Saturday, May 4, 2013

Sharing Child Abuse Survivor Stories Can Help Heal

By Alison Wilcox


When a child has been abused, they are often so young that they have difficulty processing what has happened to them. They may act out in some way, or they may regress and stay to themselves. Child Abuse Survivor Stories are often very difficult to share, but when they are, it often facilitates the healing, acceptance and understanding of another abused person.

There are many types of abuse to consider. There is physical, which usually involves beating or hitting another person. Sexual abuse very damaging both physically as well as emotionally. There is also emotional damage that no one will be able see, but leaves scars all the same and follows a victim all of their life. Any one of these can leave a person feeling ugly, hated, insecure and unable to trust. It affects their life from that moment on.

It is not unusual for children to keep this information quiet. Some are afraid that it may have been their fault and could get in trouble for the behavior. Others may have been threatened and are afraid for themselves or their family.

When the victim finally finds the courage to speak up, they are going to need as much support and assistance as possible. For children, the authorities should be notified immediately. Finding the appropriate help will give them a better chance for recovery.

Children grow up with this as their personal history and often identify themselves with what happened to them. Many choose not to share it with anyone as they could be feeling ashamed or embarrassed. Others are eager to share their story. For them, they can relate to those who have been through the same thing and feel that they may be of great assistance. It also helps with the processing and understanding of who the responsible party was and start working through the unnecessary guilt.

Counseling is so important for these victims. Most live with a belief system that is blurred and untrue. They see themselves as bad or deserving of what the abuser did to them. Good counseling will put things in perspective so they can see who they really are.

Knowing someone who has had the same experiences, and the pain and humiliation that accompanies it, can help others understand and cope with their feelings. Knowing that they are not alone and that others have gone through this same thing can help them connect and accept help. Even though it can be very difficult to share, once the information is provided to another victim, they can begin a dialogue of support.

This is a very difficult issue to deal with for many people. Families are unsure how to provide the proper help for, and the victim has difficulty talking about it. Child Abuse Survivor Stories have assisted many people with learning how to let go of the pain, how to deal with the guilt and shame and how to put the responsibility of this terrible issue back in the hands of the abuser. Once this is accomplished, they can begin to rebuild their lives and find love and happiness.




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