Healing From Sexual Abuse

When we are sexually abused, a fragmenting occurs. We split off, disassociate from our inner, authentic core of personal integrity. We call this “The Split.” Our program uses the symbol of “The Silver Braid,” to describe the healing techniques and inner work we do to heal this split. Each survivor’s story and experience represents a strand in the braid, and the more of us that come forward to tell our truths, the stronger our braid will become.

How to Begin

1. Identify the aftereffects by going through the two checklists entitled, “Aftereffects Checklist for Sexual Abuse Survivors In Recovery,” and “Sexual and/or Relationship Issues Aftereffects Checklist.”
2. Create a special Recovery Notebook. You might want personalize this notebook. Use this notebook to collect your notes and recovery materials.
3. In your Recovery Notebook, create a section for Inventory of Aftereffects.
4. Using the text material provided from the Checklist(s), write about how each aftereffect has changed the way you respond to your world.  
5.  Recognize how these aftereffects, or symptoms, might indicate that you are experiencing: “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
6. Embrace all of who we are, recognizing that during the abuse, these “symptoms” were necessary for our very survival.
7. We have developed therefore, a disease, a group of symptoms which has impaired our ability to experience the fullness of life.

Now that we know we are survivors, suffering from common symptoms, or aftereffects, we can begin to look at these symptoms, or character defects in a new way. Our program concentrates on uncovering, discovering, and discarding aftereffects which no longer serve us. When we are able to act from this place of recognition and understanding, we begin to experience personal freedom.