HOPE

I wanted to take a moment to talk about hope. I know that the healing process is often frought with anxiety, fear and feelings of hopelessness. I have had clients ask me repeatedly "Will I ever be healed".  Treatment will never take away the fact that the abuse happened. Memories of those events will not disappear, but with time they will have less effect on your daily life. With help, you will have less intrusive thoughts. You will learn how to better manage intense emotions and find it easier to take part in areas of life that you may have previously avoided. Hyperarousal will lesson and may even go away. It WILL get easier.

There may be periods of time that are more difficult than others -where you will need the support of a therapist. Having to return to a therapist after a period of time -when things had been going well- does not mean you have failed at healing. Survivors find that certain life events, situations, places or people may trigger emotions and memories and that is ok. That period WILL pass and as you continue to use the knowledge and coping skills you have gained, each triggering event will play a less intense part of your life. 

We do not have to do this alone and we are not meant to do it it alone. You can help each other and the Master healer Jesus Christ will guide you through the healing process. Often he does not take our trials away, but he will give us the strenghth to move forward.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks also taught: "All that will come may be “clasped in the arms of Jesus.”All souls can be healed by His power. All pain can be soothed. In Him, we can “find rest unto [our] souls.”  Our mortal circumstances may not immediately change, but our pain, worry, suffering, and fear can be swallowed up in His peace and healing balm” (Ensign, Nov. 2006, 7–8)

Elder Richard G. Scott has promised us that,

“The Lord has provided a way for you to overcome the destructive results of others' acts against your will ... you must understand that you are free to determine to overcome the harmful results of abuse...Trust that the Lord will lead you to a solution. (Ensign May 1992)

He also said 

 "We see such a limited part of the eternal plan He has fashioned for each one of us. Trust Him, even when in eternal perspective it temporarily hurts very much. Have patience when you are asked to wait when you want immediate action. He may ask you to do things which are powerfully against your will. Exercise faith and say, Let Thy will be done. Such experiences, honorably met, prepare you and condition you for yet greater blessings. As your Father, His purpose is your eternal happiness, your continuing development, your increasing capacity. His desire is to share with you all that He has. The path you are to walk through life may be very different from others. You may not always know why He does what He does, but you can know that He is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He would have you suffer no consequence, no challenge, endure no burden that is superfluous to your good.” (Ensign Nov 1991)

Again, I have so much more to say on this subject and will share more as we continue to blog. I hope that you can take a moment to share a message of hope with each other. Things that have helped you through your own process off healing. Please use the comment section or feel free to email us at considerthelilies28@gmail.com