The Legacy of Sexual Abuse

•Healing From Childhood Abuse
In the 37 years that I have been counseling individuals, I have worked with many people who have suffered from severe physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse in childhood. Many who have sought my help were suffering from fear and anxiety, depression, various addictions, relationship problems and sexual problems. Many of these people had no memory of their childhood and had no idea why there were so unhappy. Many had spent years in therapy yet had never remembered their abuse. The reason they...

•7 Step Guide to Creating a Life of Substance Abuse
While it is probable that no one consciously sets out to create a life of substance abuse, those who end up addicted to substances are choosing certain thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that will likely end up leading to some form of substance abuse - drugs, alcohol, nicotine, food, junk food, sugar, and/or caffeine. Since substance abuse is the result of these choices, if substance abuse is part of your life-style, why not do them consciously instead of unconsciously? Substance abuse is the...

•The Tyranny of the Good Girl the Good Boy
   by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.The following article is offered for free use in your ezine, print publication or on your web site, so long as the author resource box at the end is included, with hyperlinks. Notification of publication would be appreciated.Title: Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.E-mail: mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com Copyright: © 2004 by Margaret PaulURL: http://www.innerbonding.comWord Count: 789Category: Relationships, Emotional HealingBy Margaret Paul, Ph.D.Many of us grew up in...

•Performance Anxiety
 by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D. Beverly had suffered from anxiety most of her life. As a child, she slept poorly and often had nightmares. She bit her nails and would chew on the skin around her nails until they were raw and bleeding. Beverly had tried many forms of therapy, meditation and medication before consulting with me. She had a strong belief in God and prayed daily. Yet she was still anxious and could not understand the source of her anxiety. Beverly grew up in a “normal” household with...

•Disengaging From Your Family of Origin
Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother. But what if your father and mother didn't honor you? What if instead of loving and honoring you they physically, sexually and emotionally abused you? What if you were scared every day of your growing up years? And what if, when you finally grow up and start to face the fact that your family of origin abused you, and through some therapy finally gain the courage to confront them with the abuse, they completely deny it and tell you that you are crazy? Do you stay...

•Addiction To Numbness
Linda sat opposite me at one of my five-day Inner Bonding Intensives. She had decided to attend the Intensive because her depression, which had plagued her for years, was not being helped by medication or by the numerous forms of therapy that she had tried. As she sat opposite me, telling me about her past and her depression, I felt like I was sitting with a person who had stuffed herself into a box and closed the door. There was a sense of emptiness and numbness that emanated from her....

•Forgiving Your Parents
My parents were distant, unaffectionate people. I don't remember ever being held by them. They were never interested in how I thought or felt. I never felt important to them at all. My mother was crazy - nice one minute and the next a screaming maniac. My father was sweet but he was never around, and he never did anything to stop my mother from the emotional abuse. My father was an angry violent man and my mother was weak and pathetic. He often beat us and my mother did nothing to protect...

•More Important Than Love
   by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.The following article is offered for free use in your ezine, print publication or on your web site, so long as the author resource box at the end is included, with hyperlinks. Notification of publication would be appreciated.Title: Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.E-mail: mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com Copyright: © 2004 by Margaret PaulURL: http://www.innerbonding.comWord Count: 809Category: Relationships, SexualityBy Margaret Paul, Ph.D.“I just want to feel loved,”...

•How Do You Define Success
Take a moment to go inside and see how you define success. Is your success defined by: * How much money you have? * Having a big house and an expensive car? * How expensive your clothes are? * Traveling first class on airlines? * How attractive you are? * How attractive your partner is? * How famous you are? * Winning or being the best at something? * How many beautiful people want to have sex with you? * How many friends you have? * How much attention and approval you...

•Heartbreak
Celine, an only child, was 7 years old, her mother died tragically in a car accident. She and her father were devastated. However, unlike so many of my clients who lost parents and no one was there for them, Celine's father was completely there for her, even while dealing with his own grief and heartbreak. Celine could call him anytime at work and he would talk to her or come home to lovingly hold her. Because he was so completely there for her, her feelings of grief, heartbreak, sadness and...