Episode 7 - 'Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse'
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I have a very special guest on this show today, Mirella McCoy who was sexually abused by her grandfather and speaks about the process of healing. Childhood sexual abuse is primarily thought of as an adult who forces physical contact upon a minor but it is important to clarify that it can be done in other forms. It includes sexual touching but also non-touching acts like exhibitionism, exposure to pornography, photography of a child for sexual gratification, solicitation of a child for prostitution, voyeurism and communication in a sexual way by phone, Internet or face-to-face.
it results in harm to millions of children, boys and girls alike, in large and small communities, and across a range of cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. These acts are perpetrated by many types of offenders, including men and women, strangers, trusted friends or family, and people of all sexual orientations, socioeconomic classes, and cultural backgrounds.
Victims of sexual assault are three times more likely to suffer from depression, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, and four times more likely to contemplate suicide according to the Rape and Incest National Network (RAINN).
Child sexual abuse is something that can affect how a person thinks, acts, and feels over a lifetime. This can cause a lot of physical and mental/emotional health consequences.
“There are nearly half a million registered sex offenders in the U.S. – 80,000 to 100,000 of them are missing.” “A typical pedophile will commit 117 sexual crimes in a lifetime.” “The FBI estimates that there is a sex offender living in every square mile in the United States.” “1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the Internet before the age of 18.”
Something that happens to people sexually abused and this also falls into substance abuse is that we lose our identity.
Survivors of sexual abuse and violence many times will bring their trauma and feelings of shame, guilt, and self-loathing into their intimate relationships. This can be very challenging for their partners, who many times will feel at a loss to know how to help them. We will speak on this also.
The greatest thing that I found was me. I teach and lecture on this idea of genuine power and also discuss this in my book. It is the ability to hold true to our values, morals, and passions without the need for others approval and find a happiness, freedom, and self-respect that nobody can take away.
