Wildflowers, Peridot Mesa, AZ, Source Arizona Wildflowers, Author Alan Stark of Goodyear, AZ (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“Denying or shutting down feelings — emotions, pains, etc. — usually blocks people’s energy or blinds them to important warnings [1].”
The instinctive coping mechanisms for child abuse are repression, denial, and dissociation [2]. These survival mechanisms protect us against the painful truth of the abuse, but tend to maintain the abuse secret. They are, in the long run, maladaptive.
Therapy, Loving Friends, Self-Care, and Stress Reduction
While there is no single approach proven to be universally successful, there are helpful coping strategies for dealing with the long-term effects of childhood abuse [3A][4A].
These include cognitive behavioral therapy; the support of loving friends and family members; a healthy daily routine of self-care; and stress reduction activities like mindfulness, exercise, and prayer [3B][4B][5][6A].
Supportive and trusting relationships allow us to explore and express our feelings in a safe setting.
Medication can, at times, be useful, as well.
Creativity (Self-Expression)
Creativity is another outlet for expressing our feelings . We may blog or keep a journal, snap photos, take up amateur dramatics, draw, paint, sculpt, learn to throw pottery or arrange flowers [7][8]. It makes no difference.
Nor does it make a difference whether our efforts meet some ideal standard or not. The act of self-expression can help us expel the poison and reclaim our joy.
Music
Music touches the soul in ways that words alone cannot [9]. We can experience the positive effect music has whether we compose, play an instrument, dance, sing, or simply listen to music.
