Friday, February 17, 2012

"I Kept My Secret"

"I kept my secret about being molested," Alvin said after a Celebrate Recovery meeting. "I never told anyone." He went on to say that he kept telling himself if he ignored what happened he'd get better.

"But I never forgot."

I'm convinced as Alvin was (finally) that the more the abuse is hidden or denied the more it makes itself felt in different ways. Alvin confessed that he had never had a satisfactory relationship with a woman. After three divorces, he was ready to seek help.

"I'm dating a woman now and she knows about my abuse." He talked about the help he had received from a survivors' group. Alvin doesn't know where this relationship will go, but he does know he's thrown off constraints and fear.

Getting help means just that: help. It's not curing or setting free.

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