Rape Victims: Deal with Guilt and Shame-Release Anger and Heal Pain through Personal Journaling
Child abuse stories, including those by victims of physical abuse, rape and sexual abuse can be very compelling. Others are likely to be shocked when you tell them about your story of abuse. However, if you take an attitude of observation, instead of judgment, you too can write about your experiences and heal from them.
During the summer of 1966, while throwing the Sunday newspaper, a stranger raped me. Many years later, I decided to start journaling my experiences, which turned out to be very beneficial in helping me to heal. It was a cathartic, healing process. However, it was not easy. I presently write with an attitude of observation, instead of reliving the emotions tied to the event.
Many sexually abused survivors do not speak of their trauma because of the perceived shame and guilt they are likely to suffer. According to a spiritual teacher who assisted me in my healing named Charles Crooks, “It is unfortunate that society in general, through the process of judgment, has found it beneficial to degrade those; either through unforeseen circumstances or the emotional effects of trauma.”
National statistics, including child abuse statistics, report that rapists choose their crime victims based upon availability, and for no other reason. Additionally, these statistics prove that abuse survivors are true victims, not the perpetrator of the crime. Yet, there are many myths prevalent about rape victims and sexual abuse survivors, including the following erroneous fabrications:
A man, woman or child asks to be raped or sexually abused, simply by the way they dress; A person who is drunk and becomes amorous with another person, asks to be raped or sexually abused; People cannot control their urges. If a