NCJ Number
163616
Date Published
1989
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A woman who experienced incest perpetrated by her stepfather starting when she was three years old describes the nature of the incest, its impacts on her, her coping methods, and the process of recovery through therapy.
Abstract
The incest began soon after her mother remarried. Her stepfather was an alcoholic. Her earliest memory is of being molested in her crib. Abuse also occurred in the daytime. Her stepfather warned her that the abuse must remain a secret or no one would like her. He continually told her mother how horrible and worthless the child was. She married at age 18 to get away from home. The marriage was violent. She left and tried to be a single parent. The family was isolated. She began to have nightmares and flashbacks. She began to drink and take prescription and illegal drugs. She screamed at her daughters and hit them too much. She went to mental health centers, where therapists suggested that she exercise and groom herself well while letting go of the past. She went to the hospital after overdosing on tranquilizers. Subsequent therapy focused on her painful memories and helped her vent her feelings both verbally and in writing. Therapy has helped her learn how to nurture and protect herself. She now feels as through she is in the final phase of therapy and is separating from her stepfather both emotionally and physically. Quotations from therapy sessions and the author's poetry and other writings about her abuse