TRIGGER WARNING! Sexual Abuse.
Some of the hardest cases we deal with are the ones with clients who have suffered for years in silence, not knowing where to turn for help or too afraid to try. Whole chunks of a person’s life can be irrevocably stolen when he/she is attacked and left to deal with the consequences. But while a person’s past cannot be erased, the future is yet unwritten; and a brighter one of healing and hope can be found with the appropriate guidance and support.
Abuse leaves many scars. When Dina*, a 24 year-old woman, reached out to us, she was suffering with debilitating anxiety that left her feeling alone and unable to leave her home. She felt that she was constantly in danger and that her world was getting progressively smaller with each passing day. Realizing that she needed to do something if she were to get past this pain and survive, Dina called Amudim after seeing a post on social media.
After a thorough intake with our case manager, Dina revealed that in high school, she had been sexually assaulted while walking home from a friend’s house one night. Following that horrific episode, she went home and told no one, leaving the pain unchecked for years afterward. Our case manager determined that Dina needed the resources of an IFS (Internal Family Systems) and somatic therapist in order to begin the process of working through her trauma and feelings of worthlessness and isolation. We also coordinated the application process to secure funding through our Project Heal division to subsidize the costs of Dina’s treatment.
Soon after, Dina began both individual therapy and joined a support group for sexual abuse victims. Several months in, she is now able to leave her house and has developed coping skills to manage her anxiety. Dina is also working on securing a job, and she reports that she is finally starting to believe that she might lead a normal life one day and be able to marry and build a family of her own. We are hopeful that with continued support and at the right time in Dina’s journey of healing, these goals will become a reality.
If you or someone you know is suffering, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Amudim is just a phone call away and ready to help.
*Names and details have been changed for privacy purposes.
Each week, Amudim fields calls covering a wide range of crises and addressing various human concerns, including addiction, depression, abuse, health and domestic emergencies and many others. We track the calls and breakdown of issues for many reasons, foremost of which is to consistently improve and strengthen our knowledge and ability to address community’s needs.