[Hey]

@isawabird Welcome to AS! I’m pretty new here myself but everyone here has been absolutely amazing and supportive. I am so glad to have joined this community, it feels like a huge step forward, to be able to communicate with people who have similar experiences. I hope you find being here beneficial, wishing you well! 

[Some things just won’t wash out]

Hello everyone... 

I signed up recently after reading a book about survivors of sexual abuse and realising that I kind of needed to find myself a place that I can share without so much limitation, in anonymity. I have been in counselling since the age of 7 and now at the age of 24 I am in the beginnings of doing EMDR. It is only in the last two years that I have even begun to talk about the abuse, to acknowledge to myself fully and to tell anyone else what happened. My problem is, I can’t identify my abuser, nor can I give away any information that may make it obvious about who my abuser was. If I thought any further children were at risk of abuse, I would 100% be forthcoming with this information and despite the trauma I feel it would cause me, I would put myself through that, to protect innocent children. I have recently come to realise, whilst I am struggling to accept it, that I was innocent throughout all those years of abuse. The abuser was to blame. I still carry so much shame and guilt but I am hoping I can heal from this. 
 

So this is just me, introducing myself I guess...

Just as a full disclaimer, I do have DID but my ‘alters’ WILL NOT be posting, I am aware that they are not welcome here and this is not the place for them. I hope this is not a problem, but if anyone has concerns about this I am happy to discuss.