It’s hard enough to come to terms with the actual impact of abuse, but the side effects just add to the weight of recovery.
The impact on self belief and confidence can be massive. It can also make a huge dent in self-respect. It becomes all to easy to withdraw into a world of self-abuse - drugs, food, alcohol and other substances that harm the body - when you feel pretty worthless.
I’m not sure there is an easy route to overcoming abuse. For me, abuse was a dark place covered in layers of webbing I didn’t really understand. Sometimes I’d behave in a way that wasn’t warranted by a situation and not know why. Other times I’d shrink into the background and hope no one would notice me. Sometimes, for days, I’d go into a black mood and just want to avoid contact with the world.
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