[Hello]

Dear Newbie Support Team members, thank you so much for the warm welcome and encouragement. 

It feels a little silly to say, but being welcomed and accepted with such compassion and kindness is a rare gift, and I cherish it. Thank you all for giving of yourselves and your time in this way. 

[Hello]

Hello all, 

It seems polite to offer a quick introduction to the members of this forum, so I'm popping in to say hello.

I'm here to - hopefully - gain a community.  It's been years and years since I've been a part of a forum for survivors. I was 15 when I first joined one, on Livejournal, ha, and though I wasn't nearly ready to deal with the trauma that I had experienced then, I found it to be a place of support and encouragement. It was the only safe space that I had to share my experience with sexual abuse as a child. It was a place where I was told, "I believe you," and "it's not your fault," and "hang in there," and "it's time for you to become a survivor," which were invaluable words to a young neglected kid without a support system.

Since then I have become an adult, gained and lost a religion, experienced trauma unrelated to sexual abuse, and spent untold hours in therapy and with self-healing books in the hopes of meeting my trauma face-on and using it to help others. Which is why I'm here - to return the favor that I experienced years ago on LJ, and to seek the support of those whose lives have also been impacted by sexual trauma. We are in this together. We are not alone.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your community.