Authors Airwaves is pleased to present Heyward Bruce Ewart, III, PhD reading “A New Developmental Model: The Recovering of Self” (Chapter 2) from his new book AM I BAD? Recovering From Abuse. The average reader is likely familiar with the established models of personality development. It can readily be seen that the more recent theorists progress toward a realization of interpersonal events as major factors directing the course of maturation from infancy to adulthood. They are getting closer to the truth. I, however, take a much different approach. Instead of describing how children might ideally develop, I propose a model based on what I have seen as a clinician, treating most known forms of emotional distress and crippling mental disorders for 25 years. My premise is that all children, to some degree, absorb erroneous information about themselves that can misdirect their course through life, prevent full maturation no matter what model is used to measure, and create a false identity. I have named this the “adopted self”. This adopted self can work rather successfully when a child has been fortunate in his life experiences, although it is not the “real self”. Children who are “lied to” about their nature are destined to acquire an adopted self that limits life in direct proportion to the severity of the false information. Child abuse is the worst case, where the most severe lies are communicated most often and most forcefully. | Listen to the PodCast! |
If you were abused or neglected as a child, chances are that you have been your whole life, whether you are a man, a woman, or a teen. Child abuse so mangles the personality that the victim unconsciously attracts abusers throughout the life cycle. Lies about yourself were planted deep in your mind by the abuse, and you still believe them. They are crippling your life! Do you have any of these signs?
Until you understand exactly what the abuse did to you, you cannot get free. You can stay in therapy your whole life and never get a clue. OR you can unravel the mysteries once and for all and bring everything to light by reading AM I BAD? Recovering from Abuse. A great resource for victims, therapists, and group work. |
|
Listen to the PodCast! |