Resurrection After Rape Community Group
Discussion, question-and-answer, general social support, and journal processing for progress-oriented rape survivors. No crisis, no damaging or triggering conflicts--this is for individuals who want to contribute to collective, cooperative action toward the goal of making actual PROGRESS through rape trauma. Much of this work is based on the book "Resurrection After...
Today was a great day. This should probably be a journal instead of a post, but really, so what.
First, I learned that my son has been selected to join a program for gifted students at school! He started Third Grade today, and given his past difficulties with ADHD before he started Ritalin, this is a fantastic development.
Second, I learned that Victoria is flying into OKC tomorrow morning and spending the next few days with my family, including going to the new sweat lodge at the tribe's ceremonial grounds.
Third, I learned that the University I teach at is giving me a raise!
First, I learned that my son has been selected to join a program for gifted students at school! He started Third Grade today, and given his past difficulties with ADHD before he started Ritalin, this is a fantastic development.
Second, I learned that Victoria is flying into OKC tomorrow morning and spending the next few days with my family, including going to the new sweat lodge at the tribe's ceremonial grounds.
Third, I learned that the University I teach at is giving me a raise!
:-)
My group has been remarkable recently. We have 7 women, and they are very smart and very willing to work hard. There aren't a lot of rape/sexual abuse issues in this group right now, but what IS a common theme is rejection/neglect by cold parents, resulting in an adult tendency to become exhausted codependents. The belief that we have to take care of others because taking care of ourselves is selfish has resulted in everything from migraines to muscle disorders to eating disorders to "I don't know how to feel sad anymore" in my group. It's amazing that they each think they are unique because "I'm the only one with this disorder," until they discover that every other woman in the group has come from the same background.
I have a woman who has successfully left her batterer and in therapy to grieve the loss of her idealized marriage. Another woman is making her escape form a husband who poisoned her. She is an Asian immigrant, which has made her feel alone and stranded, but now she has a group for the first time who is supporting her and helping her escape!
I have one patient who is back for "round two" and was one of Shannon's very close friends during her first groups with me. This patient is doing well, but her abusive mother recently died and she asked to rejoin my group so she could process her conflict between relief and bereavement. Yesterday she read a letter she wrote to herself as a little girl and it was so tender; she used the word "lovable" over and over to herself.
I have another patient who had a close call during the OKC bombing, and has also come through a lot of emotional abuse. She said today, "I feel like I'm at a point where I'm stuck. Does that make any sense?" I burst out laughing (she didn't know why), because I am the the taskmaster of "stuck points"!
When they get into dealing with the common thread, the cold parent thing....post alot, that's me. That's my life and I could use some help in that regard.
Stuck points.....hm, perhaps THAT is a tatto to have buzzed into your skin. No 'deviant shard' or 'bugspit'...stuck points, that's a good one....NO, add Taskmaster to it, make it like an icon thing...cool! LOL
And thanks, Thrtherain, for the Butterfinger Crisp candy bar I got today! My favorite!! (I also appreciate your recent kind words about me here on DS).
Now I'll have to go do group with peanut butter breath. Wouldn't be the first time.