I read an article by Erica Terry titled, Sexual Abuse and the Hidden Children of the Holocaust. From that article, she writes:
In fact, the pain of sexual abuse often impacts childhood survivors far greater than other losses and traumas endured during the Holocaust. In a 2006 study, the first of its kind, Professor Rachel Lev-Wiese of Haifa University interviewed 22 men and women, whose average age was 68 at the time of interviews, about the sexual abuse they endured while on the run from the Nazis during Shoah.
From the outset, Lev-Wiese realized that the pain of revealing their childhood trauma would be too much for some, who ultimately were not included in the study. For those that were able to speak about their abuse, the traumas remained vivid, even half a century later.
“This abuse still causes incessant thoughts on the subject and nightmares,” Lev-Wiese said.
You can read her entire article here: http://jspacenews.com/sexual-abuse-hidden-children-holocaust/.
You don’t outrun the crime of childhood sexual abuse.
By sharing our stories one to another, we strength each other. Encouraging each other in love, we find the ability to move forward. One day at a time, step by step.
It is not an easy task to reveal the hidden parts of me that my parents were supposed to protect. In fact, I still want to protect those parts of me from them. I want to keep them hidden away in some junk drawer never to be found.
That isn’t possible for me anymore, although at one time I was quite good at hiding the junk.
I want to start a war on these crimes. Tell my story so many times that it comes to ears of all victims that need to tell someone their story.
My counselor and I were chatting the other day. I asked him why my story is so hard for people to hear. He shared a study he’d read. The study ultimately revealed that most people want to stay in a partial denial about 20% of the time. Then he said something profound, “For you, Jodie, you came from such extensive abuse that coming out of denial literally set you free.”
He is so right. To be by me is not easy for all people. I don’t much like denial and I don’t like small talk. It bores me.
What I do like is listening to your story, your pain, your truths. It’s there that we all truly find freedom!
I see so much of myself in your writing. It gives me hope. I hate small talk and love hearing people’s testimonies.
That’s why I’m out here! For you and for me – for all victims of these crimes. I want you to feel supported and understood. Thanks for much for being here and sharing this journey with me.