Do You Suffer from Effects of Sexual Abuse? Jesus Wants to Heal You

If you or a loved one are suffering from the effects of sexual abuse, it’s important for you to know that there is help for what you are experiencing.

Often the symptoms and emotions subsequent to sexual abuse are so powerful that the idea of recovery seems like nothing more than a ridiculous myth. It may feel as though the pain surrounding you is at least waist-high and simultaneously as thick as mud, making it impossible to move forward.

If that resembles where you’re currently at, without wanting to minimize your feelings or the reality of what you’re experiencing, I wish to challenge you. Despite how convinced you may feel that healing is impossible, Jesus tells us in Mark 9:23 that “all things are possible to him who believes.”

Furthermore, Jesus specializes in getting people out of that proverbial “waist-high mud.” Psalm 40:2 says, “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm” (italics mine).

I encourage you to read on, both to develop your level of hope in respect to healing from sexual abuse and to learn what the process for healing might entail.

Effects of Sexual Abuse

The repercussions of having been sexually abused are many. The specific way in which each victim is affected, however, will vary from individual to individual.

Some of the more common effects of sexual abuse include:

• Feelings of shame
• Mistrust of others
• Fear of intimacy
• Depression
• Flashbacks
• Inappropriate guilt that he/she caused the abuse
• Physical effects such as chronic pain, diffuse pain, or obesity
• Various types of issues with regard to sexual intimacy or the expression of one’s sexual nature

As you can probably imagine, living with the above repercussions— whether it’s just one of them, several of them, or all of them—can, at minimum, bring discomfort and, at maximum, cause impairment in one’s functioning as well as a negative impact on self-esteem.

For instance, shame, which has the inherent tendency of causing one to feel embarrassed about who he/she is as a person, can lead to chronic dislike of one’s self.

Fear of intimacy can prevent one from developing close and meaningful relationships, preferring to keep things superficial or at a comfortable distance. And if one is mistrustful of others, this has the potential for conflict in relationships as a result of suspiciousness towards others’ intentions.

People may seem dodgy due to being viewed through the lens of wariness. For others who’ve suffered sexual abuse, sex may not be desirable, or it may trigger uncomfortable feelings connected to the past violation(s).

Help for Sexual Abuse Survivors

Seeking help from a licensed psychotherapist is an excellent intervention to promote healing from the effects of sexual abuse. A therapist certainly won’t replace the work between you and Jesus, but can absolutely be an excellent adjunct in the healing process.

Entering into a therapeutic relationship would provide you with a safe environment to talk about your issues as well as emotional support, guidance in working through the effects of the abuse, education, and coping tools.

Just to elaborate a little on the benefits of a therapeutic relationship— as mentioned earlier, shame is often a major issue for victims of sexual abuse, making it a difficult subject to talk about. That being the case, it becomes essential for the environment to feel safe enough to open up and be vulnerable.

A skilled therapist would promote this type of environment by being an active listener who is empathic, free of judgment, and respectful of working at a pace that is comfortable for the client.

Any unhealthy mindsets, such as inappropriate guilt that the client carries due to sexual abuse, a therapist can help to entangle him from. Dismantling a deep-seated belief isn’t easy, but having a trained professional to assist in the process makes it less strenuous.

In addition to remedying unhealthy mindsets, a sexual abuse therapist can gently assist the client in taking down walls that have been erected—walls the client may have built as a defense from perceived danger, but are, nonetheless, preventing the unfolding of positive experiences and keeping out the potential for healthy relationships. Upon taking down those walls, a therapist can then assist the client in replacing those walls with healthier and more effective resources for remaining safe and/or feeling safe.

Don’t Settle

No, it won’t be easy-breezy. It won’t happen overnight. But! Healing from the effects of sexual abuse can occur. You don’t have to settle for discomfort or any impairments you’ve been experiencing in your life.

It does, however, require making the choice to heal and it does require active effort on your part. But your life, well-being, and accomplishing the purposes for which you are alive, are definitely worth it.

And for those who are wondering if you have the strength to do the work involved, the answer is yes. You absolutely do. As a follower of Jesus Christ, strength is made possible to you in leaps and bounds. It won’t be your strength that carries you; rather it will be the Lord’s strength imparted to you. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” When it says all, it means all—including sexual abuse.

St. Francis of Assisi once said: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” With that being said, if you’ve settled for just living with the effects of sexual abuse and/or carrying it all by yourself, begin the process of change by simply reaching out to a therapist who is skilled to help you. That’s the necessary part—just making a move of outreach.

Next, when you meet with your therapist, you’ll simply share and do whatever you feel possible for where you’re at. And then within a matter of time, you’ll find yourself overcoming hurdles that initially felt impossible. That’s not just me saying that. And that’s not just Francis of Assisi saying that. Remember! The Lord of Truth, Himself tells us that in Luke 1:37, “Nothing is impossible with God.”