Sexual Abuse Recovery: Is There Hope?

One cannot keep from reeling at the high numbers of people who are sexually abused, shocked and traumatized in America. Here are the differences:

1. Sexual Shock is a one time or very rare sexual interaction that are inappropriate. This includes porn, sexual touching and sexual verbalization's.

2. Trauma is more than shock and includes occasional sexual interactions that are inappropriate.

3. Abuse is an ongoing, chronic inappropriate sexual interaction.

The results are different for the differing levels of pain.

1. Shock leaves a person with distorted, confused and cold emotions.
2. Trauma leaves a person with frozen, confused emotions.
3. Abuse leaves one with permafrost emotions.

There is good news, however, for all of these situations. Healing and restoration is possible for all three levels of pain. I have personally been involved with people who have been able to recover completely even from chronic abuse.

Recovery comes from faith, hope and love.

Never, ever give up. I heard a podcast today about a woman who was severely beaten, abused and rejected who ran away from an "insane asylum" in Australia and completely recovered, largely on her own. God's people are constantly seeing hurting people healed through prayer, worship, discipleship and caring.

Gary Sweeten

Gary Sweeten