Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse | Incest
How do you have healthy boundaries when you were taught “relationship” by abusive experiences and dysfunctional people? How are you supposed to unlearn those self-sabotaging behaviors and unhealthy beliefs? Abuse demolishes boundaries. We’re objectified, devalued and silenced. A big part of healing is restoring that solid sense of self. It’s a relief and joy to be able to: say no (and yes) with convictionRead more
With all the effects of abuse, healing can feel mystifying and elusive. But it doesn’t have to be. I’ve had the joy of watching frustrated abuse survivors finally experience freedom from abuse and its effects. They’ve taken back their lives through the resources I’ve lovingly created, the ones I wish I had while I was forging my own healingRead more
If you’ve survived childhood abuse, self care can be especially challenging. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In my journey of healing childhood sexual abuse, I’ve struggled with: feeling overwhelmed because I felt like I was doing most of the giving and serving in my relationships feeling resentful for spending too much time, energy and money on others while neglectingRead more
by Christina Enevoldsen Fourteen years ago this month, I left my abusive marriage. I didn’t have any vision for a life apart from David, but I also couldn’t imagine staying. I wasn’t looking for freedom from abuse. Abuse wasn’t even on my radar. I wasn’t “taking a stand.” I didn’t feel powerful or brave; I simply knew I wouldn’t have a lifeRead more
by Anne Lauren I’m an open-water swimmer: I prefer to dive into rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans instead of pools. I’m also a childhood incest survivor: I carry the weight of trauma and the work of recovery wherever I go. I swim because it makes me feel light, it makes me feel held, it reminds me that the beauty andRead more
by Carol Chandler The first thing I discovered about self care: It’s very difficult to begin caring for yourself after years of neglecting yourself. This seemed especially true after years of childhood trauma. Focusing on my needs as a child and asking for them to be met often led to some form of retaliation, usually dirty looks or the silentRead more
by Brittney Drames As a child, I thought my abuse occurred and continued both because I wasn’t enough of something and yet was too much of something else. Not good enough to be treated right but too pretty to be left alone. Attracting too much attention but not outspoken enough to tell. Too smart for my own good but notRead more