Lee, I wanted to thank you for this post. I saw it on my way out and wanted you to know that the part about psychic death really hit home for me.
I was not incested, but I was physically and emotionally abused as a small child. When I was in my early 20s and was seeing a therapist for the first time, I was supposed to do all that Bradshaw "inner child' work, but I couldn't. The reason? When I did the exercises I kept getting the same answer back from my psyche: that child is dead.
My therapist actually had to take a moment to compose herself after hearing that the first time.
There has been no way for me to resurrect that child, either. Hundreds of hours of therapy, medications, a new and better life, nothing has done it. I look at pictures from my childhood and it's like looking at a child I've never seen before. She smiles but her eyes are vacant.
I look at pictures of myself at the age my daughter is now, and compare them and it's amazing. My daughter has a spark in her eyes, she looks alive. I look...empty.
I actually changed my name because of this. I could not associate my given name with anything besides being screamed at and hit upside the head so hard I saw stars. That name was only yelled, or said with contempt. The family dog's name was spoken with more love in our house than mine was. I was 'it' in my family, the other kids didn't get what I got.
I don't know if I'll ever get that little person back. I'm just glad that my own child has a better life than I did.
I have bookmarked your website and plan to read, and reread it quite often.
Thank you for all your hard work...
hugs
essie