7 Reasons Why I Started Sharing my Story of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Telling my story out loud for the first time was one of the hardest things I have ever done: it has also been rewarding and even necessary for my mental health and well-being. The little girl that I locked away so many years ago, along with all the pain and fear that she lived with, has gotten loud. She is demanding my attention, begging for my comfort, compassion, and understanding. She will not be ignored any longer.

As a victim my voice was silenced.

My innocence was stolen by someone who was supposed to love and protect me, my confidence destroyed- and the world became a dangerous and scary place. Even now, as a survivor, I still often feel like the victim when I dig in and work on processing my past. It is so raw and intense.

When I write and share I go through a gamut of emotions; I am scared, I am anxious and embarrassed. I wonder if anyone will believe me? I wonder, am I talking about my past too much and being selfish? Am I making people uncomfortable with the weight of my truth? Does anyone even care anyway?

I feel all these things; that is how I have been hardwired. I was threatened often about speaking out: I was reminded, repeatedly, that no one would believe me. This was reiterated to me when I did eventually tell my dad, at a young age, and he told my abuser I was talking.

My basic needs as a child were met: food, clothing, and housing; however, my feelings as a child were never a priority – I had no real friends, no hobbies, and no one to love me, and tuck me in at night.

Now, 25 years later, I am committed to owning my story. I am speaking up. I want to heal; functioning is not living – and I  want to live!

Here is why I have decided to share:

#1 It is Empowering

Sharing is empowering. Sharing is liberating and I believe it is necessary. There is absolutely no way to describe the weight of childhood trauma or the anxiety and fear that come with the healing journey. My innocence was stolen from me. I lost all control over the sovereignty of my body and I lost my sense of Self. When I share my story, I take back control over my life. I take back control over my body. I take back control over my feelings.

Now, I can focus on healing from the abuse.

#2 Learning to Feel Emotions

I need to teach myself that feeling it is okay. As a sexual abuse survivor,  I learned early on the importance of a protective shield from all feelings – physical and emotional. It is a hard defense mechanism to rewire. I am learning how to feel – all of it, which is not easy.

My therapist asks me often to identify my feelings and where I feel them in my body which over time has helped me how to reconnect to myself. In those early days, I was so disconnected. As I reconnect to myself and my emotions, it has been uncomfortable and intensely painful at times, but it has been very rewarding as I learn to lean into my grief as I process it properly.

#3 I Need Support, Help, and Compassion

I need the support, plain and simple. I can’t do this on my own.

Support is crucial to the recovery process and it can be found in many different places. My support system consists of my therapist (we use EMDR and CBT therapy techniques) my husband, my children, a few close friends who are also survivors, and the Survivor Community that is growing here.

I cannot stress enough the benefits of understanding from loved ones or their help with coping. The support makes me feel less isolated, as I try to keep from drowning in all the chaos. The support helps me accept that my feelings are important and that others do care.

#4 Connecting with other Survivors 

We are stronger together. I want other survivors who are not yet sharing to know they are not alone. There are others of us struggling, daily, to carry the weight of our sadness and pain without it spilling all over the place, too. Together we can all hold each other up.

#5 Real Talk about Complex PTSD and the Healing Process

I hope I am shedding light on the real recovery process for trauma survivors. Trauma recovery and healing is messy, and a bit chaotic at times.

My trauma is not a flash point in my life, it is a part of who I am. It has influenced how I perceive things and how I respond. Through therapy I am learning to manage my triggers and develop coping skills for the party bag of symptoms. Healing is a daily choice for trauma survivors, not a final destination.

We do not get over our trauma, we learn to integrate it into our lives and live with it, and the lifetime affects can be hard to reconcile.

#6 A Reference Point for Loved Ones of Survivors

 I hope my sharing helps loved ones and friends of trauma survivors better understand the complexity of recovery.

Trauma never goes away.
Anything in everyday life can become a trigger.

People who have never experienced a traumatic event have no point of reference for understanding. That is okay. In fact, I often tell my husband I do not need him to understand. I just need him to be with me in the space, so I know I am not alone when things get heavy.

The best way for our friends and family to help us is to be trauma informed, and who better to inform them about the affects of trauma, than an actual survivor.

#7 It’s my right!

This is my life, my experiences, my pain, and I can talk about it all I want. I am done protecting the people who did not protect me. It is time to care for myself and the scared, and lonely little girl within. It is time to love and nurture her, and myself.

For me, that means sharing, even when my voice shakes.

It is your right too! If you want to share your story consider being a part of my Survivors Speak Interview Series.

---

Looking for to Connect With Other Survivors and/or Receive Support as You Heal?

Survivor’s Circle Peer Support Groups might be just what you need. 

These small groups meet on alternating days of the week via Zoom. In these groups, survivors connect, share, and support each other through the ebbs and flows of healing. Attend a session and experience the magical healing that happens when survivors connect and support each other through shit only we can understand.

You can also book individual 1:1 peer support sessions with Shanon for private support in a closed space. You deserve support as you heal, and I am here to help. You don’t have to heal alone.

On the Journey Peer Support Monthly Package

As a part of this monthly support program you will gain access to all Survivor’s Circle Peer Support group support sessions every month as well as individual 1:1 peer support sessions with Shanon each month. 

---

Hi, I am Shanon

I am a trauma informed, trained, and Certified Peer Support Specialist in the state of Wisconsin. I am also a survivor with years committed to my own trauma healing after being diagnosed with (C) PTSD due to childhood abuse. Additionally, I have a professional and personal history of community facilitation and peer work.

I specialize in helping survivors like you make connections between real time experiences and past trauma wounds, identify and communicate boundaries, create self-care plans that work, navigate big emotions and trauma responses, reparent your inner child, and embody your own self-worth through the healing process with confidence and personal empowerment.

These support groups and 1:1 peer support sessions should not replace professional therapy; they will however provide additional support and information.