Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2998

Tonight's special guest is Wendy Casper from Lawrenceville, Georgia, an adult survivor of child abuse and a volunteer with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). "My abuse started at age 2," she says, "and went on till age 29 when my psychotic mother died. My life consisted of being thrown against walls, and having my bead bashed into walls. I couldn't handle this so I shut down and my brain created alters. This is dissociative identity disorder and it saved my life. I ultimately called my alters 'others'. I had four." Wendy explains. "I was trained to please men no matter what and saying NO wasn't permitted. I was made to watch my mother have sex to learn how to please men and she would watch me have sex with those same men to ensure I had pleased and satisfied them. Of course I never did in her mind so I got beat. Ultimately, I was repeatedly raped by my father, two step fathers, my grandfather, her boyfriends, a GYN, a Dentist, a Pastor and a nurse in the local ER." Wendy had enemas forced on her, which she had to hold for hours. "I was made to cook her meals age 4, she would throw food at me while I sat in the corner. My meal was eating the food that was thrown at me. She hit me with pots, pans, hammers, anything with weight. I now have optic nerve damage and scar tissue from head injuries." Wendy goes on. "She chained my ankle to a wall in the furnace room. I would be there with no food or water for hours or days." Wendy is now a volunteer with NAMI, who recently got a Bachelor degree in Psychology. She shares both her survivor story and mental health story with others in hopes they will share theirs. "Counseling and God saved my life. I am passionate about speaking out on child abuse."