Judith Lewis Herman said this quote

“ The traumatized person is often relieved simply to learn the true name of her condition. By ascertaining her diagnosis, she begins the process of mastery. No longer imprisoned in the wordlessness of the trauma, she discovers that there is a language for her experience. She discovers that she is not alone; others have suffered in similar ways. She discovers further that she is not crazy; the traumatic syndromes are normal human responses to extreme circumstances. And she discovers, finally, that she is not doomed to suffer this condition indefinitely; she can expect to recover, as others have recovered... ”

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The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.

~ Judith Lewis Herman

Judith Lewis Herman Denial Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Psychotherapy Ptsd Taboo Trauma Truth

Over time as most people fail the survivor's exacting test of trustworthiness, she tends to withdraw from relationships. The isolation of the survivor thus persists even after she is free.

~ Judith Lewis Herman

Judith Lewis Herman Abuse Isolation Relationships Survivor Trauma Traumatization Traumatized Trust

Traumatic events destroy the sustaining bonds between individual and community. Those who have survived learn that their sense of self, of worth, of humanity, depends upon a feeling of connection with others. The solidarity of a group provides the strongest protection against terror and despair, and the strongest antidote to traumatic experience. Trauma isolates; the group re-creates a sense of belonging. Trauma shames and stigmatizes; the group bears witness and affirms. Trauma degrades the victim; the group exalts her. Trauma dehumanizes the victim; the group restores her humanity.Repeatedly in the testimony of survivors there comes a moment when a sense of connection is restored by another person’s unaffected display of generosity. Something in herself that the victim believes to be irretrievably destroyed---faith, decency, courage---is reawakened by an example of common altruism. Mirrored in the actions of others, the survivor recognizes and reclaims a lost part of herself. At that moment, the survivor begins to rejoin the human commonality...

~ Judith Lewis Herman

Judith Lewis Herman Abuse Abuse Survivors Affection Altruism Belonging Bond Bonding Bonds Community Connection Connection With People Courage Decency Dehumanisation Dehumanization Dehumanize Dehumanized Faith Feeling Human Generosity Healing Healing Abuse Healing Insights Humanity Inhuman Inhumane Inhumane Treatment Inhumanity Isolated Loss Of Self Loss Of Social Interaction No Longer Human Outcast Ptsd Reclaiming Dignity Reclaiming Your Life Recovery Recovery From Abuse Rejected Society Survivor Survivors Traumatic Experiences Traumatized Victim Victimized

... in practice the standard for what constitutes rape is set not at the level of women's experience of violation but just above the level of coercion acceptable to men.

~ Judith Lewis Herman

Judith Lewis Herman Abuse Of Power Abused Women Coercion Coercive Acts Crime Criminal Dominance Feminist Feminist Theory Inequality Law Male Dominance Male Domination Male Thinking Patriarchy Power Rape Rape Convictions Rape Culture Rape Survivor Raped Sexism Sexual Assault Sexual Violence Violation