Harvest Life Gracefully sharing some tips on how to heal from sexual abuse
Trauma from sexual abuse, rape, and incest does not have to result in devastating life-long problems. One of the very best tools to a victorious life, rather than remaining a victim, is to give your pain and anger a voice. One’s “voice” does not necessarily assume speaking. Allowing one’s inner child to speak refers to finding some creative outlet to tell one’s abuse story. Through creative self-expression one will find comfort from the entanglement of an abusive past.Sexual Abuse, Rape, and Incest – Comfort through Creativity
Author: Donna Eder
Trauma from sexual abuse, rape, and incest does not have to result in devastating life-long problems. One of the very best tools to a victorious life, rather than remaining a victim, is to give your pain and anger a voice. One’s “voice” does not necessarily assume speaking. Allowing one’s inner child to speak refers to finding some creative outlet to tell one’s abuse story. Through creative self-expression one will find comfort from the entanglement of an abusive past. A creative voice can take on many forms. The form may be drawing, painting, writing (poetry, an article, essay, script, or book), creating a video, composing a song, journaling, dancing, or some other form to externally express one’s internal sexual abuse, rape, and incest issues. A creative voice allows the confusion, pain, and shame, a release from its inner bondage. The first (and only) step to beginning to give oneself a voice through creativity is to foster safety. One must be in (or find) a safe, non-threatening, calm, and safe space within and around oneself. In this safety one ensures no other pain will penetrate or be accumulated. This is critical. Expressing one’s voice necessitates appreciated vulnerability. One’s safe place is to be nurtured above all else. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, kindness, and validation, not to be further victimized. A safe place will ensure esteemed disclosure, albeit not guaranteeing understanding. There is no one right way or wrong way to “working” a creative outlet. However, it is an essential component to healing. Comfort is kindled through creating an end product that shares what has been silenced. One’s creations do not have to make sense to others. They are purposed as tools to express one’s pain. If they work for you then they work. They tell the story that could not be told in a verbal way, at that time. They don’t even have to make sense to oneself. Their purpose is to let go of the shame and silence that sexual abuse, rape, and incest have, for too long, held one captive. Sense cannot be made of the nonsensical. One’s creations are neither good nor bad. One does not need talent, propensity, quality, or quantity. The only ingredient is a silenced voice that requires emancipation. Through sharing one’s creative voice with oneself (and perhaps some other trusted person or persons), one’s seclusion, pain, and shame begin becoming unbound. The creative process for self-healing is not time-stamped. It is neither ever finished nor always constant. It grows and changes as one grows and heals. The one known variable is that giving a voice to the victim within, promotes comfort and healing. One’s identity, pain, and shame are given two wings to fly away. One’s new voice challenges encased old inner voices and tapes. There may be a time when what one hears from themselves is too alarming and overwhelming. Be patient and kind to honor oneself in the disclosure process. It may be that one will need to set aside her creative voice in order to pick it up at a later time. Even this is partly curative. Nothing cures sexual abuse, rape, and incest remnants in one’s life. How one responds to them will determine how healthy and functional one’s life becomes. Creatively voicing oneself is an effective and important method to communicate one’s lost inner child. Disclosure through a creative outlet will birth the comfort one seeks in order to be able to move on. To break free from remaining a victim of sexual exploitation, creatively claim your voice. Ó 2009 Donna Eder
About the AuthorDonna Eder is a published author and internationally juried artist. Her passions are compassion, teaching, and creativity. She has a Master of Arts from Columbia University, NY.
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