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Daily Excerpt: It Only Hurts When I Can't Run (Parker) - Introduction

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  excerpt from It Only Hurts When I Can't Run by Gewanda Parker Introduction   I believe in a God who heals, delivers, and sets captives free. Because God in His mercy did this for me, I have to let the world know that if God can do it for me, surely God can do it for the next person. That is why I had to write this book—and I must admit that writing this narrative has been an unexpectedly tedious but healing journey.   I remember the day I began writing about the sexual abuse in my life. I started writing early in the day. I wrote for about four hours. I revisited every encounter I remembered from ages five to sixteen. When I finished, I erupted into tears. This flood of emotions lasted for nearly six hours. Anger, hurt, scarring, shame, betrayals, disbelief and even fear gripped me to the core of my being. When I had finally stopped, the time seemed to have slipped by because it was well past 11p.m.   On this occasion, God and my good friend were there. She sat there, praying si

Daily Excerpt: Road Map to Power (Husain & Husain) - Self-Esteem and the Challenges of the Discontent

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excerpt from Road Map to Power -  Chapter 5: Self-Focus and the Challenges of the Discontent Rule of the Road: Looking for security? It’s in the attachment. Mile Markers: Attachment, Self-Esteem, Self-Focus, Bullying, Celebrity Worship, Real vs. Ideal Self, Social Comparison, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Eating Disorders, Rosebud Four former high school chums, George, James, Phil, and Tom, meet for a highly anticipated reunion with their coach to celebrate past victories and relive previous triumphs. Sounds like a scene from any of a myriad of communities across the landscape of the United States. It is also the premise for Jason Miller’s play, That Championship Season, winner of Pulitzer and Tony awards. Originally debuting in 1972, the play was a rebuke of time-honored traditions and a challenge to many of the collective values held by society at large. Set in the coal mining town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, four star athletes return to the house of their former coach to share the la

Daily Excerpt: Healing from Incest (Henderson and Emerton) - Light at the End of the Tunnel

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  Today's excerpt comes from Healing from Incest (Henderosn & Emerton) -  Light at the End of the Tunnel   Self-Assessment I have a real hesitancy to believe that I can gauge where I am emotionally with more accuracy than in the past. Still, I thought it might be useful to try to explain what the headspace of a 60-something is like after years of therapeutic work and figuring out how to live and how to have faith. I’ve been able to live a number of years where dealing with one issue or another from the past does not have to be a priority every day. At the same time, I realize that a “Gold Star” is not going to be awarded for having achieved perfection in all areas or having resolved all issues. I also know it is dangerous to think that I will not have to deal with anything troubling again. I understand that were I to continue in intense therapy, the things I could or perhaps should deal with would be never-ending, but I suspect that almost anyone, whatever the past experiences