Finding Safe Harbour When You've Been Abused

It is difficult to find a safe place when everything inside of you is in chaos. Sometimes, it is difficult to identify where the chaos begins and where it ends. For people who have suffered abuse, the chaos begins when the abuse occurs.

Often adults don't know why they feel chaotic. They don't remember periods of early abuse, or they feel like their worlds are spinning out of control. One way adults use to control remembering periods of abuse is to self-medicate. Self-medication comes in several forms: alcohol, elicit drugs, prescription drugs, food, and sex. Yes, sex is a form of medication when used in excess.

It is better to not self-medicate if possible. If an adult has been abused in childhood, it is better for the adult to seek help in the form of psychotherapy with a professional who has experience in treating trauma. I do not recommend that clergy treat trauma unless they are specifically trained to treat trauma. Trauma has complicated outcomes. Some individuals have undergone personality splitting in traumatic experiences. This is why it is extremely important that an individual seek help from a professional who is trained to treat trauma, specifically an individual who is trained to treat traumatized individuals who also experience dissociative experiences.

There is a lot of current research on post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has done extensive work with regard to dissociative disorders, as well as Dr. Richard Schwarz and Dr. Colin Ross. There are many others. EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is an important technique in the healing of trauma. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) developed by Gary Craig is another technique that is helpful in the healing of trauma. Both of these techniques are best used by trained clinicians.

If you or someone else you know has experienced trauma and you are looking for answers, please do not hesitate to write and I will try to help you find resources. If you live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, either I or my collegue are available as a treatment resource.

Please take care of yourselves....

RamyB, MMFT
(Master of Marriage and Family Therapy)

You can send correspondence to ramybmmft@yahoo.com.

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