Even Cyber Safety Guys Need a Break: It's Ok Not To Be Ok
I want to start by saying thanks to those of you who regularly send words of support and thanks for what I try to do, it genuinely means a great deal to me and often helps me to find the strength to write the next article.
Publishing each of these articles takes a great deal of effort for me and I continue to do it because it's my small way of fighting against the predators who live and hide in the darkest corners of the internet.
This is a battle that began for me back in 2012 when I started my role in Digital Forensics & Incident Response whilst serving in the RAF Police. Many of you know I was diagnosed with C-PTSD in 2018 and medically discharged in 2019 because of the horrific content I had to analyse, content that was created by the predators who target young and vulnerable children online.
Much of this is possible for predators due to a lack of understanding by parents, teachers and others with a duty of care for children and that is something I have tried to combat over the years.
As I mentioned, though, each and every post takes a toll on me mentally and also physically as I deal with the triggering effects. More importantly to me, though, is the effect it has on Colleen, who has to care for and support me, and that's the one that concerns me most.
I have taken a sabbatical before, but took it far too late, resulting in me being away from blogging for a very long time, so I have decided that now is the right time to take a break and deal with real life.
I am dealing with a few things that are out of my control, and this is therefore having a larger-than-normal impact on my mental health, which, on top of what I normally have to deal with daily, is just becoming unmanageable.
As I have mentioned before, I don't have very many friends to rely on daily; those I do have are at a safe distance and shielded from the real me, so this puts even more pressure on Colleen.
⚡Please don’t forget to react & restack if you appreciate my work. More engagement means more people might see it. ⚡
The blog will always be here, so that the content I have previously written will be available for people to read and will hopefully help to protect children, which is all I ever wish for!
I am not sure how long I will be gone this time, but hopefully not as long as last time.
Remember to stay educated, keep communicating with your children honestly and openly and always stay vigilant.
As always, thank you for your support. Please share this across your social media, and if you do have any comments, questions, or concerns, then feel free to reach out to me here or on BlueSky, as I am always happy to spend some time helping to protect children online.
Remember that becoming a paid subscriber means that you will be supporting two charities that are very close to my heart and doing amazing things for people. The Not Forgotten Association and Childline, as I will split all subscriptions 50/50 and donate to each charity every six months, as I don’t do any of this for financial gain.
Thank you for all the posts, they are so valuable to me as a parent with a teenager who loves his gaming. Take care, I am glad you are putting yourself first. Self care is not selfish (that’s my mantra).
Hang in there Dale! Good luck! Prayers! 🙏🙏