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Childhood Can You Really Heal From Childhood Abuses?

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Can you heal from childhood abuse?

I sure freakin hope so!

Seeking EMDR therapy and talk therapy right now. First time ever seeking professional help. 29 years old.
 
I keep thinking I don't have anymore effects from my childhood. BUT... This person I see in the mirror is that badly abused child just older. She's still frightened of everyone. She's still fearful of men and sex. She's still timid. She still wants to go hide in the closet.
 
Don't think you ever really "heal" from " prolonged" sexual and physical abuse. The emotion damage is hard to overcome. Mine started sixty years ago and is still with me. The long term effects can alter our way of thinking, dealing with situations and life choices we make. Then there are the trust issues, once we get into a relationship. This is good article that I recently posted in my diary.

It has helped me find some of the missing answers that I've been looking for , trying to understand the way I act and think. I hope it helps you a bit. I am still seeing my pysciatrist after having my breakdown 22 years ago. I live a stable life now, although my two marriages broke down. It wasn't all their fault, I guess I wasn't that easy to live with either. Take care and sending you :hug:.http://mindforums.com/brain-and-development-affected-after-child-abuse
 
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Hi Digger. In my view of the world, if I had to endure the abuse again, afterwards I would still face the demons borne from the experience. In other words, I would rather face the pain of fighting my way back to self-respect then to spend a lifetime without the confidence I've gained from slaying the dragons of my past.
 
But without the abuse in your life, perhaps you would have had that confidence and self respect anyway from healthier sources? Was it the abuse that damaged your confidence and self respect in the first place?
 
I endured a desperate childhood and later adulthood like most everyone here and I know that it affected by world view which in turn affected my decision-making, which itself led to a less-than-positive life ... until I got help. As for who I may have been, who knows? The world is full of people who had great childhoods that still ended-up losers. And the world is also full of people who had horrifying childhoods that ended up successful in their life choices. What wasn't or could have been never was so and will never be so I don't bother with it.
 
Ok. In your other posts it sounds like you're saying you felt that without the abuse (recovering from it) you wouldn't have gained the self respect and confidence you have. I'm saying that there are other far more nurturing ways for someone to learn self respect and confidence. I think I'm maybe misunderstanding what you're saying though?
 
The way I look at it is this... if I had not gone though childhood abuse and the sexual assaults, it would have been something else. I am thankful that I have not been in a physically abusive relationship, but had I not endured physical abuse as a child, I may not have been able to avoid the type of guy who would have done so to me. Or had I not gone though the things I had leading me to become pregnant, I may have had a longer career in the military and ended up in more sexual assaults or gone on to be deployed and ended up with combat PTSD.

In short, I try not to wish my life had been different, because if abc had changed, then maybe instead of "this" I would have ended up with "that" instead. Like, the way I see things, whether its right or wrong, is that..there are some people who lead a charmed life, and those who do not. I don't. Who I am is who I was meant to be...if everything was different, that doesn't necessarily mean it would have been better...just different. A different set of struggles, traumas, things to overcome.

Even though that seems sort of dark and negative, for me its not...it keeps me from wishing things weren't the way they are, and helps me just deal with the way things are, and to try and get some positive out of who I am because of it. Granted, the majority of the time, I am not happy with myself or who I am, but it is what it is...and all the hopes, dreams, ideal views of what if's will never change that.
 
I started therapy when I was thirty years old in 1985. I have recently been remembering memories of things I used to do when I was alone. I was always exploring and climbing trees and collecting things. I now know what a great little kid I was with monsters as parents.

I am a very strong person in that I survived a lifetime of multiple traumas. I am fifty nine years old now and the PTSD will always be symptomatic for me, but my healing and recovery has really speeded up this last year and I am feeling new feelings. I am feeling joy, awe, wonder and happy and contented.

I walked through the fires of hell in my therapy process, but I had a lot of good in my family and with my husband who I lost a little over a year ago and I am starting over fresh rebuilding my life.

I think the thing that is so awesome is that I am clearly seeing what a great kid I was inspite of the horrendous abuse. I was raised by monsters who formed a team against me and my sibs.

I love the memories of me as a child now and it gives me great joy. This is a brand new experience for me and I am just enjoying the memories so much.

I believe that healing and recovery is possible. But it takes so much work. I am going back into therapy for a tune up because of anger issues surfacing towards my parents. I am looking forward to it very much.

I will always have PTSD and the symptoms. I am having nightmares again.

I will always remember the great damage my parents and others did to me. What helped me the most was having EMDR. No longer am I tortured and tormented by the memories. I believe there is great hope for a life a real life that is good and wholesome.

But you will get out of it what you put into it. With the help of good therapist and even some medication if you are comfortable with that. It takes as long as it takes.

I had so many illusions and false beliefs when I first started therapy. I thought three months and I will be on my merry way.

I found myself often curled up into a great ball of fear in my closet. Like I said the fires of hell.

But I am so worth fighting for and I am just now beginning to reap the benefits. Life is good for me now. In spite of and no matter what. I hope my sharing this with you will give you some real hope for yourself.
 
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