tooey...
From this page on The Whites of Their Lies.com, an incest
survivors website, is an excellent firsthand account of
"body memories", as they are commonly known. The symptoms
would be very similar to those of a rape victim of any age
http://www.whitesoftheirlies.com/publishedarticles/bodymemories.htm
"Body Memories:"
"Memories can remain stored in our bodies in sensations,
feelings, and physical responses. Even if we do not know
what took place, fragments of what we suffered endure.
You may be assailed by un explained physical pain or
arousal, fear, confusion or any other sensory aspect of
the abuse. You may physically reexperience the terror,
your body may clutch tight, or you may feel that you are
suffocating and cannot breathe."
"Often a touch, sound, smell, a certain phrase, a spoken
word, a tone of a voice, a picture, a gathering, use of
alcohol & drugs, a massage, or even a written word will
trigger memories."
"Sometimes memories come when you are feeling safe and
on the other hand difficult or painful times may precede
remembering."
"Also memories will come when the abused child becomes a
parent and their own children are at the age they were,
when the abuse took place."
"Not everyone will know when a memory is going to start,
but a lot of us do get warnings. It could be a certain
series of feelings, that might clue you in. you may have
frightening dreams, sleep poorly, stomach may get tight,
scared, angry, sad, fearful, and anxiety might set in.
And sometimes instead you may of been subject to an
environment of inappropriate boundaries, lewd looks,
sexually suggestive behavior, or emotional incest."
"Sometimes you feel emotionally detached, when you
remember with feeling, the helplessness, terror,
physical pain, and day or night mares. You may feel
you are being ripped open, crushed, suffocating, and
nauseous. Sexual arousal may also accompany your
memories, this may horrify you, but arousal is a
natural response to sexual stimulation."
"The more you heal, the more you see the memories are
literally stored in our bodies, and they want to get
out."
"You may not want memories and indeed may feel it is
not worth it , but otherwise we are going to carry
the memories around with us for ever!!!"
"Your first allegiance must be to yourself."
"Deal with things when you want to and you are ready."
"Honor your own strength and feelings."
"Do this only for yourself."
"Use grounding exercise."
"Physical exercises."
"Reach out and contact one other person."
"Breathe and listen to comforting relaxation music. etc........."
Here's a page from a rape crisis center, addressing childhood
sexual abuse, which talks about the effects of body memories
on adult sexuality:
http://www.rapecrisisbv.org/road_to_recovery.htm
Some therapists do not accept the validity of the body memory
concept, as evidenced here:
http://www.stopbadtherapy.com/main/yapko/bodymem.shtml
and here:
http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume5/j5_4_2.htm
Here's a page which outlines the condition of PTSD, or
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a valid psychiatric diagnosis
which has symptoms which match the less formal term
"body memories". It also distinguishes between the different
types of trauma which can be experienced, and the differences
in symptoms which can result. The term "trauma" covers any
kind of shock to, or assault on, the physical/emotional/mental
self, whether intentional or accidental:
http://www.sidran.org/traumabr.html
Here's a page from a rape crisis website, which is more specific
to adult rape, vs childhood sexual abuse:
http://www.rapecrisis.com/info-feeling.htm
And here's a page from the National Center for PTSD,
offering insight into the consequences of sexual assault:
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/specific/fs_female_primary.html
"Physical consequences"
"Numerous physical problems occur with greater frequency
among women with sexual assault histories than among
women who have not experienced sexual assault. These
problems include: diabetes, obesity, arthritis, asthma,
recurrent surgeries, chronic pelvic pain, irritable
bowel syndrome, back pain, headache, eating disorders,
poor reproductive outcomes, digestive problems, and
hypertension."
"Women reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse
also report higher rates of numerous problems including
venereal disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, surgical
evaluation of pelvic pain, respiratory problems,
gastrointestinal problems, and neurological problems."
In the view of many survivors of sexual assault, as well
as many mental health professionals, the above conditions
are chronic physical conditions which result from ignoring
or supressing the emotions and insights surrounding "body
memories".
Searches done, via Google:
"body memories"
://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22body+memories%22
"body memories" rape
://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22body+memories%22+rape
If you would like further information in regard to
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for clarification BEFORE rating this answer.
sublime1-ga |
