Dear NamesAreOverrated:

I have to questions in effort to understand your situation and state of mind better, questions that may possibly lead you to better understanding.

1. You wrote: “I just want to be able to be completely open with my parents” by telling them about your brother having abused you sexually when you were in about the second grade in school. My question: are you open with your parents about everything else, is this second grade incident the only thing that is hidden in you, that you didn’t reveal to your parents?

2. You wrote: “Telling them wouldn’t help me in any way. It would make them extremely distressed and they could possibly try and hurt themselves”- how do you think they may try to hurt themselves, have they tried to hurt themselves before and do you think your brother shared this fear of yours (that they will hurt themselves) and that is why he didn’t tell them that he was abused in that camp he attended?

I wonder if he too thought it wouldn’t help him if he told them that.

anita