The Trauma Myth by Susan A. Clancy

Author:Susan A. Clancy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2012-12-04T08:24:14+00:00

I always think that they’re lying, that nobody really loves me—that they’re just using me in some way.

This betrayal affects not only victims’ feelings of security and trust in others but also their self-worth. They feel that since they must not have been loved, perhaps they were not worth loving. As Charles, a history professor, explained to me, “You learn that who you are and what you might want or need just does not matter.” For many, the fact that someone they loved and trusted had abused them led them to think that this person believed they deserved or warranted such treatment. As Elinor, a freelance photographer for outlets such as National Geographic, put it, “What did he see in me? What was it about me and not my sisters? He could have come after any of us; we were all there. . . . I think there was something about me, maybe because I was too needy?”

Considering the degree and extent of the betrayal victims felt, I expected anger at the perpetrator to be a common reaction. Yet only 5 percent spontaneously reported feeling angry at their abuser. Why would the victim of a crime punishable in almost any court system in the world not be angry at the perpetrator? According to victims, it is because they turned the anger inward. Most, to a shocking extent, blamed themselves.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.