Comments for Does abuse "disable" us?

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Mar 06, 2008
 Food for thought...
by: Darlene Barriere - Webmaster

Originally posted Feb 12, 2008

You bring up some excellent questions and points, Elaine. And while I agree that growing up abused does indeed disable us emotionally, sexually and sometimes physically, I do not believe that the disability has to be a life sentence. I believe that as adults, we have the ability to change how we think, and as we change how we think, we change how we feel. When we change how we feel, we exact changes in our lives, changes that can overcome the emotional disabilities that childhood abuse so often leaves us with.

I realize that sounds simplistic, especially when one is so overwhelmed with the emotional residue of a childhood filled with negative, often times malicious messages by the very people charged with caring for us, the very people we as children needed and trusted: our parents.

We can choose to allow our abusers and our molesters to control us. But when we do, we give up our power, and we allow those abusers and molesters to continue to have power over us. As adults, we have the ability to take back our power; and thus refuse to be victims any longer. It is for this reason that I do not believe that coming from child abuse has to be a permanent disability.

Elaine, I value your contemplative input and the always-compassionate comments you offer to the various story contributors on this site. Welcome back.

Darlene Barriere
Violence & Abuse Prevention Educator
Author: On My Own Terms, A Memoir

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