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On this page are stories shared by survivors that highlight hope but can be discomforting. Before you proceed, would you like to do a grounding activity?
it's true what they say; healing isn't linear. healing is a messy room and sometimes laying in it for long enough to know being uncomfortable for too long means it's time for a change. it means that it's okay to avoid pools and beaches if you're afraid of water, but after a while, knowing that it's okay to dip your toes in again when you're ready. and even if you can't do it now, it doesn't mean no one will ever love someone that's afraid to go swimming.
I’m not going to promise you it gets better because I don’t know if it does. You can get better at dealing with trauma however it may never go away and that is something that is difficult coming to terms with. All I can advise is do not let what happened to you define you. You are how you deal with life not how life deals with you.
Hope can mean a lot of different things to different people hope can be found in therapies, some find it in god or religion and others may find it in other people understanding them or you understanding yourself. i used to think there was no hope for me. i have recently found it in someone who is very close to me. i built up the courage to share my story because i was at my breaking point and thought all hope was lost. just sharing my story with this person and hearing them say they want to help gave it to me. it was simple for me though, it m...
Dear survivor,
I BELIEVE YOU.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
YOU ARE LOVED.
I wish I could take your pain away. I know you will get through this. You made it this far and I am so proud of you. DO NOT stop fighting!!!!!! YOU ARE WORTH IT.
Love,
Your friend.
Go deep inside...to the very center of your being...and embrace your life...awaken to the knowledge that you cannot change the past...awaken to the knowledge that you have beauty and strength and courage greater than before. You have the right to be a survivor without fear or shame or guilt. A peace will settle upon you.... You are "more" now...more than before...more than others around you...more than you may even think possible. It is called truth. When you honor the truth...then the steps that follow.... You get to call.... resolve.
No matter how low it gets, your still here, and that’s a miracle itself. Keep going, get help, and know that it’s not your fault.
I know it hurts but please don't isolate yourself. Share your pain with the ones that love you. I promise you, you will breathe again.
“Why did you go?” “No one forced you to go.” “What were you wearing?”
“What did you eat earlier that day?” “Are you sure you didn’t hallucinate?” “Why did you drink?”
“Why?”
“Why?” “Why?”
Why is it always the victim being asked these questions and never the perpetrator?
When I was 18 I was raped and physically assaulted by a friend of mine at the time. He was 3 years older than me and it was his 21st birthday. It took me a year to accept what happened, and 4 years to get help through counseling. I used to feel a lot of guilt for not getting help sooner and the way my trauma affected other people in my life/people I was in relationships with. I also hated and still sometimes hate the way it affects me 6 years later, but I’m learning that things don’t always go away on their own and it’s okay to reach out for...
Believe in yourself. No matter what happens, remember that you're the only one you can trust and you're the only person who will never do anything wrong to you. And never ever lose hope. Even in the darkest hours of our lives, if we know how to shine in the dark, we eventually get to know how to get out of the dark. Always be yourself. I believe in you. You can do it.
I was sexualy assulted when i was in fifth grade leading me to isolate from my friends and then i started to get bullied and had my first suicide attempt lated that year years later im at a public school were i feel safe.
Hope is knowing you will heal ...
Surviving everyday knowing that you will learn to feel okay someday
Dear reader, the following story contains language of self-harm that some may find triggering or discomforting.
You are strong. Even if it doesn't feel like it, just know you've survived through every bad day you've ever had. You made it to this point, and thats amazing.
I absolutely love you, even if I don't know you. I might not know what your going through but I want you to keep fighting. You are a survivor and a warrior. You can do this. I believe in you.
Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I remember. The longer I get away from it, the better it is.
im so proud of every step you take toward your future. please keep fighting, and know that i’m standing there with you. these feeling aren’t yours to bear alone.
Month Day, Year I was raped on my first day of college... then a few months later I was violently raped at my place of work. At the time of these attacks I was not intoxicated and the attacks did not happen at night. In addition I did not say no and I did not physically fight back. I thought for so long that these conditions invalidated my experiences, that I couldn’t have really been raped and that I must have someone brought these experiences on myself. Over the last five and half years, I have done so much to fill my trauma...
Know that no matter how badly you have been hurt, there is someone out there who will love you, accept you, and will believe you. Know that you can love yourself again and that you can trust again. Know that it is not your fault and that you can keep on living. Our trauma does not have to define us; our trauma can help us grow stronger. I am stronger because of what happened to me, I love myself more than ever, and I never thought I could reach this sense of happiness or closure. You can forgive; without forgiving, you can move on without leav...
I live in a home with someone I wish great harm on (even death), with another person I am Coming to resent for not believing and worst of all a third person I cannot properly protect, because you see Only one of the 2 people that are the main people in this mess, are telling the truth. there is no way to find out the truth with out causing more harm to who I believe is the victim, to Possibly find the truth will tare apart the victim's family which they do not wish, they rather live as if to pretend it didnt happen ,just move on. For Me I sit...
You feel like you will never heal,you will
You will never forget but you will heal..
It took years for me to fine my confidence but I have it and will never lose it again...there are curtain things ....like the darkness ,I have nightlight in my house....walked thur hell and came out stronger...
Don't wait anymore that something will change because it won't. Stop killing yourself with being in permanent stress and under pressure. You will survive without him, he is doing very well without you. If you've already left, stay strong and don't break, don't go back no matter what. You finally did the right thing and no matter what he may be saying now, it's nothing more than manipulation. Be smart because if you gonna keep following your fears and emotions, it will kill you in the end. Or he will. One out of two.
Not everyone is your molester or abuser. Healing takes time.
The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month. My Never Quit Story began over a decade ago while I was serving on active duty overseas. It was a cold winter night with snow on the ground and at the time, a ‘normal’ evening spent with friends that mirrored all the others previously. But it would become the night that would change my life forever. A part of me died that night. In the course of the evening, I was drugged, raped, and the stranger responsible also attempted to silence me forever, but somehow, for some reason,...
I love this page. I am so glad I found it so that I could kind of get it off of my chest because it’s not something I talk about. It breaks my heart how many of us there are. But I am so glad we have each other, this space, the progress being made to try to prevent this from continuing to happen, to hold them accountable. We’ve got a long way to go but I’m proud of our progress. I’m proud of all of you. I see you, I hear you, I believe you. We got this. 🖤
To any other person who has been sexually harassed or assaulted, I just want to tell you that you are damn strong. I want you to know that even when you feel your weakest, when you feel like giving up, when your head tells you that you aren't worth it or you shouldn't be here, I will tell - we need more people like you in this world. Whatever has happened to you, whatever trauma you have experienced, it is apart of the beautiful and wonderful person you are today. Those experiences do not define you, they do not make you a burden, they do not...
I remember for months after everything being so depressed. I didn’t think it would get better. Then there was this one day after I had left therapy and I lived by OneRepublic came on and I remember saying to myself “man Life is beautiful” and I immediately started crying. I knew in that moment that things were gonna be okay even if they weren’t in the moment. Now two years later even though there are still some days where it hits me all over again, I am doing so good. So to anyone who feels the way I felt: there’s so much life and hope/happine...
It does get better as the years go by, I barely think about it 10 years down the line. It's hard especially without justice, but it's important to try to remove the power the attacker has over your life.
I was only 6 years old when I was sexually assaulted. The first time I talked about it with anyone and said it out loud was this year. I'm now 22... that means it's been 16 years later. But I am so thankful to have the support system I do have - the support system who has been strong enough to give me the courage to finally speak up for myself ❤️
Name's Death
When I was younger--18,19,20. I babysat your kid.
You’d come home super drunk with your wife.
I remember my heart beating so fast and my hands sweating right before you’d walk in the front door--afraid for what was to come. You’d greet me with a kiss on the cheek while you took a selfie of us. You’d want a hug when you were in your boxers. You’d walk me home at 2 am with your arm around me, making sure I got home safely, when I really needed protection from you.
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