Beliefs, Myths & Facts about Survivors

One of the most important things to understand about any survivor of any kind of abuse is that generalisation is not useful. People are individuals with individual responses. It is better to get to know individuals rather than swallowing the many myths that abound.

Myths and Facts
Survivors are all still involved with the group on some level. This is insulting to the many survivors who have escaped. Leaving any abusive situation is a process and not an single event. Some survivors may be involved and may still be being abused. Some survivors maintain some contact with the abusers for quite a long time. The same is true of survivors of domestic violence and child sexual abuse where there can be many difficulties to overcome in getting out. Continued involvement is no more the case in ritual abuse than any other form of abuse.

There is no escape possible for survivors of ritual abuse. Though escape from this type of abuse can be very difficult, many survivors do get out. We have countless testimonies from survivors who have escaped and stayed free.

All survivors of ritual abuse report back to the ‘family’ or group. As with any abuse, breaking away can be very difficult. This does not mean that they report back to anyone. Many survivors do break away completely and many keep contact to a minimum.

Survivors of ritual abuse can never lead normal lives unless they have years of therapy. Survivors were speaking out and leading normal lives long before therapy was invented. Many survivors of ritual abuse do lead normal lives and do so without therapy. They hold responsible jobs, raise families and get on with their lives. Some survivors do get help from therapists but many are unable to yet can still find a way to heal and move on.

Survivors of ritual abuse are so badly damaged that only professionals can help. Many people need professional help in their lives, not just survivors of ritual abuse. Some survivors help themselves. Some get help from friends. Some go to organisations, help each other or go to therapists. All survivors are not badly damaged, though some may be.

Survivors can be involved and not be aware of it if they have multiple personalities. Any survivor’s awareness of ongoing abuse can be blocked out, forgotten, denied or minimised as a way of coping with a horrendous situation. People with multiple personalities can be just as aware of everything that is going on around them as anyone else.

Due to the satanic element, only Christians should support survivors of ritual abuse. Survivors need to be able to choose for themselves the type of support they receive and from whom they receive it. The most important thing is that survivors have enough choices. Also, not all ritual abuse is satanic.

Survivors of ritual abuse are all abusers. Ritual abuse survivors may have been forced to involve others in abusive acts but as free adults we all have choices. Survivors may sometimes believe themselves to be abusive because of a situation they were forced to be in, but that does not mean they are. Survivors of ritual abuse are no more likely to become abusers than anyone else.

Survivors of ritual abuse are dangerous. To whom? Survivors survive dangerous situations and escape from these situations. They are no more likely to be a danger to someone else than any other person. Sometimes though, survivors are conditioned to believe this themselves and may avoid talking, or getting support in the belief of safeguarding others. This can be an effective tactic abusers often use to ensure the silence of survivors.

All people who have multiple personalities are ritual abuse survivors. People who are not survivors of ritual abuse can develop multiplicity as a way of coping with any severe trauma. It is not helpful to make sweeping generalisations or assumptions about anyone.

All survivors of ritual abuse have multiple personalities. This is not true. Some survivors of ritual abuse develop multiplicity as a natural way of coping with the abuse but others develop different coping mechanisms to survive. Most coping mechanisms are formed in childhood are children learn to cope in whatever way works best for them. This is an individual response to an unbearable situation.

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