FULL INTERVIEW: Elizabeth Smart reflects on 20th anniversary of her rescue after 9-month kidnapping

[@b.thompson6141]

Elizabeth is an amazing inspiration for all abuse survivors. She is a gift and blessing for others.

[@NYC2023-du8mg]

It's a miracle this woman is alive; prayers continue to go up for her.

[@janetjohnson7279]

Elizabeth you're So Strong and a Survivor!

[@annflynn21]

She is a remarkable person to emerge as she has from an experience she dealt with everyday

[@Narnus96]

I love her ❤ she always defends people who are “not a perfect victim” when people say “you were so innocent and angelic.” Etc ; which makes me so proud of her for some reason. I mean not proud but.. well it warms my heart ❤️

[@planetmooola]

My right ear enjoyed this interview

[@boysponge705]

Mine too.

[@Starlight_Silver]

Same

[@sunflower3281]

I’ll never forget our shock when we found out Elizabeth was alive. My stepdaughters & I just sat in amazement. Later, we were hip-hip- hooray’ing all over the house. Best wishes for Elizabeth and family.

[@adrienneterzen2604]

It’s amazing that Elizabeth went through all of this ordeal being just a child.

[@pomegranate6221]

Good Lord ❤ she's grown into a beautiful woman! I remember the day the news announced she was found. America breathed a sigh of relief.💞

[@KayCeeTX21]

This incredible woman is who she is IN SPITE OF the truly horrendous treatment she received AFTER she was rescued. The therapeutic community absolutely let her down. She didn’t want to go to therapy bc of the early intervention that was called “therapy” was really aggressive police action wanting to get the credit for the arrest and sentencing of the monsters who kidnapped her. So there was a lot of very aggressive and insensitive and detrimental questioning of an extremely traumatized child. They wanted her to describe in great detail her sexual assaults bc they wanted to bury Mitchell with special circumstances. She had no advocate with her to make sure she wasn’t being re-traumatized in the questioning. Which of course she was. The lack of understanding and education in the support of sexual assault and extreme trauma victims was just a massive detriment to the entire community. She’s an amazing and extraordinarily strong and resilient young woman. She rescued herself. She is super woman! God bless you Elizabeth. I prayed for you daily when you were missing and I hit my knees and sobbed a prayer of gratitude as I heard you had been found. Thank you for all the work you do to help those in need of the care you did not receive! ❤❤❤

[@doodlebug52]

I think Elizabeth's instincts about seeing a psychotherapist as being too clinical, unfamiliar of a setting was spot on back in the day in consideration of what she had been through. Because 20 yrs ago psycho therapy, i.e., psychologists and psychiatrists, was more clinical. It has been only in these last two decades where licensed mental health therapists have been finally recognized with the medical world and health insurance companies as clinical. Prior, they were looked down upon, i.e., counselors for being too "wholistic," but its that piece that is causing more of humanity to seek therapy because its a bit less clinical and a bit more warm and enveloping to see a MH counselor vs psychiatrist in a sense. There are more options and taboos being broken on mental healthcare in a positive way. I'm curious as to what Elizabeth's view on God is now and how she was impacted in terms of her belief in a higher power post that evil sicko abducting her. The work she is doing now is nothing short of life-saving and profound. Inspiring us all. Thanks for continuing to show up in this world for goodness and light, Ms. Smart! Blessings.

[@Narnus96]

I really love her talks on Ted. She goes into the whole thing. I think she says her faith was something to hold on to. It’s the ultimate good v evil and this guy warps religion to suit his twisted agenda, it’s disgusting. And you’re so right about the therapy thing. I’ve been in a lot of psychiatric “situations” since childhood, it’s changed so so much. But I remember thinking “who the hell are you to understand what’s been happening in my life.” It seemed ridiculous to sit in a lovely clinical turquoise room, next to a fake plant, being told by some stuffy psychiatrist that you needn’t let this ruin your life. Nowadays life experience is valued a lot, which means people like Elizabeth can do so much more for kids and adults who have been there. The situation may be horrific but she really has taken the chance to reach out and teach us. And she never compares her situation to what other people have gone through in a negative way. It really makes me think “maybe one day i can help other people.” Which is cheesy. But if you’ve ever lost hope, that’s a godsend ❤️❤️🦕 Anyway haha. My main point is “ditto” 🤣

[@Narnus96]

Ps I adore your “doodlebug” 😍🤣

[@camilavega1114]

Elizabeth is still a devout member of the lds church and even served a mission in Paris where she met her husband. She has spoken before about how she recognized that her kidnapper was using religion as a mechanism to manipulate her. She also said that while she was being held hostage she would often pray to feel closer to God.

[@topopoco7560]

Bless you Elizabeth ❤

[@sherriianiro747]

When I was in school it was mandatory for all girls to take self defense. It wasn't just the physical instruction, but also prepared you psychologically on what to do and what not to do so that you don't freeze up.

[@geraldineparker883]

that lovely lady had a lucky escape from those evil monsters thank god shes safe with her family shes a great kind soul

[@jondoe-jd8nd]

You and Jamie has got to be televised

[@Chels-fz5uq]

Am I the only person who feels that her parents and family focused more on building this image of advocacy and charity instead of truly focusing on their daughter healing? It’s just odd to me that that’s all is talked about….

[@ARolls-dd2zd]

Well advocacy can be healing because it is a positive constructive action out of something negative. It gives purpose and meaning to the suffering. You can hear the brokenness in her voice at times.

[@SSathe-dd9lo]

She is not saying it, but she did receive very good therapy for what happened to her before she went on the public speaking circuit. The person who gave them the therapy didn’t wanna be outed.

[@karenmahoney584]

REPORT: One of the defendants started laughing when I said I would report this, and she said I was voyeuristic while surfing to this page, and then she left to make a report. She didn't go through the proper steps. She laughed again that I wouldn't finish a letter; and so, it started with knowledge of hers (I guess that's when they started reading your mind,) about men saying they were unable to deliver, and I said, "I'm not a man, and THEY said I could be in charge of the LIVERY." I was just saying today about an industrial washer and the staff saying the protocol is if it ever needs a repair it's changed to a new one. Now protocol? How much did the staff pay who received it? Certainly, the man are going to end up with this industrial washer, and if the staff paid, because Melissa Russell kept telling me it's legal just to use "pods" BUT I devised a way or using a half bottle of Spray n Wash. Let sit in basket one day. Blue & white, and Red & black go together. In the old washer, very hot water fills the large basin, so you can add cream rinse with detergent to wash your wool socks and sweaters. Start at eleven, and go down at one to put in the clothes, and run it through before nine am. Never any complaints, and I was careful. I bought a trashy shirt because it was the right size, like wet wool, and I'm putting binding on the sleeves and pockets and neck inside. A nametag? Doug likes the ones you sew on. The idea of an Irish woman makes him want to throw up, in his feudal kingdom Margie feels we could get married because of children. Most people today aren't physically fit to be married, and/or they idea is a jabberwocky when things are good, because you need friends when they aren't. The staff live to push me over, and Elizabeth should consider the effect of the effort they put in. I agree if therapy only helps you deal with your own thoughts and feelings, and if you still don't know how to affect change. Anyway, Awra M. from the Guardian was on NPR and then I looked at IRC. In the former they don't have electrical generators, which I imagine Patriot could do. For IRC they have me as tacitly donating money to Ukraine, but there is no evidence that medical necessities such as food and clean water were given to the refugees! Remember in the Holocaust there was a refusal of refugees and I think Joseph Kennedy might have asked everyone to get on his page! Everyone says the Palestinians are the fittest, and there is no Doctors Without Borders but they are in a lot of trouble for doing surgery without anesthetic. OGM now that I write it I'm certain someone in Israel said they did have surgery without anesthetic. We all saw on t.v. the doctors would say IN ENGLISH "You would get sued, and they return to say thank you." The boy had a dislocated kneecap, and I guess I can't imagine walking around like that IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. But a nurse told me to report to her about putting cold packs and hot packs on my back. That was in 2001 and my back still hurts. She removed both prescription medication and OTC pills. She seemed to enjoy herself during it, and said, "Charcoal!" so I answered, "That really helps" AND THEN IT HUNG UP. I have two copies of the receipt BUT SHE SAID THEY WERE IN THE TRUNK OF HER CAR. I read Final Exit overnight when they took me off of neuroleptic medication, which was shortly after the WTC disaster, and it reads that pills are not like food and can be stored. Yesterday, I said to the nurse animals have died from human pill consumption. We will see the squirrels eating mushrooms and doing flips, and a polar bear couldn't hunt anymore. (There is an increased need for BOTH food and fluids.) Now I'm hearing candy was at issue, because some of the individuals said that they would NOT define it as food. NO CANDY FOR YOU.

[@adedamolaadeleke6228]

For gardening

[@adedamolaadeleke6228]

I'll be going out tomorrow definitely

[@adedamolaadeleke6228]

Summer time is here

[@johnhand6706]

she gift from god i hope more another book

[@dreamerqueennotunderthemachine]

what's up with the reporter ..? she seems a bit rude, a bit condescending kinda..

[@Dragon-mv6vy]

didn't notice a thing... where's she rude?

[@juliedeschenes4612]

Yeah, I feel this too!

[@jondoe-jd8nd]

you know what,3 i am trying to sleep. Now i AM CALLING MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL!!!

[@jessielin79]

K the reporter is terrible.

[@dehende07]

Now the only terrible thing is that she still captive within the walls of the Mormon church hopefully she free herself from their clutches

[@shan4145]

💎🌷💖🥰🥰🥰

[@Tess.of.all.trades]

The question, "...are you really ok?" And Elizabeth answered yes, by listing her daily chores, while shaking her head No. Body language.

[@adedamolaadeleke6228]

It's bank holiday now

[@karenmahoney584]

There is no other reason for the horrendous things that have happened to the Smart family, since they moved to Utah, than that they moved to Utah, because the ROGUES said they want to show they can handle Connecticut, but I think they are faulting the perpetrators of the Petit murders, and only one of them had the thoughts (from nowhere.) It blows a lid to have this weather from the Midwest, I know they do have great cases, and I know the ROGUES conduct themselves the same as during the Holocaust: They told the people in my family that if I make progress, then they will be punished, because they are supposed to be altogether with my father, who said he couldn't pay and didn't want to be forced to consent. MY FATHER SAID HE WOULD GET A PRIVATE DUTY NURSE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT MARGIE PREVENTED THE NEW YORK NURSE FROM TESTIFYING.

[@carolray9156]

Have NO IDEA what your talking about!!

[@Narnus96]

@@carolray9156 and did you read the other one

[@Narnus96]

@@carolray9156 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@karenmahoney584]

I was writing about how these blogs could be useful to us, and I heard someone wrote in saying they like Elizabeth's hair. If he's a well-meaning person whose marriage was arranged with someone with auburn hair. It's true some residents got into sexual dysfunction treatment AFTER HE TOOK FOUR YEARS WORTH OF NEUROLEPTIC DRUGS, and they said, "Blonde would go with him." Wow! I know that works with some Asians. If I found someone with mouse-brown, would they also want to avoid the sex act? He thought he could get to me that way, and maybe it's not true when they are partners in crime. To piece the puzzle together, now that I know this is my fault, because I can discern the true-clicks ABOUT Brian David Mitchell using mind control, which was what means something to her, and what unanswered questions she has, it hurts, because her fear is more or less absent (I think they said) and that is how I would start reacting to THEM, but THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION is not letting us join, because my father continues to escalate and he says he has to because of Margie. They don't seem to care about me in the middle, witnessing fears all day long, and some they say I should keep in mind but you can't do that successfully. It would seem nurturing in the psych-ward would help, and prison experiences are traumatic. I dug up a mailing from Tiger Haven, and there is also a Tiger Creek. For Tiger Haven you have to open it to get the quarter, and THEY are disseminating the information that "These creatures should not be kept in captivity." BECAUSE THEY PACE; AND SO, IT FOLLOWS THE ROGUES INTEND TO BE ALLOTED AN AMOUNT OF DRUGS, AND TO ADMINISTER THEM TO THE WILD CATS. From there, it follows some of them have a fantasy or walking down the street. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE ANIMALS WILL ONLY BECOME MORE AGITATED??? It is at the point, where no one knows how to treat me. It was Margie's order in 1985 and THEY told my father they wanted me at the highest level the hospital could take care of me. That way, a jail can't take care of me. I just sent an email to my sister Tanya, because I talked to her police, and I want to know if they told her the Salt Lake City Police department received a pendant AFTER THE TIME WHEN LOIS SMART WENT ON TELEVISION AND SAID, "I HAVE YOUR NECKLACE." I sense that I'm not on the same level as Elizabeth. These cases certainly are interesting, because I can see her fingers are a tad foreshortened, and I know she was in vitro and her aunt carried her. Clearly the family had a GOOD COMPLAINT about this very thing.

[@doloresdaphne8541]

I hope u are safe 💙 Try not to worry about these things too much Try to watch things that dont remind you of these bad memories and relax your nervous system when u can 🙏