Many survivors carry a specific kind of shame located in the body: feeling contaminated, disgusting, or like the body itself did something wrong. This is common, and it is not the truth.
The body's dignity is not conditional
Catholic teaching holds that the human body is inherently good and worthy of respect because it is part of a person made in God's image: this dignity is not lost, damaged, or diminished by being violated by someone else.
Physical responses during abuse (freezing, or even involuntary arousal) are neurological and physiological, not evidence of complicity. Trauma specialists document this consistently.
Reconnecting with your body, gently
Many survivors find it takes real time to feel safe in their own body again: through therapy approaches that work with the body specifically, gentle movement, or simply time. There is no required pace.
What Scripture says
- Psalm 139:14
Scripture, in context
Psalm 139:14
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully and wonderfully made.
Translation: Douay-Rheims (public domain)
Common misconceptions
- “A body that responded involuntarily must have wanted it.”
- Involuntary physiological responses are not the same as consent or desire; this is well established in trauma medicine.
Questions people are often afraid to ask
A prayer for my body
God, you made this body and you have not left it.
Help me be at home in it again, in time.
Amen.
Practical next steps
- · Consider a therapist trained in a body-aware trauma approach (such as somatic therapy) alongside talk therapy.