Tag Archive for: Survivor Support

Dear Survivor: You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor,
I’ve already shared with you that one of the most long-lasting effects of the abuse I experienced is a profoundly distorted view of my body (something called body dysmorphia). The specific details of the abuse seared onto my mind images of myself and beliefs about myself that plague me to this day. For decades, it was impossible for me to see my body as it actually was. Even today, I often struggle with that. It’s hard for me to put into words just how much pain this terribly skewed view of my body has caused me.

Dear Survivor: God Is Bringing Good Out Of What You’ve Experienced
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor,
In a previous letter, I assured you that none of us has ever been alone. God has always been with us, even when the abuse we experienced was happening. So, if God was there and saw everything that was happening, why didn’t he stop it?

Dear Survivor: God Will Enable You To Believe The Truth
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor,
This is my sixth letter to you. I’ve written you to tell you that you are a child of God. I’ve assured you that Jesus is with you in your struggles. I’ve told you that the abuse you experienced is not your fault. And I’ve reassured you that you’re not alone.

Dear Survivor: You Are Not Alone
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor,
Few things in my life have made me feel quite as isolated as having experienced sexual abuse. First, there was the isolation of the abuse itself. The secrecy. The shame. The inability to tell anyone what was going on. Then there was the isolation I felt when I began to realize that what I had experienced all those years ago was sexual abuse. No one I knew had experienced anything like what I had experienced. (At least, that’s what I thought.) And the ongoing shame made it seem unthinkable that I could ever share what had happened to me with anyone else, including my wife.

Dear Survivor: It’s Not Your Fault
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor,
One of the many difficult things I struggled with as I came to terms with the abuse that I experienced was this question: How much of the abuse was I responsible for?

Dear Survivor: It’s OK To Struggle
SURVIVORS, Devotions Dear Fellow SurvivorI’ve mentioned that one of the effects of the abuse I experienced is a grossly distorted body image, something that psychologists call body dysmorphic disorder. I have been plagued by this ever since the abuse happened. It has gotten a lot better since I’ve started therapy with my counselor. But it’s not completely gone. It tends to come in cycles. I’m feeling good for a while and then, wham! Something triggers it and I’m feeling awful again. This past week was one of those weeks.

Dear Survivor: You Are A Child of God
Devotions, SURVIVORS Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor, When I was twelve days old, my parents brought me to the baptismal font in front of our church. My father baptized me in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And I became a child of God.

Dear Survivor: Allow Me To Introduce Myself
SURVIVORS, Devotions Dear Fellow SurvivorDear Fellow Survivor, Allow me to introduce myself. I am a child of God. I am a husband and a father. I am a pastor. And I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

1in6
SURVIVORS, ADVOCATES, MINISTRY LEADERS, FAMILY, Resources1in6 helps men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences live healthier, happier lives. 1in6 also serves family members, friends, partners, and service providers by providing information and support resources.

Male Survivor
Resources, SURVIVORS, ADVOCATESAn organization committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism. Male Survivor

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
SURVIVORS, ADVOCATES, MINISTRY LEADERS, ResourcesRAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Resources include a national hotline (800.656.HOPE), resources, information, and education and training. RAINN

Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse
SURVIVORS, ResourcesHAVOCA provides support, friendship, and advice for any adult whose life has been affected by childhood abuse. HAVOCA