I was busy tying up loose ends today and packing for another trip to share my story. As I packed, I listened to an old interview, recorded when I was struggling with severe migraines.The interviewer wanted me to tell how I made it in my...
Scripture tells us that we overcome by the words of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb.Even if you don't believe the Bible, anyone can see that sometimes the only way to get justice for abuse survivors, is to tell authorities what happened. We...
My doctor drew this graph for me. I thought you might relate. Recovery from any kind of stress or trauma is really the same. Once free from abuse, we think it will be easy, but that's not usually the case.We are fearfully and wonderfully made...
It happens all over the world. So, I shouldn't be surprised. Our nation has gone through stages of dehumanizing people groups before. It still seems that in these days of so-called enlightenment, we should be more civil, more compassionate, more responsive in law and policy.Rape...
Being frustrated all the time is very common in our society. Abuse survivors are numerous in our culture. We have a greater propensity toward perfectionism than that of the general population, because our sense of security and feeling in-control has been infringed upon.Everyone wants to...
You might be a perfectionist and not even know it. Many of the people I know are. If you have suffered trauma or abuse at the hands of other people, there's a good chance you'll develop perfectionism as a way of gaining control.When people hurt...
We all have walls around our lives and around our hearts. Those who don't, live in chaos. Of course, I mean the intangible, invisible boundaries that keep us safe emotionally, spiritually and sometimes physically.Early in world history, walls were the primary defense for cities. They...
Sometimes we are impatient. For those of us who have suffered abuse, getting free from our abuser isn't an event, but a process.If you were in a situation that was a one-off, week long relationship that turned badly very fast, you can have lingering effects....
Everyone's got stuff, right? Everyone who knows me, has heard me say that. The fact that I have had a fair amount of difficulty in my life makes me a little more compassionate for the suffering of others. There are ways to navigate the rough...
While that may be true during abuse or with a really bad headache, it is not true during your healing process from traumatic loss or abuse.It is like a tape that played in my head for so many years. I knew that if I cried,...