From Victim to healer.

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Pain is a fact of being and one that affects all of us to some degree. Since the hurt we feel is a part of the experiences that have touched us most deeply, we are often unwilling to let it go. It often seems easier to keep our pain at our side, where it acts as a shield that shelters us from others and gives us an identity of being a victim from which we can draw strength and remain bitter. However, since everyone suffers pain to some degree, it can also empower us to use our hurt to help others heal. The ability to heal others evolves naturally within those who are ready to disassociate themselves from their identity as victims. In fact, the simple decision to put aside the pain we have carried is what grants us the strength to liberate ourselves through service to others. If you have suffered abuse of some kind, there are many ways to use the hurt you feel to help others. Your pain gives you a unique insight into the minds of people who have experienced trauma and heartache. You can draw from the wellspring of strength that allowed you to emerge on the other side of a painful experience and pass that strength to individuals still suffering from their wounds. You may be able to council individuals in need by showing them the coping methods that have helped you survive or simply by offering sympathy. A friendship can develop that allows you to relate more closely with those you are trying to aid and comfort. Helping others can be a restorative experience that makes your own heart grow stronger. In channeling your pain into compassionate service and watching others successfully recover, you may feel a sense of elation that leads to increased feelings of self-worth and optimism. Your courageous decision to reach out to others can be the best way to declare to yourself and the world that your pain did not defeat you, and in fact it helped you heal. Has anyone experienced this or known someone who has? Do you think that this approach is a good one for all concerned?