Healing from Abuse

Healing from Abuse – A Personal Story
Barbara longed for healing from abuse, so she began dealing with childhood memories of molestation and gradually found peace, contentment, wholeness, and healing.

Barbara, in her own words:

I grew up in a very strict home and since I didn’t agree with it, I was considered a trouble maker in my family. We were to adhere to all the rules: keep family secrets, obey the authoritarian (dad) without question, do what he said, not what he did, and go to church every Sunday. No one had opinions of their own. There was no love and no nurturing. I was left to grow up on my own.

I was the different one—the one who always made waves. I rocked the boat by thinking differently than my parents. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house. I felt worthless, unloved, and alone.

My mother would point her finger in my face and growl in her strictest voice, “You are NOT an individual! You are part of the family!” I was excommunicated from the family emotionally. I had a terrible self-esteem and many times I just wanted to die because it hurt so badly.

Because I was so different from my family, my parents in desperation would cry out, “What’s wrong with you? Do we need to take you to a psychiatrist?” Dad’s voice boomed down to my heart and settled in the depths of my soul. Hearing those words made me worry I would be locked up in a psych ward somewhere, and never heard from again. I knew I would never be loved by them like I needed to be loved.

I later learned that I was abused by family members. It came as quite a shock to realize what was done in fun and play was really considered incest. I struggled for six years in intense therapy to heal from the atrocity, but with the help of a great therapist who taught me the healing steps, I came out the other side.

I’m in college now and I’m studying social work. I have high goals—ones I never dreamed I could achieve. Even though my six-year journey of healing from abuse was very difficult and beyond my capacity, I thank God that I’ve gone through it. Now I can better understand and help others.

I can share with others what broke my life into a million pieces and took me on a painful path. I can ensure others that there is hope and healing for those who have been abused. God can take your broken heart and heal it completely.

Healing from Abuse – How God Heals a Broken Heart
When asked how God can help someone with the process of healing from abuse, Barbara responded:

"Looking back on my healing, I struggled with hopelessness. Due to the abuse I experienced, I could not see the end of the dark tunnel. I experienced extreme ups and downs—deep depression and elated joy. Through this time, God had His hand on me. I remember days when I was unable to function, I would cry, ‘God, help me! I want to die and get out from under this oppressive pain!’ God heard my cries and gave me hope. He reminded me that my children needed me—just as I needed God. God brought me through those desperate days and gave me hope when I needed it the most—at the crossroads of living and dying.

“God serves as my Comforter when I hurt. He shows me His loving-kindness when I feel unloved. He is the Rock when I wander aimlessly trying to find my way out of the pain. He is my Refuge as I rest in Him and seek shelter from my abusers. God is my closest Friend to whom I can take all of my thoughts and feelings. He alone understands me completely because He's been through abuse Himself. God mends my spirit and soul on a daily basis, shaping me to be more and more like Him so that I can share with others how He heals the brokenhearted.

“Are you hurting from abuse? My prayer is that you will find God in your sorrows and let Him be your healer. There is hope and healing available to you. I am a living example and I thank my God for all He has done for me. He brought me peace, contentment, healing, and redemption. He is offering you the same. Will you accept His offer?”