Finding the Courage to Face Childhood Sexual Abuse and Trauma

By Maria Fonseca

God's Brave Women - Maria's Story

There’s a stigma associated with people when they are admitted to a psychiatric hospital. “Crazy” is the label people are given. I admit, I didn’t understand the importance of these places and I definitely never thought I’d end up in one.

However, my mind reached a breaking point and needed medical treatment just as much as my self-inflicted wound did. In fact, all of my parts, body, mind, soul and spirit were all in need of treatment.

I was eighteen the morning I woke up in the hospital after my suicide attempt. I struggled to remember how I got there, but it didn’t really matter. To my disappointment, I was still alive.

I’d have to face the consequences on the battlefield where I lost every day--the battlefield of my mind. I wasn’t crazy; I was hurting. This turned out to be the best place for God send me.

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"I’d have to face the consequences on the battlefield where I lost every day--the battlefield of my mind. I wasn’t crazy; I was hurting. This turned out to be the best place for God send me."

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For the first time in my life, I was in a place where I was physically safe. This allowed me the opportunity to allow some of my fear and pain to come up to the surface so that I could identify its source.