| The aftereffects of verbal, physical or | | | | emotional devestation--guilt, shame, |
| sexual abuse are profound, extensive and | | | | humiliation, responsibility of being the |
| pervasive. It is a soul injury. The soul is | | | | cause, detrayal of trust, manipulation, etc. |
| the center of our spirituality. Before the | | | | the child sometimes becomes physically |
| child has the opportunity to experience him | | | | depleated and can not maintain |
| or herself as a fully functioning human | | | | health--therefore dies.Going crazy: i.e. |
| being, they have been sexually or physically | | | | becoming psychotic, or totally |
| abused--more often than not by the person | | | | dysfunctional,Telling: The survivor tells |
| with whom the child has implicit trust--the | | | | someone who stops the abuse or Confronting |
| person who is required to protect them from | | | | the perpetrator, thus risking not being |
| all harm--the parent or another trusted | | | | believed and possible recriminations: Many |
| adult. Children as young as one month are | | | | children do protest the abuse and when they |
| sexually abused--genital fondling, oral sex, | | | | do the abuse stops, however, there are |
| digital or object penetration are the common | | | | exceptions. The abuse stopped temporarily, |
| forms of infant sexual abuse.Children are | | | | but the perpetrator resumed again with a |
| taught that God protects us from harm. But | | | | different approach thus binding the child |
| how can that be true when the child was | | | | into a more insidious trap.Regaining one's |
| harmed by the person who claims to love him | | | | spirituality is difficult, but it is |
| her? they wonder. An insidious dilemma is | | | | possible. The journey to regaining one's |
| established. Many religions also teach that | | | | spirituality as in the recovery process is |
| God punishes those who are "bad." "I must be | | | | unique to each individual. There are many |
| bad," the child reasons, "because God did not | | | | excellent sources to aid you in this |
| protect me. God must be punishing me for | | | | process.The following publications are only a |
| being bad. I am to blame. I am guilty. What | | | | few of the many noteworthy sources for |
| did I do to deserve this?" Self-loathing, | | | | healing spiritual wounds:Title |
| shame and guilt becomes the person's | | | | Author(s)Conversations with God: Books I, II, |
| self-perception. Frequently, physcial/sexual | | | | III, IV - Neale Donald WalschA Course in |
| abuse survivors no longer believe in God. | | | | Miracles - Helen Schucman and William |
| While they may go to church and profess their | | | | ThetfordLove is Letting Go of Fear - Gerald |
| faith--there is an emptiness at the center of | | | | Jampolsky, MDSacred Contracts - Caroline |
| their soul. "If God was real why did he let | | | | MyssWhy People Don't Heal and How They Can - |
| me be abused?" they ponder.There is a | | | | Caroline Myss, MDReturn to Love: Reflections |
| poignant and profound explanation to this | | | | on the Principles of a Course in Miracles - |
| pondering. God did protect the survivor. God | | | | Marianne WilliamsonIlluminata: A Return to |
| helped the survivor to survive the most | | | | Prayer - Marianne WilliamsonSelf-Esteem: |
| heinous experience anyone could have. God | | | | Loving Yourself and Emotional |
| protected the survivor by giving information | | | | Self-Sufficiency |
| on how to stay alive, how to avoid going | | | | |
| crazy while living in a crazy environment. | | | | - Marianne WilliamsonHow to know God: The |
| Furthermore, God in various and sundry ways | | | | Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries |
| brings informaton to the perpetrator, so that | | | | - Deepak Chopra, MDMolecules of Emotion: Why |
| the perpetrator knows and understands his/her | | | | You Feel the Way You Feel - |
| behavior is unacceptable and the damage that | | | | |
| the victim will incur. However, God can not | | | | Deepak Chopra, MDThe Power of Now: A Guide |
| make anyone hear or believe the information. | | | | to Spiritual Enlightment - Eckhart, et |
| Thus, the perpetrator's actions are | | | | alThere's a Spiritual Solution to Every |
| undeterred even through God's work. | | | | Problem - Wayne W. Dyer, PhDYou Will See It, |
| Traditional religion labels the perpetrator a | | | | When You Believe It - Wayne W. Dyer, PhDThe |
| sinner.A child has only four possible | | | | Transformative Power of Crisis--Our Journey |
| alternatives during the ordeal of sexual | | | | to Psychological Healing and Spiritual |
| physical abuse, whether that ordeal is over a | | | | Awakening - Robert M. Alter/Jane AlterDorothy |
| period of years or a instant.The choices | | | | M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, If I'd Only |
| are:Doing what the child did: i.e. numbing | | | | Known...Sexual Abuse in or out of the Family: |
| out, zoning out, going into psychogenic | | | | A Guide to Prevention, is noted for her |
| amnesia, splitting the mind off, | | | | pioneering work in verbal, physical and |
| (Dissociative state) accepting the blame, | | | | sexual abuse prevention and recovery. |
| etc.Dying: Unable to withstand the horrific | | | | |