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This is a space where survivors of trauma and abuse share their stories alongside supportive allies. These stories remind us that hope exists even in dark times. You are never alone in your experience. Healing is possible for everyone.
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Survivor story
#74
1 year later
I did it ya'll. I did the hardest thing I've ever done and told my parents what happened. Although they believed me its been a bumpy road watching them navigate this situation. There's no instruction manual and they are working through a lot of pain and shame. Its like watching myself process it. I no longer have a relationship with my brother which is extremely freeing. Now the next journey is figuring out how to tell or navigate around my extended family. We are close and see each other a lot so I need to be able to tell them that I am not speaking to my brother. Like iI said, it's a journey, but I am so happy to be on the other side of this.
Original story
Message to a Survivor
With therapy and time and patience, you will overcome this. Just being here today, despite what has happened to you, proves you are so incredibly strong. you can keep going even if you take it day by day, hour by hour.
Message of Healing
Healing means no longer letting something overpower you. I read a great quote that has helped me a lot. "How hard something hits us is directionally proportional to how much control we are trying to exert over it." I understand that many people have to keep their trauma a secret in order to be safe, but if you are able to tell it, even to a therapist, it can be extremely healing. It is your story.
I was abused by my older brother from the ages of around 4-9 multiple times. My long term memory is shot because of repression so I don't know the exact ages it happened. I've never told my parents because I didn't realize until I was in high school what had happened was wrong and at that time I was still living at home so I felt like I couldn't say anything. I have never told anyone except for licensed therapists. In my senior year of college he called me to acknowledge it and apologize. I was stunned and shocked because we had never talked about it before. We act like normal siblings but I've always had OCD flare ups and anger management issues around him. We still kept it a secret and now its about 5 years later after the phone call and I am ready to be done. I have a great therapist now and we are working on a plan to tell my parents. I am so scared of this next chapter in my life but I know it needs to happen for me to feel free and to truly feel validated and not alone.
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