Last week, following the Penn State stories in the news I was saddened and frustrated that so little was said about the boys and men who were victims. Yes, there were the platitudes and the requisite, "Keep them in our prayers", but I know that it takes a lot more than prayer to recover from childhood abuse. I've been there. My 12 step recovery is a key to my growth and recovery but it also took a lot of outside help.
The "healing a wound" metaphor kind of falls down when we are talking about sexual abuse recovery. It's not at all like a cut or break that has to mesh and mend to seal over and heal. It's not a top down healing. Recovery from sexual abuse is much more like the recovery of a burn victim where the skin has to be re-scrapped regularly, continually removing the layers as the healing occurs, layer after layer after layer, painfully scrapped away so the deadness does not impede the very deep layers that have to heal first.
Out of my concern for those young boys who were trapped at Penn State and who wanted to be athletes I wrote the piece linked below for the Albany Times Union. Plese take a look and please share with others whose recovery may include childhood abuse.
Thanks. Diane
http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Cameron-Surviving-abuse-takes-fortitude-3739226.php
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