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When I left my ex-husband, I had a blessing. In that blessing was a challenge for me to
use my trials to "be a light and a beacon to others." I have taken that seriously. Since that I've blogged, I've spoken out, I've begun my fight
with gusto against pornography and sex addiction. (I even have a speaking engagement at a college campus in two weeks!) Now I am adding the other piece of my puzzle:
I am an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
I've begun to wonder ... how many of us are there? How many of us started out being sexually abused and then--already having our self-esteem on very shaky ground--got married and expected everything to end happily ever after ... only to discover that we had married a porn addict? And then I thought, MAN! There should be a special group just for us!!! But, guess what? There's not a special group for us ... yet ... Want to be part of the first one?
Maybe you think this post doesn't apply to you. Five years ago, I wouldn't have thought so either. But then a concerned friend handed me the list below, and it made me do a double-take. It's from the
Wings Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping adult survivors of sexual abuse. Long story short, at least in my case, there was something to it.
Common Trauma Symptoms
It is important to remember that each individual’s reaction to trauma they’ve experienced is unique. If you are a sexual abuse survivor, you may or may not experience some of the symptoms or events listed below. Seek help from a professional to discuss and work through these symptoms.
- Frequent sleep disturbances (insomnia, nightmares, night terrors, sleeping too much)
- Flashbacks
- Dissociation or losing time
- Difficulty managing emotions
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, powerlessness, shame, or feeling “dirty”
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and hypervigilence
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts and attempts, feeling destructive
- Cutting, self injury, or self mutilation
- Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and/or compulsive overeating)
- Body image issues
- Difficulty with or avoiding relationships, automatic lack of trust of others
- Avoidance of appropriate and consensual sexual intimacy
- Addictions and compulsions (alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, spending, pornography)
- Body memories, somatic symptoms
- Poor boundaries with others (too permissive or too rigid)
- Difficulties nurturing yourself or caring for yourself appropriately
I am working with one of the women who created the
Healing Through Christ 12-step program for loved ones of addicts. She. Is. AWESOME! Annnnnd ... she has given me permission to start a pilot group for sexually abused women who are also wives/ex-wives of porn addicts. We will probably use Google chat or teleconference, so location is not an issue. So, here's a shout-out! Anyone interested in doing this with me? Know anyone who would be? Please! Comment! Share the link to my post.
You can also email me privately at: angelgirly1980 at gmail dot com.
Now, let me be clear, friends ... I am not out to convince the world that everyone has been sexually abused. However, it is a huge problem in our society. And if no one gets this kind of info out, how can we ever combat it?
To those of you who
have been abused: Even if you don't want to join the group, please know...
I'm here. And I get it.
