Telling a survivor to “Leave it in the past” is dismissing the reality of their nervous system and body. No one wants to relive traumatic experiences on an ongoing basis. Survivors respond to past trauma because they are traumatized, not because they are unwilling to let go.

My mom taught me, from a young age, that if a man ever started talking to me about his sex life, dissatisfaction in his marriage, or asking me personal questions about my body or preferences, that they were fishing and I should stand up for myself and shut the conversation down.

youtu.be/DEZdsisM8ZI

Some of the most healing words trauma survivors could hear: Your emotions make sense. Your reactions make sense. You make sense. #CompassionateAttention

Thank God for letting me see one more year in my life. May my life continues to be a sweet song of worship to you. Thanks for giving me my voice back the past 7 months. And thanks for how you will use my voice this year. Oh, how I love you so...

I am thankful that I am not in bad pain today. I didn't go anywhere for the past two birthdays. Today, I am able to get ready and celebrate my birthday. Birthday dinner here I come. Thanks God for low pain.

Especially in regards to sexual perpetrators..

Officially on medical leave of absence from work. I have so many emotions going on. I didn't want to, but these past couple of months have been hard physically and emotionally. I had more flare-ups the past month than I ever had since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia

Often when we enter into another’s suffering we try to drag them into our world. We want them to think what we think, choose what we would choose, understand what we see, and live more like we do. We want them to leave their depression, sorrow, or grief behind and “get over it.”

Today I served an eviction notice to someone who has lived rent free in my head for years and I’d love it if you celebrated with me.

Am I ever going to be ok? To be that person who enjoys life again. I am not doing good, and don't even know what am I supposed to feel anymore. All I can do is sleep and watch shows to keep my mind occupied. Will this pain of body and soul go away one day?

I have been stuck on the idea of finding "closure". What is closure supposed to look like? For a year I thought that after the end of a certain situation I would feel closure. Instead, I feel hurt & pain. I found myself wanting to cry, but no tears came out. What is closure?