Psychology
Sexual abuse survivor reveals body arousal creates shame victims never escape
Pints with Aquinas
Sexual Addiction Isn't What You Think
"When your body is touched, your body, even if you're terrified, even if you hate what's happening, your body betrayed me. I felt some level, even if it's 1% of arousal. You cannot be touched without your body having some degree of arousal even if you're terrified. So being told it's not your fault is a beautiful sentence, but it deals with the problem at about 30,000 ft. It doesn't deal with the shame."
A therapist explains the deeply traumatic paradox sexual abuse survivors face: their bodies experience involuntary physiological arousal during abuse even when they are terrified and unwilling. This biological response creates profound shame that survivors interpret as complicity or desire, leading to self-blame that persists into adulthood. The therapist argues that simply telling victims "it's not your fault" fails to address this core shame that drives long-term psychological damage and addiction.
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Pints with Aquinas