How I Shared My Abuse Story with Family
Sharing with a loved one that you've experienced abuse is an extremely difficult experience that took me many years to get the courage to do. Many survivors of sexual abuse never come forward and tell anyone. My hope is through this newsletter I can encourage survivors to heal and move forward with their lives and not live with a horrible secret that haunts them.
Making the following video with my mom was extremely cathartic and allowed us both to reflect on traumatic events together. My mom was visiting me in Florida and I asked her, "Would you want to film a video with me to educate other survivors and their families about disclosing abuse?" My mom was immediately in and we sat down without a script, unsure what would come out of the conversation. I hope this video can be educational and helpful for survivors and those close to them.
A sit down video with my mother talking about how I shared my abuse story with my immediate family, their reactions, and her advice to other survivors and their families.
In the second part of our sit-down video series, we discussed the overlap of my several victimizations. Having multiple court cases open simultaneously was extremely difficult, but having my family's support made all the difference.
I hope that these videos can help other parents understand how they can be there for their children who've experienced complex trauma. The outpouring of wonderful comments on these videos filled my heart as well as my mothers. Thank you to everyone who has listened to my story and I hope it brings you comfort that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
In the last section of our sit-down video series, we discussed my sextortion case more in-depth. Sextortion is a crime that often is not discussed and is a growing phenomenon with the advances in technology. If you'd like to learn more I highly recommend watching this video where we unpack the shame and self-blame that comes with this horrendous crime.
Through making this video series I hope survivors around the world feel heard. While it's beyond difficult to share with people that you've experienced abuse, it's the first step in healing and reclaiming your voice.