​Trauma, by definition, is unbearable and intolerable, and it's not only about the event itself but the imprints left by that experience on our mind, brain and body.

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Evidence-based studies have shown that Posttraumatic stress is the result of a whole reorganization of the central nervous system, based on having experienced a threat of annihilation (physical and/or psychological) and a threat to our sense of self.

​Being exposed to family violence as a child can make it difficult to  engage in stable, trusting relationships later in life. Trauma affects not only our  biology and immune system it affects also our capacity for intimacy and joy.

 

Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse become so distressed by memories of what they endured that they try to push it out of their minds, acting as if nothing happened and keep going. Maintaining daily functioning while carrying memories of terror - and the accompanying shame of such vulnerability and powerlessness - requires immense  emotional energy.​