Sexual Abuse: Remembering Hurts

 How often do we see news stories about sexual assaults, rapes, child molestation or other sexual abuses? We did a search on the Alabama news website, Al.com, and over a twelve month period stories about sexual abuse events were retold across the state 3,277 times

When those of us who have never suffered such a traumatic event read of these stories, we have no visual picture in our thoughts. We can try to empathize with the victims, but we have no memory. We may be able to imagine the pain and we certainly can be disgusted by the thought, but unless you have had the experience, you do not have a picture that includes you.However, if you have been a victim of sexual abuse then you most likely have vivid, unpleasant memories. Memories that are connected to pain that resurfaces to some degree every time one of these news stories comes to your attention. Imagine the rewind button being clicked 3,277 times every twelve months. Therapy helps, but the mind’s pictures are not erased.

One thing I have learned from the victims of sexual abuse whom I have represented is that remembering hurts. Though we may not see the hurt, it remains for a long time, and unfortunately there are triggers all around that conjure up those memories. Please, be patient and supportive to victims as they deal with the hurt over and over again.