Thanks for sharing, it's always good to read about people's progress and victories, especially when it comes to stuff like abuse, because I know how much that can mess with your thinking.

I was abused (emotionally, some physical) as a child, and for the most part I've just tried to move past it, but since I've been working with my Pdoc I've been able to identify thought patterns and behaviours that were laid down in my childhood that I didn't even realise were there, and that are part of what's been keeping me stuck for so long. I'm still working on changing things because the thoughts/attitudes towards myself/etc have been there unnoticed and unchecked for so long that they're not just going to miraculously go away overnight, but even just the realisation was a powerful moment and made me feel like I'd taken a pretty big step in therapy. And my Pdoc didn't tell me what I was thinking or feeling, he guided me and gave me the tools to come to the realisation on my own, which made it feel like even more of a victory. I was the one who identified and decided to tackle an issue, I didn't just wait for someone to tell me how to behave or what to think (or not to think).

More recently it was revealed to me by a family member that I may have suffered from some form of sexual abuse by a same aged cousin when I was 5 as well. I have no memory of the event except for a vague body centred impression of being trapped and scared. I got sort of flustered in session when we were talking about it, and blurted out 'I don't want to be a victim of sexual abuse, I feel like I'm turning into a walking cliche', and my Pdoc stopped me and said 'You don't have to be a victim, and you're not a cliche, you're a survivor. You're strong, and resilient and you've matured into this incredibly intelligent woman who's survived' (paraphrased). It felt really empowering to hear that.