February 24th, 2010
How does it feel to heal from sexual abuse? What efforts do people make to once again feel healthy & strong, to regain trust? A terrific resource is the book “Strong at the Heart” by Carolyn Lehman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005). She makes space for eleven survivors of sexual abuse to tell their stories of healing and hope.
Akaya, one of the survivors featured in the book, tells us that she “made a decision to heal.” No longer did she, or any of the others featured in the book, want to live in the fear, depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or unhappiness they were feeling. While it took great courage to work through such difficult, painful memories, these folks did it. They were able to experience love again. Love of themselves – free from shame and guilt.
If you feel like it’s time to address past sexual abuse or rape and PTSD, you might find inspiration in this book. If you too make the decision to to heal, I suggest you find a therapist you trust. While you’ll most likely be afraid, you are worth the effort. And remember… courage can’t exist without fear.
To schedule an appointment for PTSD treatment and therapy in Washington, DC, contact me at 202/460-6384 or Mike.Giordano.MSW@gmail.com.