Title:
"Survivor To Thriver": Healing The Impact Of Childhood Abuse
Word Count:
659
Summary:
Healing the impact of childhood abuse is a difficult yet hopeful process. If you were physically or sexually abused as a child, you may often feel fragmented, confused, vulnerable, and somewhat chaotic inside. You may have difficulty with trust and intimacy in your relationships, and your emotions may seem unpredictable and volatile to you. You may also have a generalized feeling that you are somehow “bad” or unworthy, and therefore, not like yourself very much. You may also …
Keywords:
survivor, thriver, abuse, sexual, childhood
Article Body:
Healing the impact of childhood abuse is a difficult yet hopeful process. If you were physically or sexually abused as a child, you may often feel fragmented, confused, vulnerable, and somewhat chaotic inside. You may have difficulty with trust and intimacy in your relationships, and your emotions may seem unpredictable and volatile to you. You may also have a generalized feeling that you are somehow “bad” or unworthy, and therefore, not like yourself very much. You may also feel guilty, as though you caused the abuse. All of these experiences are common and make sense in light of your childhood experience. There IS hope! An integrated and intentional approach in therapy can lead to healing in these areas of your life. This healing involves reconnecting with parts of yourself that seem disconnected and alienated, reclaiming your life by learning to be in charge of your behavior and make good choices, and transforming your relationship to self and others. It may be helpful to think of the healing process as taking place in three primary stages: 1) getting started; 2) reconnecting with yourself; and 3) moving on.
Getting Started is primarily focused on helping you understand what you are experiencing, what you can expect from therapy, and how you can help yourself through the process. In this stage, understanding is e…