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Abuse Abuse falls into three categories:-
In the past, sexual abuse was considered to be the most damaging but more recent research has shown us that the other forms of abuse should not be considered less serious or damaging than sexual abuse. Many survivors will have suffered a combination of physical, emotional and/or sexual trauma. Abuse destroys trust in others so survivors of abuse often do not know whom to tell, or they are so accustomed to blocking out and denying their memories and feelings that they become difficult to recall and they don’t know where to start. Survivors may fear that if they tell someone, their abuser will find out, they will be disbelieved, judged, disliked, blamed, pitied and that confidentiality will be broken. Survivors often ask if healing is possible after sexual abuse? The answer is YES! But recovery from abuse is not something that happens overnight. It is an ongoing process, which requires courage, support and commitment and usually involves experiencing difficult feelings. There are stages of healing which are often experienced by survivors of abuse. These stages are not necessarily experienced one after another and some of the stages may become missed out altogether or you may seem to spend a long time apparently stuck in another stage but there is an overall recognisable process. One of the stages is the decision to heal. This happens when you recognise the effects of abuse in your life and make an active decision to heal and are willing to accept the changes that go with your choice to heal. When you first begin to deal with your abuse you may feel that your life has been thrown into utter chaos. You may feel obsessed with abuse issues and even feel that you are going crazy. Whilst this is an extremely distressing time it is important to remember that it is only a stage and will not go on forever and is part of the process of healing. Counsellors at a Time to Talk recognise that healing is not about reaching a specific point in time or any one individual goal and that there is no such thing as a finishing line where healing is concerned. Together you and your counsellor can build a confidential, non judgemental, trusting relationship and she can support you as you move through the stages of recovery - being able to tell another trusted human being is a powerful healing force. Remembering both the incidents and feelings can involve memories, flashbacks or even physical sensations felt in your body at the time of abuse. Many survivors lose touch with their inner child and by helping you to get in touch with your vulnerability you can become more open to feel the full range of your feelings. We understand that the abuse that happened to you affected you deeply - that will never change but we can help you to listen to your own thoughts and feelings, grieve for your losses and over time we can help you to reach a place of resolution where you can move on with your life and make the changes that you want to make. |
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