Triumphs , warnings, tributes

The play THE DESTROYER, ” freely based on Christina Herrström's book” by Lisa Lindén, directed by Kickan Holmberg and with the magnificent Maria Kulle on stage, travels through the country and fills the salons.

It's pretty amazing, In many ways. But the very best thing about it is that the message about psychological violence is getting out, and lands. Every evening, Maria Kulle receives a standing ovation from the audience, of course for his absolutely outstanding performance, but also for the play's content. The combination is overpowering, many testify that they do not want the evening to end, even if it is unpleasant. But it's so good! And it gives so much strength to understand that you CAN get out of this kind of devastating abuse, where the brain is systematically torn apart. And you CAN talk about it, you SHOULD talk about it, for it is behind the dominant silence that these abuses can take place, om och om igen. And they will happen, for people of Sam's kind come unceasingly in different vintages, operates in different contexts, with different purposes – but it will happen, om och om igen.

To start TALK about the phenomenon, to dare to SEE it, to start thinking about it, reason about it in a serious way, in a slightly more knowledgeable way, than the prejudiced, spectacular and judgmental which are the most common , it is VITAL. You who don't think you're vulnerable, is already a promising victim. Who would think that one is vulnerable to such things? Not me anyway. Aldrig.

Partly because I completely lacked knowledge. It's all basic psychology really. no major weirdness. The weird, for us ordinary healthy people with a healthy attitude towards others and towards central concepts such as loyalty, reciprocity, humanity and honor, is that none of that we learned, none of which we regard without reflection as fundamental, applies when dealing with people of Sam's kind. And unfortunately, Often, we forget that they also exist as women. And children.

They act according to their heart already in childhood, in adolescence. The injury in question, which basically means that one lacks affective empathy, is innate. It can charge due to circumstances and become really dangerous to others ( even if it is not noticeable outwardly. Sam was according to the investigation of the outpatient care that was done on him ” very dangerous to other people”, which the councilor read out ) , but it can also be dampened to a certain extent by e.g. growing up environment , but never disappear. It explains that so many people encounter people with these traits, they exist in varying degrees.

Personally, I am very happy that the play has come to be. The story takes on another form, a way to reach out. It was the whole purpose of writing the book that was breaking me: share with me a human experience that is not often described from the inside and that is burdened with huge piles of prejudice ( against the victims ) and rubble – and thereby shed light on the shit.

Naturally, I opted out of large layers and directions and levels and thoughts surrounding fate, already when I wrote the book because otherwise it would be an unreadable collection of text. And when that text, already, so to speak, thinned out of all layers of reality, then processed into a play that should work in two hours, of course it will still be ” sexier” in some ways. But it does not matter, it fulfills its purpose, and the play must advance FAST to get to the point, into GREPPET. If I had written the play, I would have immersed myself in the psychological game and you would have had to sit for eight hours. Lisa Lindén has done a very good adaptation of the book, efficient, knowledgable and it turned out much better than if I had tried it myself, which I didn't want. This was MUCH better, thank you Lisa, Kickan and Maria!

All of the real Christina's tenacious fight against the perpetrator and long resistance before he got his claws into me didn't fit in the book, and even less so in the play. So it is with culture, it cannot provide all the layers that the human psyche playing with other human psyches reality contains, but it is enough as it is. With their inner layers, the recipients can understand more than what is literally seen and said. Isn't that amazing?

I have to exclaim again: what a decisive force culture has for us! And how is it possible that it is such a low priority? Hur är det möjligt?

One can only take the book and the play The Destroyer as examples. So many like this story has helped, and enriched. What silence the opposite had been. And such a waste it had been of life knowledge. I already know, I have received letters about it, that the book has SAVED people!

The play The Destroyer meets, as said, of standing ovations and glowing criticism everywhere. I read the criticism in the Corren, after another fantastic performance in Linköping. Mycket bra. It is quite striking that I am no longer called ” idiot” as in the reviews of the book. Där ser man, something in the public consciousness has matured. But in the review in Corren there is still a line that is startling, in the middle of the wise, a line so to speak ” explaining” that the risk of encountering perpetrators with psychological violence as a weapon is more likely if you have ” a drive to submission.”

That is a very good wording. DRIVE FOR SUBMISSION. I will use that phrase from now on, when I talk about prejudices about victims of psychopathically damaged people. I usually say a lot of other things, but this phrase sums up precisely the prejudice which is so strong – and so dangerous. And which contributes to the victims remaining silent.

Nej, it really takes no drive to submission, and in the middle of the review I am quite surprised, because that is EXACTLY what I have tried to describe in the book- and even so it is described in the play- it does not NEED a self-destructive drive to suffer psychological violence. That is EXACTLY WHAT people generally BELIEVE, that is exactly what makes me write in the front page

”if you think you are going safe, you are already a commendable prey”

The submission comes after a period of methodical exercise of psychological violence. One way or another it happens, because of the psychopathic person's violence. In my case, I never showed him any signs of it – I kept my cool on the surface the whole time – but he knew he had power over me by borrowing my money. It forces a submission. Eller snarare, an addiction. That's what they're good at, to force the other's powerlessness. That is what psychological violence is.

Och – they are drawn to strong individuals, because the effect of the violence gives a greater kick.

NOTE, because it is IMPORTANT!

I feel like telling about myself. Would that I of all had a drive to submission? Allow me to smile, as it is called.

Nej, I will not go into describing my life choices in general, it gets a little silly, men hahaha, säger jag bara. That's aside from my personal reaction, however, unfortunate that such an ignorant phrase appears again in context. Not for me, but for everyone else, who may continue to believe that it is such a drive that attracts psychopathic individuals.

THE DESTROYER will be played for a couple more weeks:

21 april ( tonight) EASTERN SUND

24 April ÖDÅKER/TIMRÅ

26 April ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK

27 April UMEÅ

29 April MALÅ

2 May SKELLEFTEÅ

4 May CALYX

5 May ÖVERTORNEÅ

And last but not least; what an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL facility the RIKSTEATERN is, imagine such a BRILLIANT business to provide the whole of Sweden with THEATER. Truly something to be PROUD of!

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