tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21823962930466139482012-02-17T00:25:39.845+10:00Childhood Sexual Abuse - Healing and UnderstandingBarbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-26343427376351263692010-08-25T16:06:00.000+10:002010-08-25T16:06:28.171+10:00

I have now added an Amazon link so that when I recommend a book the reader can immediately click on the image and find out more about it. This is a test-run to see how it well it works out. The latest book I have been studying is Trauma and the Body, A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy FINALLY THE PSYCHIATRIC WORLD IS CATCHING ON that trauma is not just a neck-up problem. Latest advances

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-47637642763320128762010-08-17T23:10:00.002+10:002010-08-17T23:13:40.914+10:00

"After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security, and you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child, and you learn to

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-69805694073673245992010-05-06T20:47:00.004+10:002010-05-06T21:04:12.340+10:00

The above quote is from Edmund Burke, but is paraphrased from this longer statement that I found today. Stirring stuff:"It is not enough in a situation of trust in the commonwealth, that a man means well to his country; it is not enough that in his single person he never did an evil act, but always voted according to his conscience, and even harangued against every design which he apprehended to

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-56812556983768035472010-05-06T14:38:00.002+10:002010-05-06T14:40:41.034+10:00

"1 in 3 women are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, we are your grandmothers, sisters, daughters, partners, cousins, friends.... Listen, believe, make our journey easier...."(kindly contributed by Lucy)

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-81440408872458210172010-05-06T00:18:00.005+10:002010-05-06T00:26:54.751+10:00

Thanks to a prompting from a friend I have been revisiting and revamping the blogsite a little bit, and wondering about what new threads to introduce that could be of value to childhood sexual abuse sufferers/carers/friends and family.Please feel free to drop in and add your comments and questions and 'always wondered's' - I would love to hear from you."Breathing in I calm myself - breathing out

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-32045020595735202972009-09-12T16:00:00.005+10:002009-09-12T16:18:25.586+10:00

I have discovered Svaroopa Yoga. It's amazing. It gives me a safe, nurturing way to release my deep core tensions without requiring impossible gymnastic feats. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone - you'll go home feeling so much better in touch with the 'bliss of your being' (which is what 'Svaroopa' means). Especially good for people with chronic pain, or anxiety/past abuse issues.Check

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-38170855430784462322009-09-06T14:26:00.000+10:002009-09-06T14:27:32.816+10:00

The Last One to Knowby Barbara WhittakerIf only you had told her whenthe last time was the lastFrom five into her forties the child in her lay waitingto feel again that easy scoopthat stole her from her bed andplaced her bleary eyed and trustingamongst her father’s toolsand the sawhorse whereyou draped herIf she had known that was the lastshe could have slept without the dreadShe need not have

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-6747766280509529542009-09-06T14:25:00.000+10:002009-09-06T14:26:16.588+10:00

First Cuttingby Barbara WhittakerForbidden blades meet awkwardlycatching cloth in gathered foldslacerating tiny seismic peaksEqually material,arm or leg or plaited hair wouldjust as unconcernedly haveborne the biting steel- private vassal- effigy of self- only object under her controlPerhaps the doll seemed more disposed tocalculated injuryPerhaps it proffered somethingless finiteBut even with

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-74631720925377152072009-09-06T14:24:00.001+10:002009-09-06T14:24:52.478+10:00

Unschooledby Barbara WhittakerA shining handful of yearsbreathlessly welcomes the novel restraintof rigid school shoe leatherTwirling, parading on feet unacquainted withimminent calls to attentionis assessed in inches of blue gabardineall the time dancing through measuring tapes,buttons, elastic and pinsSmalt saucers tire at the calendardrag of days weighted by journey to comesuccumbs for a time

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-56152070459238852802009-03-03T19:44:00.006+10:002009-04-17T20:31:05.747+10:00

* I used to......I used to bury any strong emotion for fear that it would overwhelm me. I used to deny that I felt it at all.I used to think it was more 'mature' - more important, more safe - to maintain a facade of calm and composure, no matter what the resulting pain was in my head and heart.I used to have large impenetrable walls in my mind, behind which I had stored the memories of past

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-21167449362680337912008-12-27T14:38:00.002+10:002008-12-27T14:44:17.308+10:00

"Abuse comes in many forms: verbal, physical, mental, sexual, and of course emotional, which underlies all other types of abuse.Those who abuse have not come to terms with their own past emotional issues. Whether it's insecurities they haven't dealt with or the need to maintain complete control of their world, they will rob you of your freedoms in order to feel better about themselves. They will

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-9549067645934519572008-12-24T19:27:00.003+10:002008-12-27T14:38:05.873+10:00

But wait there's more!BlastfromthePast - now with added video resources, and a second music list (some of us just can't get enough of that, it seems - sorry they're only partial songs!)Right column:Blog Archive, Songs for the Inner Child, Lotus symbol, Songs about Abuse and Healing, Poll, The Bill of Basic Human Rights, Poem for Anna, Common Cognitive Distortions, Flower Essences for Healing,

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-63310646205638579692008-12-23T16:15:00.001+10:002008-12-23T16:17:22.940+10:00

Trauma and Recovery Publish at Scribd or explore others: Women's Health Medical software data

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-29052192554251074382008-12-23T13:22:00.001+10:002008-12-23T13:26:01.430+10:00

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-3028068205436667262008-12-22T11:52:00.004+10:002008-12-23T12:39:21.465+10:00

With so much against me on my road to recovery, it was important to be able to assess what I actually had going for me. It’s easy to minimize the positives when things seem so hopeless – and so, so easy to get stuck in a downward spiral of despair. All of the pain and powerlessness and isolation of childhood returns with a vengeance. The truth could be staring me in the face, and yet at times it

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-14183958400201076092008-12-19T23:12:00.002+10:002008-12-23T12:38:59.147+10:00

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-88797175011565611342008-12-16T22:28:00.004+10:002008-12-23T17:42:11.911+10:00

It is now four years since the beginning of my 'breakthrough'.I must admit that in the early stages of therapy I was grossly over-optimistic about how quickly I would deal with it all, thinking that I’d 'have this thing done and dusted in a couple of months'. Anna, my therapist, would regard me hesitantly as I made such flippant remarks. And, of course, as more and more skeletons fell out of the

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-83029016906737093642008-12-12T21:48:00.005+10:002008-12-23T12:38:22.712+10:00

Well.... yes. And it's not quite over yet. But is it a mental breakdown? No. A nervous breakdown? No. Both of these are connected with mental illness. I am not mentally ill (although - this is the confusing part - this is an issue of mental health).What then? This is called a Stress Breakdown. A stress breakdown is 'a psychological injury (operative word) which is a normal reaction to an abnormal

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-64742307174309384332008-12-12T09:22:00.105+10:002009-04-26T22:41:21.922+10:00

(Follow the coloured links for more information. This list is a work in progress, and will be fleshed out as I add more links and comments, so keep coming back!)AAffirmations: We make them all the time every day anyway, for better or for worse. Consistent thoughts become a person's reality. I have had to weed out the destructive ones and consciously select the things I want to believe and

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-14445146423800739192008-12-11T17:02:00.004+10:002009-03-05T13:33:20.949+10:00

My research stems from my own psychopathology which includes but is not limited to:(Complex)Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DD-NOS)Dissociative AmnesiaStructural Dissociation Clinical DepressionAffect Dysregulation Somatization DisorderDepersonalization Disorder

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182396293046613948.post-3365917682951143052008-12-11T12:12:00.002+10:002008-12-23T12:36:45.199+10:00

Over the last few years I have amassed a large file of information on the subject of trauma and childhood sexual abuse that so far has been of little use to anyone but myself.The purpose of this blog is to share what I have learned and hopefully shed some light on the mysteries of the long and difficult process of healing from abuse.At this stage it is not my intent to use this as a forum to

Barbara's Brainwaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595624462760046007noreply@blogger.com2