Time does NOT heal all wounds

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Time does NOT heal all wounds

• Masters research from
• The University of Akureyri
• Sigrún Sigurðardóttir
• Instructor Dr. Sigríður Halldórsdóttir
• Adviser Dr. Guðrún Agnarsdóttir

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The purpose of the study

• To examine health and well-being of women who
  have suffered psychological trauma as children,
  things like sexual abuse and other types of
  violence.

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The research method

• A qualitative, phenomenological
• The Vancouver school
• 14 interviews in all
• Seven women at the age 30-65

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Womens history

• Repeated sexual abuse from a close relative
  before the age of 12 from more than one person
• Five of them grew up on a violent home and three
  of them with alcoholism
• Four of them were victims of bullying in school
• Four of them were raped later in live
• Four of them had a husband that was an alcoholic
  and treated them with some type of violence

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The health and well-being of the women

• 1. Experiencing the trauma
• 2. Well being as a child and as a teenager
• 3. Physical problems
• 4. Psychological problems
• 5. Difficulties with bonding, trust and touching
• 6. Recent situation and future expectations

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1. Experiencing the trauma

• 1. Self accusations and guilt
• 2. Soultheft, souldeath, pain, despairation,
  stress and torture
• 3. Defenceless and broken personal line
• 4. Secrecy, threat og humiliation
• 5. Memories and flashback
• 6. Leaving the body

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2. Well being as a child and as a teenager

• 1. Psychological problems, fear, difficulty in
  school, victims of bullying
• 2. Physical symptoms
• 3. Domestic violence and sexual abuse
• 4. Selfdestructive behavior, suicidal thoughts,
  suicidal attempts

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3. Physical problems

• 1. Uterine problems
• 2. Fibromyalgia, myalgia, unexplained pain,
  sleeping problems
• 3. Eating disorders and alcoholabuse
• 4. Complicated physical symptoms

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4. Psychological problems

• 1. Depression, Postpartum depression and anxiety
• 2. Selfdestructive behaviour, suicidal thoughts
• 3. Feeling of rejection
• 4. Fear and panic
• 5. Flashbacks
• 6. Avoidance, phobias and isolation

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5. Difficulties with bonding, trust and touching

• 1. Bonding with men
• 2. Mistrust
• 3. Touching and sexlife
• 4. Bonding with the children
• 5. Touching the children

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6. Recent situation and future expectation

• 1. I am what I am today
• 2. The will to live
• 3. Permanent damage
• 4. Giving up
• 5. Much work left to the roots of the heart

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Salka Valka

• ,, ,,Nei ég skal aldrei gleyma því að það varst
  þú sem eyðilagðir alt gott og hreint og fallegt
  sem ég átti í sálinni, með því að troðast eins og
  viðbjóðslegt kvikindi uppí rúmið okkar mömmu

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Salka Valka (frh.)

• ,,sem var þá ekki annað en barn á tólfta ári, og
  ég er ekki búin að ná mér eftir það enn og næ mér
  aldrei meðan ég lifi, - þessi andstygð hefur
  ásótt mig í vöku og svefni altaf síðan, og þegar
  mig dreymir djöfulinn á næturnar þá ert það þú,
  þú, þú þú ert djöfullinn sjálfur og ég lifi
  aldrei, aldrei glaðan dag fyren ég veit að þú ert
  dauður
• (Halldór Laxnes, 1931, Salka Valka, bls. 166).

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Aðgát skal höfð í nærveru sálar

• Thank you