Have you written about your abuse, and if so, has it been therapeutic for you?

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   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   Have you written about your abuse, and if so, has it been therapeutic for you?

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2. 61

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   I've lived in what amounts to one form of abuse or another for more than 18 years.  It isn't the "standard" form of domestic abuse.  As far as I can tell nobody intends to be abusive.   How it is experienced is the same, however, as when someone intends it.  In my case, it isn't physical.  It's psychological, emotional, and financial (which at this point, however, seem to be taking a toll on my physical health).   I am living with what I believe is adrenal fatigue (exhaustion) at this point. 
   
   I haven't written about it because there is "so much to it" it just feels like there's no way to capture "a universe of grayness" into words.  Besides, I'd only feel free to write about some people.  I'm not sure if it would be therapeutic or not, because when I think about it it makes me feel more upset.  It may help, though, if I could sort out all that I'd like "out there" and get it organized in writing.
   
   What would be therapeutic for me would be to have someone acknowledge what is going on, get some kind of justice (in the form of acknowledgment, apology, and compensation).  People "in my personal circle" don't see what is going on.  People outside of it can't know what's going on either.  I've tried to write some "tip-of-the-iceberg" things about some of it, but it's frustrating to see thousands of words that still essentially say nothing.  There are any number of reasons why writing about it (for real) wouldn't be something I'd be comfortable with.  Even if I didn't put it online, I'd be worried about where to keep paper.  I guess my thing is, I need the "whole thing dissolved" (cleared up) in my life, rather than needing to write about it.   (For the record, I'm not living with an abusive spouse or anything like that.  This is more complicated.)  Admitting this much is, in itself, more than I've ever done because in a lot of ways my life goes on the way a lot of other people's do.

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   selrachposted 14 years ago

   My first hub was about my abuse.I actual joined hubpages for the reason that I thought it would be therapeutic to put my personal experiences down in writting and help me to deal with them.
   http://hubpages.com/hub/sexual-abuse-the-mental-scars

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   jasper420posted 14 years ago

   I acully did a cilnical study about this and yes it was helpfull just to get it out and put it on papper helps to reilve the pain and all that comes with it

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5. 61

   nlowmanposted 14 years ago

   I haven't written about it yet, but I probably should. As selrach and jasper said, I've heard it can be very helpful.
   
   Throughout my life, I've been through different types of abuse. It's not actually funny, but I joke that if you can think of it, I've probably been through it, for the most part. Luckily, I have never suffered sexual abuse from an adult caregiver as a child, though I was raped at 14 by an acquaintance. Anyway, someone has suggested that I write letters to my abusers and tell them how they have affected my life. It's really anxiety provoking, though, so I've been putting it off.

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