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