Before They Are Fully Recovered
This Is Called: Recovery Fatigue
Recovery Fatigue is a real thing and it affects people going through recovery programs for traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS., emotional distress, and even in drug and alcohol programs
Introduction
Recovery fatigue can cause people recovering from emotional distress to give up on their recovery early or to believe they have already fully recovered when they may not have. This is because recovery from emotional distress can be a long and challenging process, and it can be difficult to stay motivated and engaged in the process when progress seems slow or non-existent.
People experiencing recovery fatigue may start to feel like they are not making progress or that their efforts are not producing results, leading them to question whether continuing the recovery process is worth it. This can cause them to stop actively working towards their recovery or to adopt the mindset that they are already “recovered,” even if they have not fully resolved the underlying issues causing their emotional distress.
It can also cause the mistaken belief that they are already recovered because their symptoms are either very infrequent or are not causing the level of distress they previously felt.
It’s important for individuals experiencing recovery fatigue to seek support from mental healthMental health Mental health, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". According to WHO, mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others". From the perspectives of positive psychology or of holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines "mental health". professionals, support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers. (such as SCARS,) or trusted friends and family members to help them stay engaged in the recovery process and work towards achieving their goals – regardless of how long it takes.
It’s also essential to remember that recovery is not a linear process, and setbacks and challenges are a normal part of the journey. With persistence and a commitment to self-care, people can overcome recovery fatigue and continue making progress toward emotional healing and wellbeing.
Recovery Fatigue And Scam Victims
Recovery from emotional distress can be a long and challenging process, especially for scam victims, and it’s not uncommon for individuals to experience feelings of fatigue or burnout along the way.
This can manifest as a lack of motivation, a sense of hopelessness or frustration, and even the belief that one has already fully recovered, even if they have not. It can also show up as a feeling that they have recovered enough – in other words, resignation.
This phenomenon is known as recovery fatigue, and it can have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to successfully navigate the recovery process.
Recovery fatigue can be particularly problematic for financial fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. victims recovering from emotional distress because the recovery process can be long and challenging (see the typical recovery people infographicInfographic Infographics (a shortened word of "information" and "graphics") are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They can improve your understanding of a topic by utilizing graphics. Infographics have evolved in recent years to be more useful for mass communications and thus are designed with fewer assumptions about the readers' knowledge base than other types of visualizations. for the recovery curve for most scam victims that do recover.)
Unlike physical injuries, emotional distress can be harder to quantify and diagnose, which can make it more difficult to track progress and celebrate victories along the way. Additionally, the nature of emotional distress can be such that it can make people feel isolated and disconnected from others, which can further exacerbate feelings of fatigue and burnout. But there is also a kind of built-in impatience to get recovery over.
Is It Worth It?
When people experience recovery fatigue, they may begin to question whether the recovery process is worth it or whether they are making progress.
They may feel like they are stuck in a cycle of setbacks and challenges, with no end in sight. Or that they are doing just fine and really do not need to participate in the recovery process anymore! As a result, they may be tempted to give up on their recovery early or to adopt the mindset that they are already “recovered,” even if they have not fully resolved the underlying issues causing their emotional distress (such as past traumas, present trauma, grief, self-blameSelf-Blame Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. SCARS seeks to mitigate the prejudice against victims and the perception that victims are in any way responsible for the actions of offenders or scammers. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as the greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery. Scam victims are often blamed by family & friends for the crime. Scam victims also engage in self-blame even though they are not to blame. or shameShame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion typically associated with a negative evaluation of the self; withdrawal motivations; and feelings of distress, exposure, mistrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness., or the vulnerabilities that led them to be lured iin.)
Believing that one has already fully recovered when they have not can be particularly problematic because it can cause individuals to stop actively working toward their recovery. They may believe that they have done all they can or need to do to address their emotional distress and that any remaining issues are just something they need to live with. This can be dangerous because it can prevent individuals from fully healing and moving on from their emotional distress, trauma, or grief, potentially leading to long-term mental health challenges.
Avoiding Recovery Fatigue
To avoid recovery fatigue and the potential pitfalls that come with it, scam victims recovering from emotional distress should take steps to maintain their motivation and commitment to the recovery process.
One effective strategy is to celebrate small victories along the way, such as achieving a goal or making progress toward a specific milestone. This can help individuals stay motivated and engaged in the recovery process, even when progress seems slow or non-existent. In the SCARS support groups, we celebrate time in recovery after the scam ended.
Another strategy is to seek support from mental health trauma professionals (which SCARS strongly recommends for all scam victims,) joining a SCARS support groupSupport Group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers. (visit support.AgainstScams.org to sign up now,) or trusted friends and family members (see the support infographic below.) Having a strong support network can provide individuals with the encouragement and accountability they need to stay engaged in the recovery process and work towards achieving their goals. Additionally, support networks can provide a sense of belonging and connection that can help individuals feel less isolated and alone in their recovery journey.
It’s also important to remember that recovery is not a linear process, and setbacks and challenges are a normal part of the journey. But also feeling like you just want it over is also normal. Scam victims recovering from emotional distress should be prepared for the ups and downs that come with the recovery process and be willing to adjust their expectations and goals as needed. This can help them stay flexible and adaptable, which can be critical to successfully navigating the recovery process.
Just remember, this is not an overnight process. It typically takes from about 18 months to several years to reasonably recover form these crimes. The more focused a victim is during their recovery the faster and more complete it will go.
Overcoming Recovery Fatigue
How can emotionally distressed crime victims avoid becoming recovery fatigued?
Victims of crime (scam victims) often experience a range of emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health challenges. Recovering from such distress can be a long and challenging process taking months or even years, and it’s not uncommon for victims to experience recovery fatigue, which can cause them to give up on their recovery early or believe they have already fully recovered, even if they have not.
To avoid recovery fatigue and successfully navigate the recovery process, emotionally distressed scam victims should consider the following strategies:
Seek Professional Help: One of the most important steps emotionally distressed crime victims can take is to seek professional help from a mental health trauma professional. Mental health professionals are trained to provide evidence-based treatments for a wide range of emotional distress, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Seeking help from a mental health professional can provide victims with the tools and support they need to manage their symptoms and work toward recovery. It is also important to help them overcome past trauma and to fully understand the things that helped to make them vulnerable in the first place.
CounselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. and Therapy Resources:
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- Go here first: Scam Victim Trauma Counseling & Therapy Resources https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/scam-victim-trauma-counseling-therapy-resources/
- www.opencounseling.com
- www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/trauma-and-ptsd
- www.betterhelp.com/therapists
- www.nbcc.org/Search/CounselorFind
- www.talkspace.com
- www.therapyroute.com
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In addition, SCARS offers a free counseling & therapy benefit to its SCARS STAR Membership Program in partnership with BetterHelp.com
Join a SCARS Support Group: SCARS support groups can be a valuable resource for emotionally distressed scam victims. Joining a support group can provide a sense of community and connection, as well as a safe space to share experiences and receive educational support from the professionals at SCARS. Victims who have gone through similar challenges can help support other victims. Support groups can also help victims feel less alone in their recovery journey and provide a sense of hope and encouragement. Visit support.AgainstScams.org to sign up for a SCARS Support & Recovery Group.
Practice Self-Care: Practicing self-care is essential for emotionally distressed crime victims. This can include engaging in activities that promote relaxation and stress relief, such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or deep breathing (somatic) exercises. It can also involve making healthy lifestyle choices, such as getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and engaging in regular exercise. Taking care of oneself is critical to managing emotional distress and avoiding recovery fatigue.
Set Realistic Goals: Setting realistic goals is an important part of successfully navigating the recovery process. Emotionally distressed scam victims should work with their mental health professionals to set achievable goals that align with their recovery needs and abilities. Breaking larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps can also help victims stay motivated and engaged in the recovery process. SCARS pioneered the application of a Steps Process into its support & recovery groups (see below.)
Celebrate Progress: Celebrating progress, no matter how small, can help emotionally distressed crime victims stay motivated and engaged in the recovery process. This can involve acknowledging even the smallest of achievements, such as completing a therapy session or attending a SCARS support group zoom meeting or just honoring the time victims have stayed in recovery since the end of their scam. Celebrating progress can provide a sense of accomplishment and help victims stay focused on their recovery goals.
Be Patient: Recovery from emotional distress is a process that takes time and patience. Emotionally distressed scam victims should be prepared for the ups and downs that come with the recovery journey and be willing to adjust their expectations and goals as needed. This process takes significant time – grief needs to process, much needs to be learned, and trauma needs to be managed. Being patient and persistent can help victims stay focused on their recovery goals and avoid the sense of hopelessness, frustration, or apathy that can lead to recovery fatigue.
Always remember, emotionally distressed scam victims can avoid recovery fatigue and successfully navigate the recovery process by seeking professional help, joining a SCARS support group, practicing self-care, setting realistic goals, celebrating progress, and being patient.
By taking these steps and staying committed to their recovery journey, scam victims can make it fully through the recovery process!
Summary
Recovery fatigue can cause scam victims recovering from emotional distress to give up on their recovery early or to believe they have already fully recovered when they may not have.
This can be problematic because it can prevent individuals from fully healing and moving on from their emotional distress, potentially leading to long-term mental health challenges.
To avoid recovery fatigue and the potential pitfalls that come with it, scam victims recovering from emotional distress should take steps to maintain their motivation and commitment to the recovery process, seek support from mental health trauma professionals and join SCARS support groups, and be prepared for the ups and downs that come with the recovery journey.
With persistence and a commitment to self-care, individuals can successfully navigate the recovery process and achieve emotional healing and well-being.
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SCARS provides the leading Support & Recovery program for relationship scamRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? victims – completely FREE!
Our managed peer supportPeer support Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, reflective listening (reflecting content and/or feelings), or in a support group. Peer support is also used to refer to initiatives where colleagues, members of self-help organizations and others meet, in person or online, to give each other connection and support on a reciprocal basis. Peer support is distinct from other forms of social support in that the source of support is a peer, a person who is similar in fundamental ways to the recipient of the support; their relationship is one of equality. A peer is in a position to offer support by virtue of relevant experience: he or she has "been there, done that" and can relate to others who are now in a similar situation. Trained peer support workers such as SCARS Volunteers receive special training and may be required to obtain Continuing Education Units, similar to clinical staff. Some other trained peer support workers may also be law-enforcement personnel and firefighters as well as emergency medical responders. groups allow victims to talk to other survivorsSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com and recover in the most experienced environment possible, for as long as they need. Recovery takes as long as it takes – we put no limits on our support!
SCARS is the most trusted support & education provider in the world. Our team is certified in trauma-informedTrauma-Informed Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care needs to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective care services with a healing orientation. Adopting trauma-informed practices can potentially improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes. care, grief counseling, and so much more!
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Essential Tools For Every Scam SurvivorSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com From SCARS Publishing
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SCARS GREEN BOOK
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LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as trauma counseling or therapy, qualified support groups, or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
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ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
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By the Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
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