Physical & Emotional Abuse Support Group
Abuse is a general term for the treatment of someone that causes some kind of harm (to the abused person, to the abusers themselves, or to someone else) that is unlawful or wrongful. No one deserves abuse, period. Abuse can be emotional, physical, or sexual.
Hi all
I am reluctant to call what I have experienced emotional abuse, since it was not at the hands of anyone.
The last couple of weeks, however, it has been increasingly clear to me that I am experiencing the symptoms of cptsd which I understand is coon with victims of emotional abuse. I have a very steong inner critic, feel a lot of toxic shame, tend to dissociate and so on.
Now, what happened to me was that when I was 16 years old, and still verh much a child (have always been a little late developmentally) I moved away from home, to a different country. All of a sudden I had the responsibility to clean the apartment, cook food, do laundry, buy toilet paper and soap, bring lunch to school etc, on top of learning a new language and going to a native school.
All through this process my parents supported me as best they could, but might this still be a 'developmental trauma'? No matter what I google I can't find any information about similar cases. Does anyone know anything?
Best
I am reluctant to call what I have experienced emotional abuse, since it was not at the hands of anyone.
The last couple of weeks, however, it has been increasingly clear to me that I am experiencing the symptoms of cptsd which I understand is coon with victims of emotional abuse. I have a very steong inner critic, feel a lot of toxic shame, tend to dissociate and so on.
Now, what happened to me was that when I was 16 years old, and still verh much a child (have always been a little late developmentally) I moved away from home, to a different country. All of a sudden I had the responsibility to clean the apartment, cook food, do laundry, buy toilet paper and soap, bring lunch to school etc, on top of learning a new language and going to a native school.
All through this process my parents supported me as best they could, but might this still be a 'developmental trauma'? No matter what I google I can't find any information about similar cases. Does anyone know anything?
Best
Sad to say that your parents obviously don't understand the dynamics of abuse. There are many reasons for that. Either they are abusive and in denial or they were abused and are in denial. Please don't continue to share this aspect of your life with your parents because they seem to be devoid of empathy. Their responses are, sadly, only going to hurt you more.
If trauma isn't treated, each successive trauma just piles up on top of the unresolved untreated existing trauma. Many studies show that trauma, including trauma from even just witnessing abuse as a child, affects the brain by causing the hippocampus to shrink.
Please look into getting the book Breaking Free of the Victim Trap by Diane Zimberoff. I think you will find some of the answers you're looking for.
Also please go to your nearest women's shelter and ask for a referral to a therapist who specializes in recovery from trauma, abuse and ptsd. In addition to the EMDR that ooooo mentioned, two other helpful modalities are EFT (tapping) and hypnotherapy. IMHO, just talk therapy doesn't always get to the core trauma. For me the most helpful was heart-centered hypnotherapy. I can't speak for EMDR as I have never tried it, but many people say it helps them. I don't know that much about EFT either.
In addition to a referral to a qualified therapist specializing in recovery from abuse and ptsd, please ask the shelter if they have weekly support groups.
Most shelters in the US provide service for anyone who has experienced abuse at any time in their lives. That abuse doesn't have to be currently happening to qualify.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. It's never too late to get help. The sooner you do, the sooner you begin your healing journey.
~healing hugs~