Characteristics of Survivors of Abuse

Survivors of Abuse often…
¨ Hesitate to identify themselves as victims of abuse.
¨ Feel isolated, depressed, worthless, shameful and helpless to change.
¨ Struggle with negative feelings about God.
¨ Condemn themselves as responsible for the abuse.
¨ Deny that being abused in the past somehow affects present
circumstances.
¨ Lack self-control; feel defeated in areas of compulsive behaviors.
¨ Feel angry and/or bitter.
¨ Have trouble with authority figures.
¨ Have difficulty trusting others or place unwarranted trust in unsafe
individuals.
¨ Lack self-worth.
¨ Are preoccupied with thoughts of what it means to have a “normal”
relationship with others: friends, family, the opposite sex.
¨ Lack a healthy sexual identity.
¨ Act in sexually inappropriate ways.
¨ Question their self-identity—“Who am I?”
¨ Question whether life has a purpose or is worth living.
¨ Feel “at home” in crisis situations.
¨ Struggle with perfectionism or “all or nothing thinking”.
¨ Desire or fantasize about a better life.

If you're a survivor of abuse join us at Celebrate Recovery, Wednesday nights at 7:00pm, at the McKnight Road Church of Christ (click on the link for directions). Celebrate Recovery provides a safe environment for real life change in Jesus Christ, as we work through specific biblically-based recovery steps in the context of Christian community. We recognize the truth that we need each other to grow personally and spiritually.