ZariaGarden

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Childhood Sexual Abuse & Sexual Assault​

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-If you have experienced sexual abuse (in childhood or as an adult) or sexual assault, you may walk through the world feeling angry, depressed, anxious, confused, or overwhelmed.

 

-You may feel disconnected from yourself and the world in general.

 

-You may dread talking about what happened to you. Or you may want to talk about it but don't know how. You may remember every detail, or only a vague sense of what happened. ​

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The effects of sexual trauma may affect you emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually. Perhaps you're experiencing a crisis of faith- you question your previous spiritual or religious beliefs. Perhaps you feel conflicted about wanting or not wanting sexual intimacy. Or you long for closeness but struggle with touch and emotional intimacy.​​​​

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You may wonder if the trauma affects you at all, and if so, how. Or you may feel haunted by the memories, whether in your body or mind or both. We live in a world where living in and being connected to the body is a loving and radical act. Since dissociation is often an essential survival mechanism for sexual trauma, living in the body may feel confusing, painful, impossible, or foreign.