As an adult have you experienced�but not limited to the following?
� Little or no memory of childhood�age 3 to 12
� Trouble with relationships�on the job, in your family,
� Low self-esteem,
� Panic attacks�mild to severe,
� Anxiety,
� Phobias,
� Depression,
� Inability to trust or trusting indiscriminately,
� alcohol/drug abuse,
� Obsessive compulsive behavior,
� Nightmares of being chased, trapped or surreal,
� Sensory flashes�unable to identify images,
� Insomnia,
� Suicidal thoughts or attempts,
� A sense of going crazy or feeling unreal compared to others
� Shame, guilt,
� Sense of underlying humiliation,
� Baseless crying,
� Angry outbursts/rage seemingly for no reason,
� Inability to recognize feelings,
� Mood swings,
� Emotional shut down,
� Numbing or zoning out,
� Arthritis/joint pain,
� Diagnosis of ADD or ADHD,
� Labeled an �airhead�
� Chronic/acute fear,
� Headaches/migraines,
� Eating disorders�anorexia, bulimia, obesity,
� PMS,
� Vaginismus,
� Gastrointestinal/gynecological disorders,
� Chronic fatigue,
� MS,
� Fibromyalgia,
� Lupus
� Chronic back pain�L3, L4 and/or L5 region
� Cancer�predominately�vaginal, cervical or ovarian in women; testicular, prostate in men; however cancer of any kind can be as a result of physical or sexual abuse. Cancer is anger/rage turned against the self.
� Prostitute/promiscuous sex,
� Inability to orgasm
� Dissociative Identity Disorder�MPD
� Self-injury�self-abuse, self-mutilation (cutting, burning, breaking bones, pinching skin, ingesting, injecting and inserting foreign materials, interfering with the healing process of wounds, punching, slapping, picking skin, pulling hair, bloodletting, tattooing, piercing
� Wearing baggy clothes or clothes a size or two sizes too large
� Aversion to opposite sex�including homosexuality/lesbian
� Use of pornography�print, video
� Enjoy peep shows, topless dancers,
� Become a porn star or pimp,
� Sex offenders�male and female
Suggested Reading:
� Heal Your Body, Louise L. Hay
� The Courage to Heal, Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
� Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects in Women, E. Sue Blume
� Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child
Laura Davis
� Thou Shalt Not Be Aware: Society�s Betrayal of the Child, Alice Miller
� Breaking Down the Walls of Silence: The Liberating Experience of Facing Painful Truth
Alice Miller
� The Untouched Key: Tracing Childhood Trauma in Creativity and Destructiveness
Alice Miller, et al
� Banished Knowledge: Facing Childhood Injuries, Alice Miller
� Trauma, Amnesia and the Denial of Abuse, Robert Falconer, et al., eds.
� Victims No Longer: Men Recovering from Incest, Mike Lew
� Wounded Boys, Heroic Men: A Men�s Guide to Recovering from Child Abuse
Daniel Sonkin
� Broken Boys/Mending Men: Recovery from Child Sexual Abuse, Stephen GrubmanBlack
� Female Sexual Abuse of Children, Michele Eliott, ed.
� The Last Secret: Daughters Sexually Abused by Mothers, Bobbie Rosencrans
If you have experienced one or more of these 'symptoms' you could be a physical or sexual abuse survivor.
Healing the emotional wounds of physical or sexual abuse is possible. Talk therapy, antidepressants and/or antipsychotic drugs are inadequate to uncover the emotional pain, and heal the trauma trapped in muscles and tissue. To fully appreciate the depth of this pain, I will quote one of my clients, "Even my blood hurts." A multifaceted healing process specifically focused on physical and sexual abuse recovery and diligent work is the most effective; wherein the survivor can replenish their emotional and spiritual identity and empowerment.
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, "If I'd Only Known...Sexual Abuse in or Out of the Family: A Guide to Prevention, specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Prevention and Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. drdorothy.net drdorothy.net