People think about the process of recovery in different ways. Some of the differences come from the fact that people have experienced different kinds of abuse. But other differences represent fundamental differences in how people conceptualize abuse.
LECTURE NOTES:
| If you experience the central problem as being fundamentally about: | you will probably lean towards conceptualizing recovery as involving: |
|---|---|
| traumatic memory | “healing of memories” |
| unexperienced experiences | re-living trauma under supportive conditions |
| trauma identity | finding new identity, new life narratives |
| internal splitting | reconnection/integration |
| bitterness/resentment | forgiveness |
| developmental delays | re-parenting, revisiting developmental tasks |
| boundary violations | developing healthy boundaries |
| cognitive distortions | identifying core lies |
| relational dysfunction | growing healthier relationships |
| idolatrous attachments | spiritual transformation |
There is, of course, no reason to think that any one of these ways of thinking about the recovery process fully captures the complexity of the process.