Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse | Incest
Even if you’ve developed boundaries in other relationships, it can be especially difficult to set boundaries with your family. They may still see you as a child and might even feel entitled to have a say in your life. Though it can feel frustrating and even shameful to revert to childhood roles, I share powerful tools for finally asserting yourself so you’re free to live on your own terms.
If you grew up in dysfunction, it can be very difficult to develop boundaries with your family in adulthood. I’ll share how to overcome the pressures to go along with the way things have been. Then I’ll give you a simple formula for expressing boundaries and some practical tips for thriving during family events.
The relationship with your family of origin is for your survival and wellbeing. But what if the relationship is actually harmful? At what point is estrangement a good option? I’ll share the pros and cons of staying and leaving, the specific ways you can gain clarity and hidden signs that the relationship is actually already over.
I’m joined again by my daughter, Bethany, who is also the cofounder of Overcoming Sexual Abuse. We continue to share how we stood up to our incest family together with both the painful and yet empowering effects of that. Then we share how that helped us as we started on the healing journey.
by Christina Enevoldsen Compliance to dysfunctional family rules was survival as a child but it was self-betrayal in adulthood. One of the most significant sources of pain and damage of my abuse comes from betrayal, especially from my parents. The man who was charged with the responsibility to protect and care for me violated my innocence and trust again andRead more
by Christina Enevoldsen When I started writing publicly about my healing from sexual abuse, I did it to validate my own history and journey and to inspire hope in other survivors. It’s been wonderfully empowering to record my triumphs and to share the process with thousands of fellow journeyers. However, being so public about such intimate feelings and experiences hasRead more
by Caden Ceirdris When I was twelve, I watched the sexually graphic teen film, “Kids” with my siblings. I remember being surprised when my sister described what happened in the end scene as rape. That it was rape to have sex with someone who was passed out, asleep. It seems obvious, but in some unconscious part of my mind, IRead more
by Christina Enevoldsen with Bethany If only I’d have known these family holiday survival tips years ago. When I remember holidays with my family of origin, I think of stress. The image that comes to mind is everyone else laughing and having a great time, while I was miserable. I don’t remember many holidays as a child, but as anRead more
by Patty Hite Everything I did was for my husband. Any ideas or suggestions on my part would end in Bill physically or emotionally abusing me. I always felt my life depended on making a perfect meal. When he didn’t like it, he would knock me out of my chair and force me to eat “that crap” off the floor.Read more
by Christina Enevoldsen When I discovered that my husband was sexually abusing my daughter, I went to what I thought was the highest authority—our pastor. In our church, if something wasn’t Christian, it wasn’t to be trusted. Secular authorities like the police were inferior because they didn’t know God or his will. When my husband and I met with ourRead more