A Leaf on the Wind
Viewing comments for Chapter 49 "Time To Get Help"Autobiography of abuse
12 total reviews
Comment from JanPerry
Well thought out. Only tiny typo at last line..(remain) a secret
Very last line.
Some families are no good for you and stickg with friends is a better option. I hope Val gets help from her doctor.
Jan.
reply by the author on 26-Oct-2017
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Well thought out. Only tiny typo at last line..(remain) a secret
Very last line.
Some families are no good for you and stickg with friends is a better option. I hope Val gets help from her doctor.
Jan.
Comment Written 26-Oct-2017
reply by the author on 26-Oct-2017
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Thanks. I am doing so much better not that they are out of my life. Mexico was definitely the right choice. Thanks for catching the spag.
Comment from medicnate
Gripping, right to the last word. I like this chapter a lot. These seizures are unique in that you are able to converse with people freely during the blackouts, very interesting. I shall read on.
Nice work here.
~medicnate~
reply by the author on 12-Apr-2009
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Gripping, right to the last word. I like this chapter a lot. These seizures are unique in that you are able to converse with people freely during the blackouts, very interesting. I shall read on.
Nice work here.
~medicnate~
Comment Written 12-Apr-2009
reply by the author on 12-Apr-2009
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Thank you again. There was considerable debate by the doctors about these "Gaps" but I am pleased to report that I was able to find out what they were and haven't had one in quite some time....
Comment from laurelp
The author's notes added to the story. I am glad you put them there. I can only wonder what it is like to do things and have no recall as to why or even if you did them. I can only speculate on the hell you went through.
reply by the author on 15-Mar-2009
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The author's notes added to the story. I am glad you put them there. I can only wonder what it is like to do things and have no recall as to why or even if you did them. I can only speculate on the hell you went through.
Comment Written 15-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 15-Mar-2009
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Thank you for your kind review. It was difficut to accurately write about something few people experience or are even aware of. But I wanted to be open and honest about the events even though I come across as psycholocially unstable...which I was.
Comment from adewpearl
How horrid that nobody offered help at such a time of need - this is one of the main benefits of being part of a great church congregation - that would NEVER ever happen to a member of my church - help would be coming from every direction - everything from a place to stay to new clothing to casseroles, not to mention words of solace. That the narrator's family would abandon her just because she was acting pissy is so unforgivable. I cannot imagine the depth of pain one would have to be in to pour boiling water on her own hand. Again, you depict what happens and then convey so well the way your main character reacts to all that happens. Brooke
reply by the author on 14-Mar-2009
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How horrid that nobody offered help at such a time of need - this is one of the main benefits of being part of a great church congregation - that would NEVER ever happen to a member of my church - help would be coming from every direction - everything from a place to stay to new clothing to casseroles, not to mention words of solace. That the narrator's family would abandon her just because she was acting pissy is so unforgivable. I cannot imagine the depth of pain one would have to be in to pour boiling water on her own hand. Again, you depict what happens and then convey so well the way your main character reacts to all that happens. Brooke
Comment Written 14-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 14-Mar-2009
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Thank you for your kind review. Although difficult to write, I felt it was important to be truthful about how the abuse physically and psychologically affected me. Again, thank you for your kind words of encouragement.
Comment from jodeecee
suggestion-
The pain continued to get worse/,cut/ and I knew I should see a doctor, but I stayed in my room hoping /cut:that at any minute/ I would discover this was just another hallucination.
Suddenly /m/om noticed my hand.
That's all I found!
reply by the author on 14-Mar-2009
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suggestion-
The pain continued to get worse/,cut/ and I knew I should see a doctor, but I stayed in my room hoping /cut:that at any minute/ I would discover this was just another hallucination.
Suddenly /m/om noticed my hand.
That's all I found!
Comment Written 14-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 14-Mar-2009
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Thank you so much for your continued and welcome help.
Comment from Seraphim Delphinium
I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live with such black outs, gaps in time and hallucinations. Again, the family dynamics are crisply authentic. Great work, Smurphy, just great! Seraph~
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live with such black outs, gaps in time and hallucinations. Again, the family dynamics are crisply authentic. Great work, Smurphy, just great! Seraph~
Comment Written 13-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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I've run out of ways to say thank you....so thank you.
Comment from CALLAHANMR
Hi Valerie:)
I have been busy with some new projects and unable to visit FanStory for a few days so I am reviewing out of order. I glanced back enough to understand what is going on and will go back ando fill-in reviews ASAP.
Desperation drives us to do do desperate things and our minds play strange tricks on reality. Apparently, now that you are free of Richard and his irresponsibility, you are alone as he takes your daughters on a long vacation. With your house destroyed, you turned to alcohol. It must have made you lose touch.
In your loneliness you did what many people do when they are alone and trapped by situations that seem more and more hopeless. That's when your subconscious mind tries to rescue you. Suddenly your mind is filled with hallucinations, imaginary friends appear and may seem real as they replace real friends and family. Is a normal reaction to isolation and happens to astronauts, prisoners in solitary among others.
You are very lucid now as you write about those trying time. I want to learn how you gained control. I'm sure that your survival will be inspirational to many people at dead ends find new pathways back to reality.
Thank you again for your courage telling your story.
Roger
Perhaps the scalding water was really your subconscious mind's cry for help I'm glad it came even in the guise of your dysfunctional family.
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Hi Valerie:)
I have been busy with some new projects and unable to visit FanStory for a few days so I am reviewing out of order. I glanced back enough to understand what is going on and will go back ando fill-in reviews ASAP.
Desperation drives us to do do desperate things and our minds play strange tricks on reality. Apparently, now that you are free of Richard and his irresponsibility, you are alone as he takes your daughters on a long vacation. With your house destroyed, you turned to alcohol. It must have made you lose touch.
In your loneliness you did what many people do when they are alone and trapped by situations that seem more and more hopeless. That's when your subconscious mind tries to rescue you. Suddenly your mind is filled with hallucinations, imaginary friends appear and may seem real as they replace real friends and family. Is a normal reaction to isolation and happens to astronauts, prisoners in solitary among others.
You are very lucid now as you write about those trying time. I want to learn how you gained control. I'm sure that your survival will be inspirational to many people at dead ends find new pathways back to reality.
Thank you again for your courage telling your story.
Roger
Perhaps the scalding water was really your subconscious mind's cry for help I'm glad it came even in the guise of your dysfunctional family.
Comment Written 13-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Thank you. You are very astute. The human mind is amazing and mind was in overdrive. I have learned over the years that my reaction to the situations in my life were actually quite amazing...and also potentially disasteraous. Thanks for your kind review and sincerely appreciated remarks.
Comment from Jeanne-marie
Okay, this my ssecond reading from Valerie's biography, and the first was excellent, and so I suspected that this second reading would be and I was not disappointed by this second reading at all.
Of course, this is years after the first reading, and after Valerie's what I imagined to be initial attempt to deal with her past of sexual abuse openly in the first reading, we are now coming to grips with the eventual resulting conditions in adulthood as a result of childhood sexual abuse, in combination with another huge stress factor of losing her home and belongings in a fire, and the insulting emotional factors of her neighbors filtering through her belongings that survived the fire to take what they could.
This situation is ripe for severe depression and psychosis as the overall reality becomes mroe than she can deal with emotionally and mentally.
Valerie does not hold out on her resulting attempts to flee from reality in a bottle, with blackouts where she does not remember having called her family with threats to kill herself, which is quite appropriate to the situation for her emotional state, and we follow the development of her condition as so delicately devolved by Valerie in her carefully crafted biography.
What is so amazing is how Valerie manages to capture the images and feelings, with which she may have finally reached acceptance to play out on paper in great detail. I give Valerie great credit to be able to acknowledge in open memory these sometimes terrifically difficult experiences to share with her readers. I am hoping that she will put the chapter that contains her hidden secret up to critique, or publish the book, as now I am thoroughly caught up in the character and need to know what happens.
A brave, honest revelation of the adult realizations from the childhood nightmares of sexual abuse. Excellent! I want more!
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Okay, this my ssecond reading from Valerie's biography, and the first was excellent, and so I suspected that this second reading would be and I was not disappointed by this second reading at all.
Of course, this is years after the first reading, and after Valerie's what I imagined to be initial attempt to deal with her past of sexual abuse openly in the first reading, we are now coming to grips with the eventual resulting conditions in adulthood as a result of childhood sexual abuse, in combination with another huge stress factor of losing her home and belongings in a fire, and the insulting emotional factors of her neighbors filtering through her belongings that survived the fire to take what they could.
This situation is ripe for severe depression and psychosis as the overall reality becomes mroe than she can deal with emotionally and mentally.
Valerie does not hold out on her resulting attempts to flee from reality in a bottle, with blackouts where she does not remember having called her family with threats to kill herself, which is quite appropriate to the situation for her emotional state, and we follow the development of her condition as so delicately devolved by Valerie in her carefully crafted biography.
What is so amazing is how Valerie manages to capture the images and feelings, with which she may have finally reached acceptance to play out on paper in great detail. I give Valerie great credit to be able to acknowledge in open memory these sometimes terrifically difficult experiences to share with her readers. I am hoping that she will put the chapter that contains her hidden secret up to critique, or publish the book, as now I am thoroughly caught up in the character and need to know what happens.
A brave, honest revelation of the adult realizations from the childhood nightmares of sexual abuse. Excellent! I want more!
Comment Written 13-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Wow! What can I possibly say other than, thank you. I am amazed at the depth of your review. I can only tell you I am deeply touched. Now for a moment of humor. My life would make a soap oprah seem boring. The ups and downs are in many ways unbelievable and the reader can only take my word when I say it is all true. The drama increases as Valerie continues to experience the bizarre hand it has dealt her. There is more to come....I may have said this before...without giving away secrets, it does have happy ending. Again, thank you for your enthusiastic review.
Comment from prodigal
You really draw the reader in with the imiginary people. Lonliness is very easy to see in this chapter. - Still reading. Ironic that her ex husband could afford a vacation after the divorce, well written on that.
This is a very raw chapter, full of emotion and I love it. WEll done. - Sam
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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You really draw the reader in with the imiginary people. Lonliness is very easy to see in this chapter. - Still reading. Ironic that her ex husband could afford a vacation after the divorce, well written on that.
This is a very raw chapter, full of emotion and I love it. WEll done. - Sam
Comment Written 13-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Thank you for your kind review. I must add, our divorse was amazingly amicable. We didn't even get a lawyer...so no money was wasted on fees. Again, thank you for your kind and encouraging words.
Comment from Sophiaalexandra
This is a really sad story. I can tell ytou put a lot of emotion into writing this. I really enjoyed thyis work very much. Nice job with it. There's definitely a ton of good description in there too.
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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This is a really sad story. I can tell ytou put a lot of emotion into writing this. I really enjoyed thyis work very much. Nice job with it. There's definitely a ton of good description in there too.
Comment Written 13-Mar-2009
reply by the author on 13-Mar-2009
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Thank you. I had a lot to draw upon. While difficult to read, I felt it was important to do. Again, thank you for your kind words and high rating.