Changing Your Mind

Mary* was repeatedly beaten as a child and constantly told she was worthless.  The pain and shame of life at home was so harsh that it warped her sense of self and safety, and it was so regular that she thought it was normal.  When asked about her past and her family life growing up she is quick to say it was happy and good; but in deeper conversations about the details of her developing years and family connections, a much darker and painful story emerges.  As if her formative years weren’t torment enough, adulthood proved to be an agonizing series of abusive relationships, abandoned children and a debilitating drug habit funded by prostituting and subjecting herself to continuous degradation and mistreatment.  She was a victim of systemic familial abuse and of sex trafficking.  Her story is very common among the residents of Engedi Refuge.

 Decades of this kind of experience does serious damage to a person’s mind.  Their soul shrinks into a metaphorical fetal position in chronic desperation to self-protect; and reality gets skewed from the constant storm of fear and chaos.  Clinical therapists call this condition “complex trauma” as it is multi-faceted and long-term , and it is very challenging to treat.  The most basic atmosphere for effective treatment includes a physically safe place to live, a social environment laced with compassionate and patient people, and lots of guided conversations with a professionally trained Trauma Therapist.  This is exactly what Engedi Refuge provides.

Mary spent many months in Engedi’s residential program.  The transition was rough at first but she eventually embraced the pace and procedures of her curriculum and today she is in a much better place.  She is now experiencing an amazing amount of inner healing, and she has more hope for her future than ever before.  She is literally “changing her mind”.

October 10th is “World Mental Health Day”, and we are eager to share with you our part in promoting mental health for some of the most hurting people in the world.  Thank you for partnering with Engedi and being a part of true mental health.

**Mary’s name and image have been changed to protect her real identity, but her story is true.