Full Description
Explore the connection between sexual victimization, addiction, and compulsive behaviors!This book demonstrates clearly what lengths survivors of sexual abuse will go to in attempting to avoid dealing with the pain resulting from their sexual abuse. Anyone who has been sexually abused is likely to have one of the addictions or compulsive behaviors described herein. The information in Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors regarding codependency is especially useful to survivors of sexual abuse who now find themselves in abusive relationships. Survivors of abuse who have gone without treatment sometimes become either sexual perpetrators or sexual addicts and may experience many different types of psychological dysfunction. Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors examines issues that survivors often have regarding:
trust and friendship
sexuality and sexual addiction
marriage and family
religious addiction as opposed to spirituality
alcohol and substance abuse
workaholism
weight issues and eating disorders
violence as the result of shame, fear, and depression caused by abuse
Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors is more than a litany of the problems that survivors face. This valuable work will show you:
HOW the survivor came to employ addictive or compulsive behaviors
WHY the survivor continues to employ these self-abusive behaviors despite the pain caused by the addiction
WHAT the survivor needs to do to aid recovery
WHERE the survivor can turn to obtain the help that is needed to recover from addictive or compulsive behaviors
With its complete bibliography and up-to-date information on sexual abuse, addictions, and compulsive behaviors, Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors will show you the full course of sexual abuse and its aftermath, bringing you from the beginnings of sexual abuse through the steps that lead to addiction and compulsion, and ultimately, recovery.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Part I: The Development of Addictive and Compulsive Behaviors
Chapter 1. The Need for Anesthesia
Chapter 2. The Nature of Addictions, Compulsion, and the Trance State: An Addict's Limited Range of Dysfunctional Choices
Chapter 3. Family-of-Origin Issues: How the Stage Is Set for Addictions and Compulsions
Chapter 4. Feeling Less Than
Chapter 5. Life Through Gray-Colored Lenses
Chapter 6. Fear As a Catalyst for Addictive Behaviors
Chapter 7. Violence As an Outgrowth of Shame, Fear, and Depression
Chapter 8. Drugs and Alcohol as Anesthesia
Chapter 9. Weight Issues, Eating Disorders, and Disturbed Body Image As Anesthesia
Chapter 10. Codependency As an Addiction
Chapter 11. Sexual Addiction and Sexual Codependency
Chapter 12. Religious Addiction versus Spirituality
Chapter 13. Assorted Addictions and Compulsions Commonly Seen in Survivors
Chapter 14. Switching Addictions
Part II. The Recovery Process
Chapter 15. Establishing Healthy Boundaries
Chapter 16. Addictions As a Spiritual Issue
Chapter 17. Using the Twelve Steps for Healing from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors
Appendix: Letters from the Survivor's Groups
Support Groups and Resources
Bibliography
Index
Reference Notes Included
