Healing from the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Journey for Women

260 Pages·2004·13.59 MB·English

by  Karen A. Duncan

Healing from the Trauma of
Childhood Sexual Abuse
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Healing from the Trauma
of Childhood
Sexual Abuse
The Journey for Women
KAREN A. DUNCAN
PRAEGER Westport,Connecticut
London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Duncan, Karen A., 1955-
Healing from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse: the journey for women /
Karen A. Duncan,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 0-275-98084-7 (alk. paper)
1. Child sexual abuse—Psychological aspects. 2. Adult child sexual abuse
victims—Counseling of. I. title.
HV6570.D86 2004
362.76'4—dc22 2004040079
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available
Copyright © 2004 by Karen A. Duncan
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or techique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004040079
ISBN: 0-275-98084-7
First published in 2004
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). "
109876543
To Alice and Debbie,
thank you for believing.
And to Andy,
who inspires me with his
passion and spirit
for life!
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Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 The Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse 8
Chapter 2 Remembering the Trauma 31
Chapter 3 A Family Legacy 51
Chapter 4 Chronic Shock Symptoms and Dissociation 65
Chapter 5 The Stages of Treatment and Healing 80
Chapter 6 Prolonged Problems from Childhood Sexual Abuse 95
Chapter 7 Ending the Pretense 130
Chapter 8 Moral, Legal, and Family Issues Related to
Exposing a Perpetrator 146
Chapter 9 The Therapeutic Relationship 164
Chapter 10 The Voices of Women 182
Appendix A Trauma and Memory 191
Appendix B Distorted Thought Patterns 195
Appendix C Characteristics of a Healthy Family 198
viii Contents
Appendix D Symptoms of Chronic Shock 200
Appendix E Managing Anxiety 202
Appendix F Dissolving the Rage and Anger 205
Appendix G Boundaries 207
Appendix H Suggestions for Family Members 210
Appendix I Forgiveness 215
Appendix J Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 217
Notes 221
Suggested Resources 233
Selected Bibliography 237
Index 241
Preface
For the past several years, I have had the privilege of working with women
who wanted to heal from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. Healing from
the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Journey for Women is the outcome of
these efforts and the commitment of these women.
The women who heal with this approach to recovery are a diverse group.
Most are between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five. They are married, sin
gle, with or without children. They are stay-at-home moms, volunteers, stu
dents, managers, administrators, and professionals. They work in health
care services, technology, business, law, retail, and manufacturing. Their
diversity did not prevent their strength of character from coming through as
a common factor in their ability to heal.
While some have tried to maintain a relationship with their families in
which the sexual abuse occurred, others have had to distance themselves in
order for the abuse they endured in their childhood not to continue. None of
the women whose stories are shared within these pages ever reported that the
person who sexually abused them had personally acknowledged the trauma
or the harm done without first being confronted to do so. While there are
women who have the support of family or other significant people during
their recovery, there are women who go through the healing process without
this type of support. In the end, what both groups of women find is that it is
their personal faith that sees them through and enables them to prevail.
What these women have in common is their desire to heal a trauma that
devastated their lives. Each came to treatment somehow knowing before
hand that at some point in their life journey they would face what had hap
pened to them when they were children. While healing from childhood