Tonight I made the choice to start a Pinterest board about my past. It is something I haven’t yet talked about in my public social network, but something I feel I should.
As I was looking through the pins covering the subject of child abuse, I couldn’t help but feel a nervous lump in my throat. I don’t know why I feel so nervous. My childhood story is one that I have shared with almost everyone who knows me personally, but something about saying it to the vast internet is scary as shit. 12 years after it all ended and I still get nervous telling new people…
Although I am not ready to say much more now, I know broaching the subject online is a first step I need to deal more deeply and share my successes with others who have been or are currently going through similar situations.
Below is a great video supporting the Kids Help Phone. I relied on this program a lot when I was young. This service is more valuable than most people will ever know. Watch and share. These kids just need to talk.
Ideally, none of us would ever have anything like this to have talk about…
Karen says
The blog headline has an embedded message of shame. Children who have been abused often deal with a false guilt — a sense that they somehow invited or caused the abuse to happen to them. It’s that guilt that allows the abuser to manipulate children, to control them. Your ability to give voice to your abuse is a clear message that your past does not define you, and neither does your abuser. Thank you for speaking out.
Crystal says
Thank you so much. You are absolutely right. I did feel that shame and guilt for a long time. It took me a long time to feel I could talk about it to anyone. With therapy, I reached a point in my early 20s where I could talk about it openly to people and not feel ashamed. But speaking out about it to an unlimited audience of strangers is a little more overwhelming. However there are so many individuals that let it consume them for the rest of their lives and I want younger people who are currently of have been in those situations to know that there are many of us who moved on. Yes I had abuse for many years in my past, but now I am a hardworking, professional women, with a loving family, husband and beautiful daughter. I live a good life, in spite of anything that happened behind me. I want to share that with people who may need to hear it.
Thank you again for your comments.
Rachel@ThatsLife.. says
I too had a ‘past’ with Child abuse. It’s taken me many years to get a voice, and to deal with it all. I haven’t really blogged about it, but I think standing up and putting a light in the ‘darkness’ is inspirational. And what a great resource Kids help phone is!
By the way, thank you for stopping by and following. I am now your newest follower too!
Crystal says
Thanks Rachel. I am tiptoeing into discussing it online, so it might just be a post here and there, but it’s a start.