Heart-Wrenching New Book Sheds Light on the Realities of Covert Childhood Abuse and the Long-Term Psychological Effects
Actress Marylee Martin opens her heart as she shares her personal account of covert abuse to bring awareness towards the issue in 'An Unsuspecting Child'
UNION, N.J., Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With the courageous #MeToo Movement that has come to light in recent years, author Marylee Martin was inspired to relay her experience suffering from childhood covert abuse and how it affected her adulthood in her debut book, "An Unsuspecting Child: Coming to Grips with Covert Childhood Abuse." In this personal memoir, Martin gives a psychological look at the damage done to a child from sexual, mental or physical abuse. The author shares how therapy helped her discover the unusual form of child abuse that she suffered from and how she rediscovered a sense of normalcy after years of pain and personal struggle.
Martin discusses what can happen to a child who has been affected by covert abuse and how the effects of abuse can cause long-term, often hidden, heartache as they travel into adulthood. Acting out, bad decisions and constant flashbacks can take victims down a road that may include confusion, naivety and the inability to understand adult relationships. For the author, the effects led to constant turmoil in her life that she did not understand and could not stop. In the book, Martin takes readers through the early stages of her life, the childhood abuse she endured, adulthood and ultimately, her journey towards healing. She also emphasizes the importance of the #MeToo Movement, women's rights groups and mental health.
"When the seeds that have been planted in your mind at a young age grow as you mature, you start to make some really bad choices," said Martin. "I had theater as an outlet to be someone else and escape what was actually going on. I was 53 when my daughter told me that I should talk to someone. If I had gone and got help earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache. By sharing my story, I want others to know that they can have freedom and get rid of the painful memories to create space for new and happy memories."
With "An Unsuspecting Child," Martin hopes to encourage others that no matter what their past is, it is never too late to seek professional help to begin their journey towards freedom.
"An Unsuspecting Child: Coming to Grips with Covert Childhood Abuse"
By Marylee Martin
ISBN: 9781665708395 (softcover); 9781665708388 (hardcover); 9781665708401 (electronic) 9781665715478 (audio)
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Archway Publishing
About the author
Marylee Martin is a member of EQUITY, The Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, The Dramatist's Guild, the WorkShop Theater and the Gingold Theatrical Group. As an actress, she has performed in over 30 productions and as a playwright she has had seven of her plays performed in New Jersey and New York City. She is a former member of the international musical "Up with People," touring across America, Europe, Japan and Mexico. Martin has published fives songs and continues to write and perform. She currently resides in Union, N.J.
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Meghan Bowman, LAVIDGE, 480-306-6597, [email protected]
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