ActivistAlly
-
Content Count
5,795 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Calendar
Articles
Posts posted by ActivistAlly
-
-
Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm 22 years old and have been married for four years and have a three year old daughter and a two year old son. I'm a stay at home mom. Anyway that's a little about me. I'm a part of an online group for people with bipolar disorder (which I have) and it has been helpful, so I thought maybe something like this would be helpful too.
Hi Ksue,
Welcome to AS! (After Silence)
It's good to meet you and I hope we will hear more from you on the member forums! I hope AS will be helpful for you and that you will find it a kind, caring, and supportive place of people who want to come along beside you as we walk together on the journey towards healing.
Activist Ally
-
I've been recovering from sexual abuse by my big brother for less than 2 years now. I have depression and anxiety and my life couldn't be more complicated. I just want to say hi. I've never had anyone to talk to who could really understand my complicated situation. I still live with my brother along with my parents and my two other brothers, I'm working on forgiving him.
I'm sorry that you went through that crime and that you are suffering the aftereffects of depression and anxiety. Hello to you and welcome to AS (After Silence).
I can understand that not having anyone to talk to and understand must have felt so alone and isolating
We here at AS support you and I hope you'll find kind and generous people here who will stand with you every step of the way on your road to healing.
Activist Ally
-
Hello everyone xxxx I hate thinking about my childhood but I need to share things with people who understand how it just doesn't go away, and this seems like a safe place. I talked to my boyfriend about the abuse recently, which was a biiiig step for me and the first time I've ever said it into the real world, he thinks I should get counselling but the idea makes me really nervous. Hope you're all doing okay
Hi Potentiallylovely,
Great to see you and welcome to AS! (After Silence) I'm glad you have found this place where you can talk about things with people who understand. Lots of people do find that some form of counseling is very helpful for them but whatever you decide to do in that area, I congratulate you on taking the big step of joining here and I hope you'll find lots of kind support here!
Activist Ally
-
Hi I am Mickey I am new here still trying to find my way around the site! I am Nervous since I have never done anything like this before! I started a Blog to tell my story if you want to check it out!
Hi Mickey,
So glad to have you here and want to welcome you so warmly! Oh we were all nervous when we first joined and it is such a brave and important step to reach out for support. I hope to see you around and if you have any questions please feel free to let me know okay?
With support,
Activist Ally
-
Hi Rikuobsession
Welcome to AS (After Silence). We're looking forward to talking more to you too!
Activist Ally
-
Hi, everyone. Been suffering a very long time and need to shed some pain. It is so sad to see that every day there are new people joining this group and are stepping up to find relief from the same pain. Just can't understand why such awful things happen to so many.
Welcome to AS (After Silence)!!!
I'm glad you've taken the step to reach out here to unburden yourself of some of those painful feelings. I'm sorry you and everyone have reasons to belong here but I'm glad you've found us and have the courage to introduce yourself.
With support,
Activist Ally
-
Hello Cats,
I am glad you are taking the brave step of reaching out here in a place where people have been through similar circumstances as you. As an old song said, "who knows where the road will lead us? Only a fool would say..." but we can walk together and the members of AS (after silence) will be alongside you every step of the way in support!
Activist Ally
-
Hello. I kind of dislike introduction posts becaus I never know what to say. I've only just started talking about *it* and I still don't know how to do it. I always fear what I'm writing is disgusting or too detailed or triggering or has actually nothing to do with the topic this forum is for and no one will understand what made me think I could have a reason to be here. I dunno. I don't know much at the moment.
Hope you have a good day.
Hello Atlas,
Welcome to AS (after silence)! I think your intro was just fine and I want to thank you for saying hello!
It's okay to talk about "it" or to not talk as you like...there is no rule or expectation about anything you share and we want you to only share as much as you feel comfortable doing. This is a safe place to talk about what happened and in the appropriate forum (such as 'share my story') and with trigger warnings you needn't fear that whatever you say will be too triggering. It's okay if some of what you have to express that is troubling you is not related to the topic of this forum - I trust that we will be supportive of you no matter what extra challenges you are facing and I believe whatever it is you are dealing with is worthy of support okay?
Take your time and go as slowly as you need as you find your way around. I hope you have a good day too...
With support,
Activist Ally
-
I'm not really certain of how much I'm ready to share or how active I'll be on this board but thought I'd say hi.
Hi Cherrytea
Glad to see you and welcome to AS (After Silence)!!! It's okay...you can go at your own pace with how much if anything you share and it's up to you how active you want to be. I hope that you will find AS to be a kind and supportive place and that being a member here will be of help to you as you come to terms with whatever has brought you to join us.
Wishing much strength and support for you,
Activist Ally
-
Hi all,
I'm a little nervous, but I'm looking forward to talking to everyone here. I have a hard time talking about what's happened to me, I've gone to therapists about OCD/anxiety/depression and always end up lying because it's hard for me to talk about. I'm about to start with a new therapist, now that I have health insurance again, and want to be able to open up and be honest. I'm hoping that sharing my experiences here will help me be able to talk about it. This forum seems like it's got a lot of love and support, I'm thankful to have this as a place to open up about my past.
Thank you all for being a part of this! Much love and support to all.
Hello and welcome Flame!
It's understandable that you are nervous posting but I applaud you for your courage in doing so! I remember how nervous I felt when I joined!!! It's okay to take your time and just go at the pace that is comfortable to you in talking about what happened. There is no pressure or expectation that you say anything beyond what you are comfortable with. I also hope that sharing your experiences here will help you discuss it with your therapist. I think many have found that to be the case!
I hope you will find AS (After Silence) to be a kind and supportive place that will help you along the way as you work towards healing.
All strength to you,
Activist Ally
-
Hello, I'm Chrissy, but you can call me Chris if you'd like. I've been very hesitant to post or to even seek help after my experiences. I hope I can finally feel whole again, but things are hard right now. I hope to make friends, feeling alone has got to be one of the hardest things for me over the years. I don't really know what else to say for a first post. I'm hoping this can help me, because how I feel right now, I wouldn't wish on anyone.
Hi Chrissy,I can really understand that it feels nervous when first posting here and I'm glad you found the courage to do so! Good for you for being so brave!
I hope you can feel whole again too and that you will make friends! You aren't alone in having gone through the types of things you went through. I think you had a great first post and I hope you feel better
AS (after silence) is here for you and the members of AS are walking alongside you in support as you journey towards healing.
Bye bye for now!
Activist Ally
-
Hi! First time posting here. I was assaulted two years ago by a coworker who also happens to be a relative of mine while we were working. Nothing was done to him. We live in a sma town where "everybody knows everybody" and I feel so trapped here because I am constantly terrified of running into him. The assault completely split my family and our small town up because some were just convinced I had to be making it up (because I love making my life this hard). But anyway, I found out I was pregnant about a week later so I put all of the feelings of it aside to focus on my baby and I'm just now really started to deal with it. I started going to counseling and that already feels like such a relief. Last week at counseling was the first time I had talked about it at all since it happened and it felt really freeing.
Hi Dove,
I'm so sorry to hear that such a terrible crime was committed against you and that you were not believed by many in your small town. It's very good to hear that counseling is going so well though and that you are relieved to have been able to break the silence about what happened in a trusting and safe environment. I hope that AS (after silence) will be a kind and supportive place to help you as you work towards healing your life.
With support,
Activist Ally
-
Hello I guess? I'm a 23 (almost 24) year old female from the United States. I guess I'm a survivor now for about eight years. I was only 15 and it was my first boyfriend. I didn't understand what had happened and why I was so upset and afraid until maybe two and a half years ago. Since then it's been really hard to accept this and move on. I've seen a therapist but it's hard to talk about this issue with her. I recently moved to Japan and now I can no longer afford therapy and the person I had seen is back in the US. While I'm very happy to be living my dream, the bad thoughts and memories keep floating up and it's hard to make them stop. So I thought I'd look for some help online.
I'm sorry to hear that you went through that at such a young age..
It takes time to process what happened very often and so I'm glad you are wanting to take steps to heal now. With being far from home it sounds like you've got some extra hurdles and challenges with getting help but I hope that AS (after silence) can be a kind and supportive place to help you as you come to terms with your past.With support,
Activist Ally
-
My Name is Natsumi K****. 7 year survivor. been through much more though. one cancer scare. and being homesick as well. Immigrant to the US. and asking for any advise if all else fails.
Hi Natsumi,
I am glad you found AS (After sIlence) and that you are a strong survivor! It sounds like you've been through so many terrible things!
I hope you will find some kind support here to help you feel better as you cope with the many challenges you face!
With support,
Activist Ally
-
I am Natumi. A 7 year survivor. wanted to do a Public Welcome. My story is very upsetting But! I am also trying to heal.
Hi Natumi. I see you also made a public welcome the other day? I hope you see the replies to your first introduction!!! It is here http://www.aftersilence.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=108303
In any case, welcome to AS!
Activist Ally
-
Hi, I'm gonna go by the name of Sapphire. I'm really nervous about joining a forum for my past experiences. The guy I am seeing now, is the furthest thing from an abuser; but at the same time also doesn't understand what I have gone through, and doesn't understand how to help me. So he suggested I check out a forum of some sort to try and figure out my feelings etc. I will share my story later tonight, when I have a chance to process what I am going to explain, and the multiple situations that I need to express. Please, bear with me, as most of my posts may not make sense and they may be a bit confusing. I'm lost, and it's starting to affect my relationship with this amazing man I am seeing.
Hi Sapphire!
I'm glad the guy you have now is a good person but it's understandable that you need some support from others who are also survivors to help you process things and support you as you walk the road of healing. We're with you every step of the way!
With support,
Activist Ally
-
I especially want to guide folks to the first page of this thread which has WONDERFUL information to helping to calm down and get grounded while in crisis and how to prepare for those moments ahead of time. You can hop right to that first page by clicking here http://www.aftersilence.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=98862&page=1What I said above..this is good for those in crisis with flashbacks or intruding thoughts and especially the first page of the post at the link is full of tactics to help ground and calm yourself during a crisis.
-
Hi. I'm new here & torn between blurting everything out & shying away from saying anything. I've been telling myself for years the things that have happened were no big deal & haven't affected me. Now I know they have affected me deeply but a big part of me believes they shouldn't have & that I brought them on myself. So while I want to heal from feeling the way I do about myself & about men, I don't feel entitled to need to heal, if you see what I mean. I have a lot of questions about the things that happened & whether I see them in the same way other people would. So, that's where I am. I don't really want to blurt things out for the wrong reasons & hope I'll read posts for a bit first but there's a pressure inside me to finally ask other people whether it's ok to feel the way I do.
Hello Biseach,
Welcome to AS (After Silence)!!!
Well, it's okay to just hang out for a while and look things over. There is no requirement that you post a certain amount or tell everything and there is no rule that you have to respond to others either or give a certain amount of support. We want you to take it easy at your own pace and never feel pressured to do anything that is not completely comfortable for you.
I know what you mean by going back and forth between realizing you've been through some soul crushing tragic experiences and then thinking it was no biggie. One thing I think you'll find common is that survivors often feel they were somehow to blame or "brought it on themselves." Well that's not true. You're not to blame and you're not at fault. Part of feeling that way is that trauma effects our brains to produce feelings like that, but though they sometimes "feel" true they aren't! That said, oh dear, it is OKAY to feel how you feel. It's perfectly understandable and SO many survivors share those types of feelings.
Well, i think you deserve to heal and you merit nothing but kindness and compassion. It's totally okay to blurt things out even for the wrong reasons if it will help you on the path to healing. That's what AS is all about. Think of the members of AS walking beside you every step of the way with support.
Welcome again and I hope you will find AS to be a kind and safe place to let out all those feelings that it sounds like you've kept inside for quite some time.
With support,
Activist Ally
-
Hi,
I'm 23 yrs old and trying to heal from what has happened to me. I've been trying for a long time now, but it seems that everytime I try I get to a point where I feel like I'm making real progress, and that suddenly slip right back to where I started. I'm hoping that this will help.
Hi,
It's good to meet you! Welcome to AS (After Silence)!!!
Sometimes it does seem like we try and wind up back back where we started doesn't it? It's hard to pick yourself up and keep going when that happens. I'm glad you had the courage to come here and that you still have the desire to heal. I wish that this site will provide you with many understanding voices of hope to encourage you on your journey towards healing.
Strength to you,
Activist Ally
-
Hello dmh,
It was a courageous thing to introduce yourself here and I'm glad you were comfortable enough to have broken the silence here. Welcome to AS!
It is sad that there are so many women and men who belong here, but it is comforting to know that a safe place like this exists to help support survivors. I hope that this will be a kind and supportive community that can help you celebrate the good days and comfort you on the dark days as we journey ahead together.
There is a quote, "There are in every life both sunshine people and rainy-day people. There are giving people and those who take, but how few in number are those who understand." I hope you can find here some who understand.
All strength to you,
Activist Ally
-
I think I've received more support in my first post than I ever have before.
Thanks guysI'm glad you are finally getting some of the kind support that you've deserved for a long time...
-
Hello everyone,
I am new and i'm glad I found this site because I want to finally start my journey to open up and overcome what happen and finding peace with it. For so many years I blocked it out and pretended it didn't happen, but the last couple years I've been dying to scream my voice out about what happen but the reality is that nothing comes out, not one word, not one sound. Just the thought of dealing with this has cause me to have panic attacks, but it has been eating me up inside. I know this journey is going to be scary and not easy at times but I'm ready to start taking my first steps.
Hello Danni,
I am sorry you need this site but I'm glad you found us and I want to welcome you to AS (After Silence)!!!
You've already taken a giant step on the road to healing by having the courage to come here and introduce yourself and I congratulate you on your bravery!!! It is a very scary thing to do isn't it?
We here, the members of AS, are gathered together and ready to walk beside you through the highs and the lows of your healing journey, and also to sit with you in the times when you need to rest from the hard work of traveling the road of recovery. Please know that there is no set pace, no time table, that we are with you as long as it takes so feel no pressure to do or say more than you feel comfortable doing.
Strength to you,
Activist Ally
-
My name is Victoria and I am 19 years old. I was 14 when I was sexually assaulted. I spent the years between then and now hiding my secret as much as I could and feeling ashamed. I'm tired of telling other survivors to never be ashamed of what happened to them when I myself feel ashamed. I'm excited to come forward with my story outside of a courtroom and overcome my fears.
Hi Victoria,
I'm sorry to hear you were attacked at such a young age. Though you had feelings of shame there was nothing for you to ashamed about because all blame is all on the heads of the criminal(s) who hurt you. I am glad you had the tremendous courage to step forward here to break the silence about what happened to you.
We here at AS (after silence) are here to support you through the long hours of your healing journey and I hope you find this is a kind and supportive place as you struggle along towards a future of hope.
With support,
Activist Ally
-
I dont even know what to say or how I feel I guess numb is the only word I can use at this point.
Hello Cchell,
It's okay if you have few words...we welcome you here to AS (after silence) and will sit with you as you go through these feelings.
With support,
Activist Ally
I Am New Here
in Public: Welcome!
Posted
Hello Enigami,
It's great that you're reaching out for support and I think you've come to the right place! Awesome to hear you may have a support group where you live too!
It can be tough to process all this can't it? I'm sure you are doing the best you can and I hope we at AS can provide some helpful and kind support as we travel along together on the road to healing.
Activist Ally