Together We Heal

Together We Heal is for any who suffer from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. We provide a safe forum for survivors of abuse to share, learn and heal. We work to expose sexual predators and their methods of getting into our lives.

15 Things I Wish I’d Known About Grief

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As the wonderful person who shared this with me perfectly stated, “If you don’t need it now, you will at some time in your life.”

I have never said this before on the website, but…this is a MUST READ.

Its beauty is in its simplicity and honesty. I wish I had been given this insightful advice many years ago as I dealt with grief and loss of all kinds. Thank you Teryn O’Brien for writing this amazing article. I believe Teryn’s words, when applied, can help you navigate through rough seas.

http://identityrenewed.com/2013/11/21/15-things-i-wish-id-known-about-grief/

Author: Together We Heal

In 2006 David took the first step in a long and painful journey back from the abyss of addiction and self-destruction. He promised his dying father that he would get clean. And he did. But as he cleaned his body and soul, he began to confront the sexual abuse that his addiction had for so long obscured — abuse perpetrated by a church youth minister when David was 12 to 15 years old. Those three years of abuse destroyed the foundation of love and faith that had been built by his family. For 25 years, David kept the abuse secret and lost himself in a fog of drugs and alcohol. He was by turns destitute, at times incarcerated. The promise to his dying father was the catalyst. And the bedrock of his mother’s love and devotion was the foundation on which David rebuilt his life. Therapy, 12-step meetings, and soul-deep determination were the bricks and mortar. David founded Together We Heal to provide fellow survivors and their families, guidance through the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. In 2015 he was asked to become a part of the Child Safeguarding Initiative team with GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) to empower the Christian community through education and training to recognize, prevent, and respond to child abuse. David represents Together We Heal & GRACE across the country as a public speaker and instructor; teaching churches, schools, and families how to talk with their kids about sexual abuse, how to better identify predatory behavior, and how to properly respond to those harmed. "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” - Dr. Seuss

2 thoughts on “15 Things I Wish I’d Known About Grief

  1. Thank you. I really needed to read this today. I will add this to my other lists about grief and healing.

    My first lists is from Therese A. Rando, Treatment of Complicated Mourning (1993), Research Press, Champaign, IL, p. 27–28 …

    The following are myths about grief and mourning:
    · Grief and mourning decline in a steadily decreasing fashion over time.
    · All losses prompt the same type of mourning.
    · Bereaved individuals need only express their feelings in order to resolve their mourning.
    · To be healthy after the death of a loved one, the mourner must put that person out of mind.
    · Grief will affect the mourner psychologically but will not interfere in other ways.
    · Intensity and length of mourning are a testimony to love for the deceased.
    · When one mourns a death, one mourns only the loss of that person and nothing else.
    · Losing someone to a sudden, unexpected death is the same as losing someone to an anticipated death.
    · Mourning is over in a year.
    · Time heals all wounds.

    My second list is from Common Misconceptions about Healing – by Dee Ann Miller, RN, BS and can be viewed at the following link …

    http://healingfromabuse.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/4341677-common-misconceptions-about-healing

    Teryn’s article really fits right in with what these other lists expose as myths surrounding healing and grief. Thanks again.

    Like

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