Posted by Daisym on June 6, 2005, at 19:47:55
In reply to Why do you have to read this book if it triggers? » B2chica, posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 18:22:36
The thing about this book is that it is brutally honest. Most people who have experienced csa have also experienced manipulation of their thoughts and feelings. This book validates the experiences, and offers lots of ways to begin to heal. I didn't work through it in any order but rather I read chapters that applied to the way I was feeling at the time.
I guess it is kind of like watching a car wreck. You want to look away but you just can't. Therapy and this book help you to look at your experience, put words to it and recognize it for what it was. You get to stop pretending it wasn't "that bad."
One of the exercises in the book (or workbook, I forget) is to write about your experience with as much detail as you can. I tried over and over to do that one, I just couldn't put the truth down on paper. After year (a year!) I could finally write about the worst thing I could remember and this led to more and more and more details in my writing. It has been painful and powerful and there are times of deep despair. I try to remember what my therapist tells me about draining the wounds. You drain, apply medications, bandages, rest and then check back again. You might have to do this for a while with really big wounds. But with the right kind of care and attention, even big wounds begin to heal. So this book spins in and out of usefulness, depending on where you are. But sometimes you just have to know that you aren't the only one and you aren't nuts for still feeling, after all this time, for feeling so bad.
poster:Daisym
thread:508459
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050606/msgs/508785.html