It takes Superman courage and Wonder Woman determination to embrace healing the wounds of childhood sexual abuse. That choice comes with change. And though there are compelling reasons to invite this renewal, we are also inclined to hold on dearly to whatever stability we have created out of the chaos of our past experience.
I was one of the 50% who dissociated my traumatic memories. When those flashbacks began crashing into my days, leaving my life in pieces, I didn’t feel I had any choice but to seek help and healing. It promised understanding and reprieve. I had no idea it would also bring gifts.
The shame, fears, and powerlessness from my abuse had left me feeling one-dimensional. In a world of shining possibilities, I had learned how to appear normal, but only if I kept my life small. It took my healing journey to show me that what I had become to manage my trauma was not who I was.
As I opened up the door to my truth, I discovered more than my childhood circumstance. There in the corners of my healing journey were facets of “me” that had been buried. Reclaiming my truth, telling my story, and saving the ‘little girls’ within who were still caught in the timeless web of my abuse revealed passion, purpose, talents, and abilities I’d never imagined. I found I am more than my abuse.
I would be the first to urge survivors to embrace their own healing journey to bring peace, empowerment, and stability into their lives. But there is much more. Healing can also reveal the many facets of you that will shine a light on your wondrous possibilities.