(tw trauma, abuse)
I want to tell my story as well but I don't think I can- I'll just say that I was abused from the ages of 14-18 by several men. The thing I want people to know is that the trauma response often happens WAY after the event. I first felt the full pain of 1/

these events when I was 19 & I felt them all at once. It was horrifying & I nearly didn't live through it. I think when I tried to tell people they were confused (as was I to an extent) bc these things weren't happening 'now'. Except that's not how trauma works. 2/

I am hopeful that my experience has made me a kinder person, & that I could be some small help to someone who has experienced similar things & chosen to confide in me. I am hopeful that understanding how traumatic events can be felt years after they happen can inform responses 3/

to experiences of abuse when they can only be disclosed or articulated months, years, decades after it happened, & to stop questions that even while well-intentioned can make someone feel invalidated & doubted. end/