Moreta

Hiya, I'm sorry for whatever you suffered. It's a good place here. Feel safe and loved. When you feel ready (if you do), then you will feel up to talking about your story. When that time comes let me know. Am here for you too. Give your daughter a hug for me - she sounds super. Welcome

Hi Tamara, I'm pretty new here too. You can always PM me. I'm always happy to talk. I'm at a point where I seem to need to both talk and listen. Welcome. Moreta.

Hi Lisa, Welcome to AS. I'm glad you are here for your sake, but terribly sorry that you have had an experience that has made it necessary. I'm a newbie and also in Sydney, Aus. I was sexually abused for 6 years and have cried about it once - 2 weeks ago. The abuse ended about 10 years ago. So I think that not crying is perfectly normal. I would berate myself for not standing up for myself, but it is (I think) a survival instinct in us that kicks in. I guess that is why people consider us 'survivors'. Try not to be too hard on yourself. It is great that you have support from your mum and

Hi Amanda, From one newbie to another - welcome! Hopefully your b/f will get there. At least he is willing. That says a lot. My husband struggles with it and he knew my abuser (my best friends brother - my husband was dating my best friend at the time). But he has been patient and gentle and it sounds like your b/f is patient and gentle too. Try to remember that you are worthy of love. Proper love. All the best with college too - keep focused on the coffee shop! Moreta

Hi there, So this is the first reply I've posted, now you know how special you are . I guess I wanted to say that I understand the finding god. I grew up attending church but started to feel 'dirty' and like I didn't belong. It is only since acknowledging what I have been through that I have felt any desire to go back (which was only 2 weeks ago - even though the abuse was much longer ago than that). Give it a shot. Open your heart and let the tears fall if they come. You could try this at home before deciding to head out in public if you wanted. I feel a little hypocritical saying some of

Hi Everyone, This is one of those tricky things for me. I've always managed to repress this until very recently when I made the decision that the periodic nightmares and the seemingly irrational aversion to being in public places became too ridiculous. I've always been exceptionally hard on myself - especially when it comes to my emotional side. The only way I have found I can do this is to intellectualise. So here goes: I was sexually abused for 6 years by the brother of my best friend (from the ages of 12-18). Why did I continue to go there? Because it was better than being at home. I