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How to embrace the good things that came with the bad?

5 Replies

I'm an ASCA. I call it abuse because I didn't want the sexual involvement/ attention from the teacher who used me. However, he "groomed" me - his advances were very gradual. I wanted a father's approval and pride in me, I wanted a teacher's attention, I was a very talented music student, but I didn't want my psyche shattered, I didn't want my virginity taken, I didn't want the "affair." Yet I did like it when my body felt pleasure. And I became almost addicted to that pleasure. So my journey of healing has had many hurdles and detours. I still feel debilitated by the false guilty of what he did. I feel guilty for having received any pleasure or any good thing in the midst of his abuse of my vulnerability. Even many pieces of music are extremely problematic for me: there are many artists/ songs he introduced me to that I still like as a musician and feel "at home" with because they have been so familiar for so long, yet they bring pain too because of the associated memories.

How do push through this? I want to be able to give myself permission to fully embrace the good and lovely and life-affirming things I truly like, even though they are historically associated (by me) with my abuse.

How do I resolve this tension?

There are some emotional-paths where I feel like I've come up against a brick wall. Do I walk away? Tunnel under? Climb over? Knock down the wall? What would any of those things mean for me? I can't deny the bad stuff existed. I don't want to. But I also don't want to deprive myself of anything good just because it came to me from my abuser. Partly, I don't want to give him any credit for anything good. Long ago I was pressured to forgive him too quickly. Then I went through a time when I embraced my anger. More recently I went through a healing stage where I really felt like I could forgive him completely as in let it go entirely to God. But now I am coping with the realization that what he does or doesn't deserve isn't really up to me at all. And what I do with my feelings about anything is entirely up to me. I really want to be free of anything that drags me down or impedes me from further healing and growth. I think it's all really complex - the "fabric" of my experience, my journey since then, my feelings, all of it is deeply complex.

But I want a way of moving forward that is "simple" as in unified for me. I want a clarity that helps me go forward. And I want to be proud of myself for how I do it.

Sometimes I really resent (feel anger towards God) that healing is so much work!

But I really do believe healing WITH MY CONSENT, and full participation is actually GIFT. So at my core I am grateful that so much of my healing is up to me.

Even so, it's hard.

Does anyone on here have any wisdom to help me? Please don't offer superficial cliches. I think what is most helpful is simply truth-telling from your own life.

Thank you for "listening"!

5 Replies
thatjuanguy profile image
thatjuanguy

I have never been through what you have nor am I religious but I do know something about painful memories attached to really good things all you can really do is try and keep trying until it doesn’t bother you anymore and if you really like something you shouldn’t let someone take that from you.

in reply tothatjuanguy

Thanks for your encouragement!

Memories are usually stored with sensory data attached to them. Like you stated certain pieces of music bring back everything that happened. You might have PTSD?

in reply to

I don't know if I do or not, but thank you for your response. It's something I can look into.

in reply to

I hope you find peace. I am sorry to read all you been through, but uplifted by your courage and fortitude to overcome and move forward. Thanks for sharing.

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