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Resources Survivor Q & AMedium
Narrative
Artwork
I was...
Home
at Someone Else’s Home
at Work
in School / University
in a Bar / Restaurant
in the Military
at a Social Event
Traveling
in a Service Setting
in a Religious Setting
Incarcerated
in a Public Space
Online or in a Digital Space
Other
The person who harmed me was a...
Stranger
Acquaintance
Non-Romantic Friend
Casual / First Date
Spouse
Romantic Partner
Ex-Partner
Family Member
Authority Figure
Colleague
Minor
I identify as...
Asian
Arab / Middle Eastern / North African
Black / African / Caribbean
Hispanic / Latino / Spanish
American Indian / Alaska Native
Two or More Races
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander
White
My sexual orientation is...
LGBTQ+
Straight / Heterosexual
Lesbian / Gay
Bisexual
Pansexual
Queer
Asexual
I identify as...
a Man
a Woman
Transgender
Non-binary
Gender-fluid
Genderqueer
I identify as...
a Person with a physical disability
a Person who is neurodivergent
a Person who is deaf / hard of hearing
a Person who is blind or has a visual impairment
a Person with a speech or language impairment
a Person with an intellectual or developmental disability
an Immigrant
I was...
a Child
a Teenager
a Young Adult
an Adult
a Senior / Elderly Person
When this occurred I also experienced...
Physical harm
Emotional abuse
Financial abuse
Human trafficking
Stalking
Verbal abuse
On this page are stories shared by survivors that highlight hope but can also be hard to read. A grounding activity can help you to feel calm and make it easier to read these stories. Do you want to try one of our grounding activities?
I’m sorry that you had to experience and go through something like that!
set boundaries, even if people get angry its better to know your worth and be alone that feeling lonely and trapped
Trying to make peace and go to your normal life?
I was non consensually touched near my chest by a religious healer in the name of some kind of treatment. I got aroused suddenly and I feel very guilty because in my mind a thought comes like, if he have done it for a good cause and I have experienced something sexual out of it, then I am a bad person. Deep down I know that this is not normal but I am experiencing intense guilt and started harming myself. Please help me
A number of years on, I am still healing from my experience, but it begins to get a little easier as you build more positive memories beyond what happened to you in the past. Having a relationship that is healthy, and that we all deserve, is healing because I feel more safe now and I know my boundaries will be respected and I will be loved regardless of the level of intimacy. I am healing by enjoying experiences that make life feel worthwhile.
1 new update
When I was in 7th grade, I met this guy. He was older than me by at least a year and I had the biggest crush on him -- he totally knew it too. I was the most insecure child which I told him. I thought he was my friend so when he told me to send him a picture, fully clothed, I trusted him and did. He told me I was pretty but that he didn't fully know because he couldn't see all of me. After more convincing, he got me to send him more photos, each time with less clothes on. The next week or so, he 'confessed' that he got horny from the photos an...
Believe in yourself
Trust have faith and never give up
FEEL IT TO HEAL IT
Hi. I've never done this before but I'm doing it now, because I feel like it is the next step to healing? I'm not quite sure. But I hope I can get this all out to a point where you can understand. Whenever I was about maybe 5-7, and my brother was around 11-13, he would want to play a 'game' with me. I never knew what the game was until he touched me. Inappropriately. If this is too triggering for you, please click the safety exit. He would put me in sexual positions and tell me to stay there while grinding on me. I didn't know what was happen...
I never thought one could be truly free of addiction, emotional torment, and past trauma. It starts with the willingness to take small risks. Opening up to a friend. Attending a support group. Finding a counselor. Writing in a journal. Self-care. Simply getting out of bed in the morning.
8M (me) 11F (cousin) 12M (cousin) were at a family function just playing house (it just dawned on me that 11-12 year olds don't play house and that the only reason we played house was for this) until it was night time in which we all got in the bed I lied at the bottom of their feet as their child as they had sex in front of me not even .5 foot away from me I just hid in fear
You can get through it, but not if you do it alone. Everyone needs someone. No matter if it's a trusted individual or a hotline, reach out for help. The more you tell your story, the less power they have over you.
Hope and healing are the hardest concepts when sharing my story. How can I give hope when I am still healing, when I am so angry and hurt, when I don’t know if I will ever feel safe in this world.
It is so easy to give in to despair. I did. For months, utter despair.
I believe YOU.
your story matters.
To anyone, who find themselves in the waves of ambiguouity. Not knowing what to call what happened to them and feel like a fraud for admitting it. You are seen. You are not crazy. Your story is your own.
Being able to feel and take care of myself where no one did before. To give myself compassion and a safe space to feel my feelings.
I'm sorry this happened., you don't deserve this feeling. You have the rights to your body and your worth don't let anyone define your worth or take away the rights to yourself by the perverted action. Don't let anyone tell you how you should feel, seen or be heard. I accept your story, feeling and everything that you're going through right now, it matters. You matter. I know this is hard but we will get through this.
This isn’t about one incident but it’s happened so many times and how it’s android me feel. Today was hard for me my car battery died and I needed help, my youngest daughter crossed my boundaries again, and my ex did as he was supposed to helping me. I felt so ganged up in today as if I was being bullied. It seems as I sat here in my bed trying to process the day and feel what I’m feeling it hit me that it feels like hoe it feels to be raped, which is strange but almost everything seems to remind me of it. I have someone I care very much for b...
You're gonna spend a lot of days beating yourself up - Blaming yourself for the things they did.
But nothing lasts forever, not even the bad <3
Im very sorry for what have happened . None of this is our fault , there is nothing inherent wrong with us , but it could take a long time to realise this . If I could go back time I would hug my younger self and stop her from self hurting to cope. It was absolutely painful , but it shouldn’t take away our sexuality and life from us , neither it should take away our chance to enjoy relationships and sex in a loving manners . You’re not alone .
Bpd is killing me.
It's overwhelming really, feeling everything all the time all at once. Happy. Sad. Anxious. It's all the same. Each emotion plays it's part like any other person's except mine are on over drive. Anxiety doesn't know how to relax, angers continous boil overs, shames tears could fill a ocean and then there's hope sitting all by itself in the corner to afraid to show it's face waiting for a happy ending to appear Yet we never get past the first 10 chapters of life's book. Always. Reading. The. Same. Chapters. Wondering when it'...
XXVI
That’s 26 in Roman Numerals .I finally had the courage to report a brutal rape that I endured 26 years ago due to my own biological mother set me up to get raped.The police did not talk to her or investigate her as to why she let this happen to me.The police detectives that were on my case weren’t even man or woman to tell me that my case was closed and this is one of the reasons why I didn’t wanna say anything.Black Women and girl aren’t believed when something like this happens this just proves that I wasn’t taking seriously.Ive cried d...
1 new update
Just know that there are people out there who are there for you even thru the darkest days and also the positive thing I was say is you are good enough and you got this and keep moving forward
Healing is saying the secrets that you hid from the rest the world so you could get up, put up, and never give up.
Healing is not lying to yourself anymore by saying, "Everything is fine."
Healing is giving yourself the time to process the myriad of emotions that came flooding in when you finally left your abuser.
A Broken Trust
He was someone I thought I could trust—a friend who made me laugh, someone I was starting to like. When he invited me out that evening, I didn’t sense the storm ahead. Car troubles forced us to change plans, and instead of heading out, we stayed in. It felt comfortable at first, sitting together, sharing drinks, and laughing about life.
You are worth so much more than what your body can do for anyone else. It wasn't your fault. You deserve better than what you got.
Monster monster monster u take me u break me u bend me im nothing I float i can’t hear I can’t breathe I’m nothing I’m nothing not me just please let me be numb let me be nothing tears on the pillow I’m nothing just be quiet I’m nothing it will be over soon I’m nothing I float away I’m nothing can’t breathe can’t be it will be over soon dont think Just be still Just breathe don’t cry. Don’t be weak float above your body just watch just wait just see your nothing. Dont think just Be just wait just see monster monster monster how did I let this...
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