Victorious Over Sexual Abuse + Self Harming
This young woman suffered through child sexual abuse, taunting by peers, and rape by a classmate. Lacking the emotional skills and support to handle these tragedies – and what teenager DOES have the skills to handle such abuse? – she resorted to the only solution she could find:
She cut herself – to release dopamine and produce temporary relief from the horrible emotional pain and later she attempted to end her life through cutting deep and taking drugs.
Society let this young woman down, but she did not stay down.
Caution: This video is disturbing. Most people weep as they hear her story. Thankfully, her story has a happy ending. Unfortunately, the happy ending is missing in most real life stories of abuse and self-harming.
Self Harming Awareness
Incest and sexual abuse are all too common. Children are typically threatened and warned to keep the abuse a secret. Sometimes, children understand that revealing abuse will destroy a family and cause the child to lose a parent, household, and familiar life. The reasons to keep quiet are, sadly, sometimes much more compelling than the reasons to speak out.
Self-harming is the act of inflicting pain and injury to the self for the purpose of producing a rush of dopamine that creates relief and pleasure for a few moments. Other reasons for self-harming include releasing pent up frustration, rage, and guilt. Many youth and adults who self-harm report that it is a way to punish themselves for being bad. The victims of sexual abuse almost always feel bad about themselves, carrying guilt for something that was never their fault.
Reach out for help. Following is one suicide crisis line. Find others online or dial 211 for United Way to locate support in your area. Get help NOW! The life of the person who self-harms is valuable.
24/7 SAMHSA Crisis Support 1 (800) 273-8255
in English & Spanish
