Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e8UH66926206; Sat, 30 Sep 2000 13:06:06 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 13:06:06 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <2.2.32.20000930170553.006a2640@mail.teleport.com> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Sylvan Rainwater <sylrain@teleport.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1030] Re: Therapy supports X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (32) Status: O Content-Length: 1499 Lines: 32 At 09:48 AM 9/28/2000 -0400, you wrote: >Jenny, > >I feel I should reframe this conversation a little. > >Survivors aren't strong, really. We can do a lot, cope with a lot, but there >are fault lines in our characters that people who haven't been abused don't >have. And we may always be vulnerable to certain kinds of stress, meaning >that memories come back because they are burned into our brain circuits.<SNIP> All this is true. I relate to this because my partner has cancer, and sometimes people say we are brave, strong, etc., because we are surviving this. Well, yes, but ... I wrote a poem about discovering that you can often find an unexpected ability to swim when you are thrown into shark-infested waters, and that friendly dolphins help. I recently was honored to witness a woman's disclosure of early childhood abuse to a small trusted group. She gasped it out amidst panic attacks and with constant reassurance from a suport person. But she did it. I was awed at her courage and strength. But you are right -- the damage to her psyche is clear, and will be with her always. I hold no illusions that she's "cured." There will always be a fragility about her amidst that strength that has helped her to survive and got her out of that horrendous situation. Really, we are all combinations of that blend of steel strength and fragile weakness. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sylvan Rainwater . Portland, Oregon, USA . sylrain@teleport.com
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