pattyr

Welcome back @123456. I'm sorry for the stressful circumstances, and I hope you do find support here.

@faeryblossoms a warm welcome to you. This place is very supportive, and also full of information and shared experience. Personally I am also working with decades-old trauma, and I know that it being long ago does not diminish the pain. I'm glad you're here for extra support besides therapy as you take this step in healing.

@LovelyE Welcome to AS! I'm sorry for what has brought you here, but happy you are reaching out. I know it can be hard to talk about these things, and I think you will find this place is very understanding and supportive. I think I know what you mean about being concerned about leaving a dark cloud on someone's day, and I think it can feel different in this forum. I hope to see you around.

@Susan lipschutz And welcome Susanna, yes it is hard to talk about these things and tell our stories. This is a very supportive and understanding place, and I hope as you feel ready you will use it to get the support you want, by reading, writing and sharing as you like.

Welcome back @Steel. So many of us have been affected and encouraged and supported by those speaking out in the public eye. I'm sure those people would be so happy to hear that they helped someone. Remember you can take your time, read and post only as you are ready. There are some lighthearted forums too. We are all here to support one another. You are not alone.

@PhoenixRoxanne Hello and welcome! I'm glad you found the site, and I look forward to seeing you around.

@Goldenboybrokeme Welcome to After Silence. I'm sorry you for the childhood trauma that brought you here, and that a counselor was no help. This is a friendly supportive community with a variety of people and experiences, and I hope it will bring you support and company when you need it. It is brave of you to step out with your secret, and step toward another level of healing.

@GinaH welcome! I'm sorry for what was done to you and what you are going through now. I went into a spiral of shock when I first remembered as well. That is a good description. You have come to a good place to find some support and understanding as you try to feel better.

Welcome to AS @lilbutterfly. It's brave of you to take these steps out of numbness for yourself, and you will find lots of care and support here. For me my abuse was not visible to me until I had seen a therapist for a long time, so yes it's different for everyone. The main thing is to feel safe, so you could talk about other things first until you feel ready. Sometimes with difficult subjects I tell my therapist a headline "I am going to want to talk about this event but I feel too nervous " and then soon after if ready then it makes it easier to broach the topic.

Warm welcome to both of you!

Welcome @DisposableDannie, to this friendly place. I think a lot of people here will understand some of what you experience, and that time does not heal all wounds but that more work and support is needed. Glad you are here, but I'm sorry for the 'cake' and the 'icing' you have had to live through.

@asleep welcome and hello! I'm sorry for the reason you need to be here, but glad you found this place, and I hope to see you around.

Welcome, @Ethel ! You will soon find your way around. I was also brand new to any kind of online messaging community when I joined, which showed me how important it was to me, and how important the issue I was facing felt. I'm sure you are also joining as an act of hope and courage and self care. I often look at Browse All Activity, and just see what is most recent in the posts. Others may like to follow specific forums more. Gathering Place is a place to get/give support, and it can be around any topic. Good luck, and you can always ask questions too.

Welcome, @Kady. I think self-forgiveness can be really powerful, and I'm glad you are finding some of that. You will find lots of support here as well, and finding out you are not alone with certain experiences can make a huge difference. I don't think you are weaker after falling in love. New things, and especially in areas like intimacy, bring new challenges, and it can feel like we've stepped back or are not as strong, but it is because we are reaching for something that maybe before was too scary or challenging. I wish you the best in your continued healing.

Sending you a warm welcome @rainbowvalley. I hope you find this place supportive to your healing. It's a friendly place, and as Capulet said you can say as much or as little as you want, and read as much or as little as well.

Welcome, @lotus37, glad to have you here. I hope you find this a healing and helpful place.

Welcome to the forum, @TuxedoCat. I hope you do find it useful to be a part of a community of other survivors. I certainly have. You can post as much or as little as you like, and there is lots of information here as well as support. Best wishes for your healing journey, and I'm glad you made this step.

Hello @Adriatic and welcome! I'm glad you have found this place. It does have a feeling of solidarity, that's a nice word for it.

Welcome @Calm forest. I'm sorry you are in a difficult period of your past resurfacing, and you are not alone. I'm glad the hotline saved your life, and I hope AS will help provide the support you need to help you heal and get to a better place with the depression and anger. This is a friendly place.

Welcome, @SpaceCadet I always liked that word. But I'm sorry you needed to 'check out' as a kid, because of what you had to survive. This is a supportive and friendly place. Make yourself at home!

Welcome, and I hope you find what you need here.

Welcome to this supportive place. Sometimes it takes 38 years or more to be ready for this part of healing. I hope you will find what you need.

@Bloom2B welcome to the forum! I'm sure you will find support and understanding for your next steps in healing.

Welcome @Nicome! I'm happy you found what you were looking for. I'm sorry you are dealing with the after effects of trauma. You are not alone and we can all support each other.