borndem
Anglophile & registered demwit
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While this can certainly be cathartic and help a person feel empowered again after abuse, the best therapy for past abuse (of which I am a victim, though not abuse by parents.) is Forgiveness Therapy.
Oftentimes people who have been severely hurt desire revenge and yet that does not heal the wounds, it just satisfies the urge to "get even". In children, having them act out what was done to them by using an object to beat, can help them feel powerful instead of powerless. Forgiveness helps actual healing begin. The hardest part of the healing is forgiving oneself. Those who have been abused often feel they somehow deserved it for "being bad" when the fault is entirely on the abuser. Freeing oneself of the guilt and shame is the first step. Forgiving the abuser is never FOR the abuser. Forgiveness does not absolve or condone the abuser's actions. Forgiveness heals the forgiver. It frees the abused from any residual ties and allows the person to feel free of the abuser.
I was held against my will in a small apartment and beaten as a young woman. I was also raped by someone I worked with also as a young woman.The hardest thing I ever did was to face my abuser and say "I forgive you. I will never forget or approve of what you did, but I forgive you." It was so hard I was shaking and wanted to throw up but afterwards I felt peace for the first time.
JMO as a past victim (survivor) and a Psychologist whose focus is Forgiveness Therapy.
Very fine post -- I am thankful to say that I have never been abused, but Forgiveness Therapy makes a lot of sense. I've read many accounts where the abused essentially blames herself (himself) for the abuse -- dinner was too late, the house was a mess, I forgot to pick up the laundry, etc. -- but the abused needs to let go of self-blame, and I can understand why it is so freeing. And I'm sure it's a hard thing to do.
Thanks for presenting it. And yes, this mother in this case may indeed need it, if that's what we're dealing with here -- and that car window biznezz surely makes it sound very possible.