Sexual Abuse & Emotions and Feelings

In the process of going through trauma (especially sexual abuse), our survival mechanism is to disconnect the body and the brain. The first things to be shut down are emotions and feelings – sensing, allowing, connecting, identifying, processing, and communicating.

Our emotions are first felt in our bodies, and the survival instinct to disconnect the body from the brain keeps us from processing, releasing, and making meaning from these emotions and feelings. This energy lives in our cells, muscles, and tissues, making our bodies more and more uncomfortable. (For a lot more about this, check out The Body Keeps the Score.)

One of my passions in this trauma and grief recovery work is encouraging and teaching people how to feel safe and secure while reconnecting their bodies and brains. Processing emotions and feelings can feel threatening. It takes gentleness, compassion, and curiosity to begin to open the door to this kind of reconnection.

What is #sexabusechat?

The community #sexabusechat draws survivors of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. This chat takes place primarily on Twitter, with weekly spotlights on advocates for recovery from this type of trauma. There is a guest speaker each week, and listeners can join in with a link – no need to be active on Twitter to listen in and ask questions.

My episode was about emotions and feelings and how to deal with them as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and all of the trauma that goes along with that. Some of the topics covered include why we as sexual abuse survivors have trouble regulating emotions, how to deal with emotional responses and PTSD triggers, and a helpful acronym for regulating emotions. Take a listen below ~

Additional Resources From This Episode

There was a lot to cover, and the questions and collaboration were wonderful. Some of the additional mentions include these articles, which explore the link between sexual abuse and addiction.

Understanding the Link Between Sexual Abuse & Addiction | Tranquil Shores

“A study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress indicated 90 percent of women who became dependent on alcohol were violently abused by a parent or were sexually traumatized as a child.

Additionally, youth with a history of child sexual abuse were 2-3x times more likely to have drug dependence than peers who were not traumatized.

Some studies indicate that drug abuse is more common than alcohol use in adolescents who have been sexually traumatized.”

Sexual Trauma and Addiction: Understanding Child Sexual Abuse and Drug Use – Drug Rehab Options

Speaking of addiction, Seeking Safety Coming Soon

One of my goals is to work with people with PTSD using the Seeking Safety curriculum. I’ve been through a couple of groups using Seeking Safety and really liked what it offered, as well as the group dynamic. This group is for those who have experienced trauma, or have PTSD, or are in substance use recovery, or any or all of the above. 

If you’re interested in a future Seeking Safety group, sign up below:

Try Trauma Recovery & Grief Recovery Coaching

Sign up here to get a free copy of Five Things Every Trauma Survivor Needs to Know

Find out more about Trauma and Grief Recovery Coaching

I offer one-on-one sessions, groups, PTSD Remediation, and classes. Appointments are offered in-person and online.

Try Trauma Recovery and Grief Recovery Coaching for Free! Book an appointment or schedule your FREE 30-minute discovery call to learn more!

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I am honored and excited to be a speaker in Grit & Grace, a program put on by ASHA International in the middle of May. This organization has recently developed a speakers bureau – of which I am a part – and the Grit & Grace show is our launch!

While it’s pretty common knowledge that I am a comedian and an author, it’s less well-known that I am also a speaker and storyteller. Like, of a serious kind…that said, I usually can’t resist throwing in a couple of jokes. And by “can’t resist,” I mean that I literally cannot help myself.

If you’re in the Portland metro area, I would love to have you join us for an evening of storytelling by myself and some of my favorite people in the world. Badasses, all of them, telling stories about hope and healing.

Details of the Grit & Grace Program

Admission is free to the public! Please RSVP by emailing gayathri@myasha.org.

When: Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 pm

Where: Intel Hawthorne Farm Auditorium, 5200 NE Elam Young Parkway in Hillsboro

Doors open at 6:30!

Here’s a handy photo flyer to help spread the word!

Please Join Us!

The post Mark Your Calendar to Enjoy Grit and Grace appeared first on PTSD Parent.