Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1680

Tonight's special guest is Kristene E. Friday from Indiana, whose book, 'I Remembered,' available at Amazon, chronicles her experience in 2015, at age 49, when she recalled the sexual abuse by her father as a young girl. "Through my journal entries, I share my journey to heal from the aftermath of this profound awakening." she says. "It follows the course of the first year of healing – from my psychotic break and diagnosis of PTSD and paranoia, through the flashbacks and memories, my disclosure to family, working through the grief process, and finally to acceptance and forgiveness." Kristine grew up in a small, quiet Midwestern town, with alcoholic parents she did not trust and an older sister. She explains, "The first episode of sexual abuse I remember was when I was 4 or 5 years old." As a child Kristine had night terrors and escaped into a fantasy world with her toys. "As a child, I never felt like I fit in even though I was social and had many friends I always knew I was different, that my family was different, and I felt ashamed." Her parents divorced when she was 12. "I remember feeling a sense of relief mixed in with sadness that my father was leaving. My entire life I have struggled with depression and anxiety." Kristine says the last two years have been the biggest struggle of her life. Therapy, journaling, reading other survivor’s stories, and the support of her husband and children have all helped her recovery. "Emotionally, I am the healthiest I have ever been."