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My Story *T* *CSA* *R*

Lilymay

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I separate my home life growing up into two sections. The first section I refer to as my childhood. Anytime I say childhood that is from the time I can remember until almost 14 years of age. My childhood was what I consider normal and I have very good memories from that time. I guard those memories because I need them.

The second section I refer to as my teenage years, nothing more. This is where my story begins. At that time my family consisted of my father, mother, 1 sister, and 1 brother. I am the youngest. In the month of June of the year I was almost 14 years old my mother and brother left one weekend to move my sister and her husband back home as they were living in another state. That is when my father stopped being my dad.

***I have never told my story before and I will try to be as proper about it as I can be and moderators… if I went too far or said something too inappropriate I apologize in advance and please edit it***

That weekend my father started what he called his duty to show me what boys would try to do to me and that I needed to continue to be a “good girl” and not let that happen. That is when the groping, pinching, rubbing himself against me, asking if I am being a good girl, asking if I am letting the boys do this, started. Every chance he got this is what he did and I learned that if I said “Yes daddy I am being good. No daddy I am not letting the boys do anything” the quicker his “sessions” would be over.

Within 9 months of this starting I did become the “bad girl”. I started drinking, doing drugs, and had sex with a boy. I also got the nerve to tell someone. I told my sister and her response was “No wonder you don’t like dad.” That was it.

When I was 15, during one of his “sessions” I was honest with him… and told him “yes I have had sex with a boy” thinking maybe it would stop or something. Yeah, that did not work… that was the first time he raped me. In his words… this is what bad girls, harlots deserve.

This is when I finally told my mother. There was a lot of hugging, crying, and vocal anger toward my father and I really thought “yes it is over”. I remember feeling such a sense of relief. She said when she was done with college, got a job, we would leave. Sad to say, that was it. Never happened, she did nothing to help me. My mother and I have talked about this in total 3 times. The first time… The second time was years later and she told me that I needed to accept my fault in it. The third time was to tell me that he only did that to hurt her.

Over the next two years, pretty much the same.. The groping, pinching, rubbing only with words of “this is what bad girls, harlots deserve.” I became worse with the drinking, drugs, became promiscuous. I became exactly what my father said I was. I tried not to be home as much as possible. When I was home I tried to be as invisible as I could be.

When I was 17, I got caught making out with a boy and that is when my father raped me the second time… “as a reminder that this is how bad girls get treated.”

I had one more person I could tell, my brother, so I did. Yeah that ended with him literally beating me because how could I say something like that about dad.

My father did give me a present on my 18th birthday. He told me I was an adult now and he left me alone from than on.

Fast forward 20 some years. Married, two kids…. And I finally hit a wall, a huge wall. It was… go crazy or go to the doctors. I went to the doctors. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and I am now in therapy.

This is the first time I have shared any of this… I am learning that opening up and sharing helps a bit with the healing.
 

STAYING_STRONG4HIM

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I am sorry for what you had to go through and that when you were reaching out for help the people you should have been able to trust to help didn't. I was raped too, much different circumstances but I want you to know you aren't alone. I know how much it hurts, and how it can feel like your going crazy at times. I am glad that you are in therapy. Therapy has helped me a ton too. I also have PTSD, so I can relate in that way. I'm proud of you for opening up. I know that was very hard for me but it does help a ton with healing. If you ever need someone to talk to I'm here.
 
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Lilymay

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Therapy... it is difficult but I have learned things that are helping.

Right now I am just getting through one day at a time. At the end of each day I am like... yes I made it through this day, I was the best worker that I could be this day, I was the best mom I could be this day, I was the best wife I could be this day, I did some cleaning around the house this day, etc. It is hard to explain.

Blessings to you.
 
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FaithPrevails

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I agree with SS4H, Lily. Trauma like yours is so difficult to share. The fact that you were able to share is a good thing, b/c it will hopefully help you along the path of healing.

Parents are to protect their children from harm, not be the ones to harm them. Unfortunately, some parents shouldn't have ever become parents.

It is my prayer that you do (or will) understand that you did not have any fault or responsibility in the abuse, despite what your mother told you. Your behaviors from your teen years was the only way that your brain knew how to cope with what was being done to you.

I am lifting you in prayer and hope that you are able to find the path to healing and learn some coping techniques for dealing with all of this.

:prayer: sis. My PM box is always open if you need an ear/shoulder. :hug:
 
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dorig59

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Aw, Lily, wow. That is such an incredible nightmare, I cannot imagine. I can't believe your mother said that you needed to accept your fault in the whole thing......is she crazy? How could she even think such a thing?

This thing with children being molested/abused is so heinous and so disgusting and disturbing that I just cannot fathom it. It seems that there are more and more people coming forward all the time, men and women, who have been treated this way by a family member, friend/acquaintance, or stranger. I just don't get it.

You guys that have been through this, is there anything we can do as a people, as a culture, as a nation to prevent such things? Or to deal with them swiftly when they happen? Any ideas?
 
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STAYING_STRONG4HIM

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Society often makes the victim feel like the abuse was their fault. Victims feel really alone. If you want to help victims of this crime you need to be someone they can trust. You need to let them delegate what they need. Do not tell them they need to do something or they need to talk about it. Let them tell who they want and when they want. Unless they are in immediate danger of hurting themselves or others the biggest way you can help is just to be a friend. To support their decisions. To just listen to them when they need someone to listen. Encourage them. Often victims have been beaten down so long and been told so many lies that they believe all that bad stuff. After going through something like that the victim has to really start life all over again.Being positive and encouraging the victim can really help a lot.
 
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dorig59

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Lily, is your father still alive? If so, how do you handle seeing him if you do?

How does anyone who's been through this stand it, deal with it on the inside? When I imagine it just a little, I feel like screaming & running away.
 
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Lilymay

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Society often makes the victim feel like the abuse was their fault. Victims feel really alone. If you want to help victims of this crime you need to be someone they can trust. You need to let them delegate what they need. Do not tell them they need to do something or they need to talk about it. Let them tell who they want and when they want. Unless they are in immediate danger of hurting themselves or others the biggest way you can help is just to be a friend. To support their decisions. To just listen to them when they need someone to listen. Encourage them. Often victims have been beaten down so long and been told so many lies that they believe all that bad stuff. After going through something like that the victim has to really start life all over again.Being positive and encouraging the victim can really help a lot.

^^^this., well said staying strong.
 
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Lilymay

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Lily, is your father still alive? If so, how do you handle seeing him if you do?

How does anyone who's been through this stand it, deal with it on the inside? When I imagine it just a little, I feel like screaming & running away.

He passed away 4 years ago.

I think dealing or not dealing with it manifests itself differently for people so I really can't say for other people. For me it was stuffing it and stuffing it and, as staying strong said, believing the lies but trying to be the best person I could be but (in my mind) always failing. Trying to be your best for making up being an utter failure... like an apology to people for the bad person you know you are... Until I hit that wall.. and now am getting help and learning to see myself differently.... work in progress :)
 
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mmksparbud

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In am so sorry--and I fully understand. My sex life started at about 5. An old man. I was staying with his family at a time when my mother could not take care of me. This was in Costa Rica, where I was born. I have 3 older brothers but didn't really know them till I came to the states at about 9. I was most often with the youngest of the boys, he was only 2 years older than me. My parents had a very messy divorce when I was 2. There were a few other "encounters", but it really became a steady thing after I came to the states and my father took over. It was his duty to teach me how to be a "real woman," all fathers do this, but we must never speak about it to others.--Ok--
I had my 1st abortion at 12, there were 2 more of his at 14 and 16. I would dream of killing him--I had nightmares of "someone" killing me. I wanted to leave but had to get my education first as I was not about to end up a prostitute. My father knew the bible backwards and forwards and I had seen him leave the J.W.'s and Mormons speachless, unable to dispute what he showed them. Both churches banned anyone from coming to our home to try and convert us as it was them who were leaving the churches!! I grew up angry at God--I never stopped believing in Him, I just was too angry to have anything to do with Him. I left home as soon as I had learned a trade--Resp Therapy, and moved across the country. It wasn't till after my 1st marriage broke up that I came back to God. I had told hubby about the molestation, he figured the best way to handle that was to not talk about it---Wrong---I stayed angry and he paid the price. I was not about to let any man control me and I was quick tempered and had to be right even when I was wrong!

God had to work long and hard to win me over--when I finally gave in, I was forced to face this allover again as everytime I read the bible, the word forgive was allways there--I finally gave in and called the old man and said I had come back to God and I forgive him.---His reply--"For what?? You should be asking me for my forgiveness!!"--It was all I could do to keep from laughing. A great burden lifted, I just said, ok, for whatever I did, will you forgive me?--We talked a few times after that. He never asked me to forgive him. We had one major fight shortly before he died and I was able to stand up to him, face to face. Too long to go into right now--but I felt so free after that. I had asked God that I not meet him again, but God had His own plan and arranged that final meeting--it was what I needed.

I had, through the years, spoken about it to friends--I had told my brothers the day that I left the state what had happened as I did not want them to bring their baby girls over to him without me there. I could not protect myself, or tell others about it for myself, but when it came to my nieces, I had to tell. It has been a long hard battle, but God has been there and always was. I know He cried when I did at what I was going through, and I know it was not His fault, my father had free will. He was evil from a child and I found out some horror stories from his sisters and niece from his youth. He was also a murderer (lethal with a whip and machete!), an abortionist (self-taught! Thin line between genius and insanity!)--and much more. I've been told I should write a book-- It would take that to get it all down. He was thrown out of the country (Costa Rica) for trying to kill the President and some other high officials and some high ranking Catholic priests and bishops!!! He had told us those were lies told by my mother, but we found the evidence after his death, and the death of my stepmother, that proved it all. He lived to be 81--I mean to ask God why????? My first husband was basically a good guy, he died at 61. That's the way of this world. I am looking forward to God's world.

Hang in there--I asked God to take the memories--He has--though if I try, I can bring them up--but I do not. This all has helped me to help others who have had to go through the same thing.
 
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Lilymay

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Is your husband supportive, Lily?

Hard to answer... on one hand yes and on the other no.

What I have realized is that I went out (at age 19) and chose a man who would treat me like I felt I deserved at the time and for many years...still do at times. I did tell him before we got married what happened and that if he still wanted me he was getting used goods. He still married me... but for years he really had a hard time... knowing I was promiscuous before marrying him... so he was not always nice in regards to how he treated me in the bedroom.... BUT he has grown and since apologized for that.

He does try to be supportive... it is hard to explain... he has narscissic (sp?) tendencies so while he will try to listen and understand it doesn't take long for it to flip and be about him... but he does the best he can ya know.
 
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jackndbox

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To you Lily and all those that have posted the horrible sufferings that have been thrust upon them please know you are being remembered in prayer. Sometimes the things I read make me ashamed to be male even though I was abused also. I simply have to remember that evil is the work of satan and we live in an evil world. I wish I had the right words, words of comfort for each one that has suffered these atrocities.
 
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Lilymay

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To you Lily and all those that have posted the horrible sufferings that have been thrust upon them please know you are being remembered in prayer. Sometimes the things I read make me ashamed to be male even though I was abused also. I simply have to remember that evil is the work of satan and we live in an evil world. I wish I had the right words, words of comfort for each one that has suffered these atrocities.

As you are also in prayer jackndbox. And please don't ever feel shame for being male. We, men and women, are wonderful creations of God. Evil is evil and bad can come in any form, man or woman.

You are a beloved child of God, Jackndbox... no shame (hugs)
 
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jackndbox

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Thank you so much Lily. It's true that suffering comes in all forms and genders, all of it leaving it's mark on the abused. I know God is in charge and I am so glad I have him in my life and other believers to share life's journey with, both good and bad. Thank you for the prayers, they are greatly appreciated.

In Him...

Rick
 
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