Recovering from abuse: a comparison of three paths

Nursing, and other health professions, have for many years been generally well-educated to be on the alert for, identify, and report abuse, particularly of children. What many nurses are less prepared for, and less comfortable with, is how to help adult patients who were victims of abuse in the past, and who still suffer from its consequences. The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast three different pathways to recovery for persons living with the legacy of abuse and victimization. The three paths are the traditional psychiatric model, spiritually-based self-help, and the humanbecoming theory.