Fourteen-year-old Darrin’s* trauma occurred before he was old enough to remember what happened, but his body will never forget. Darrin’s body remembers the abuse and neglect that happened when he was an infant. His body remembers the pain and hunger. Even now, years later, he cannot shake the feeling that this world is not a safe place and that he should always be ready to protect himself. Sometimes he runs away in fear, even when there is no imminent threat. Sometimes he acts out in anger and hits others because he knows no other way to express what his body is feeling. He believes for some reason adults cannot be trusted, but he is not sure why.
Finding His Passions
With the help of his support team at Nexus-Gerard Family Healing, Darrin has been learning the skills to calm his body and mind when he finds himself in what he perceives to be a dangerous situation. He has also been doing an extensive amount of trauma-specific therapy to help connect what his body is feeling with his behavior. Darrin is coming out of his shell and making friends. He has found a passion for art. He has discovered that he loves to draw and he’s proud of his talents in this area. He uses drawing to relax.
REBuilding Relationships
Most importantly, Darrin is learning to build relationships with his peers, our staff, and his adoptive family that has been with him every step of the way. He is starting to trust again, and he knows there are individuals that he can count on that have his best interest at heart.
When asked about his hope for the future Darrin replied, “I hope I can get better and go home to live with my family again.” That is ultimately what we are all hoping for Darrin, and we won’t give up until he gets there.
*Names and other details have been changed to maintain privacy.
