[Been Gone For A While]

The road to healing is a rocky one, and their are ups and down, turns, and twists, but at the end of it all, you will be able to look back and say, without those, I wouldn't have healed, so I am glad that you're still healing and I am glad you have decided to join in on AS again, you're always welcome here

Feel free to PM me anytime if I can help you out in get re-settled in at AS

[New Member]

Hello ntlc

Welcome to AfterSilence

I am glad you're here, and I just wanted to say Hi back - I look forward to having you as a member here, and I hope you find the support you need here at AS, feel free to PM me anytime

[New Here]

Hey Ava,

Welcome to AfterSilence

I am also from Australia!! , and I am glad to see another Aussie member here , I am very sorry for the secret you have had to live with, and for what has happened to, it's very wrong, but please know that you don't have to worry about being a burden here at AS, or keep it a secret because we like you have experienced sexual violence and we understand, and are here for you.

I hope you find the support you need here at AS, and please feel free to PM me anytime

[New]

Hi ebullire33,

Welcome to AfterSilence

Happy birthday for next Wednesday

I am sorry for the CSA you experienced as a child, no child should have to live through that, and I am very sorry that you have lived through that Here at AS their are people who understand and who have been through similar situations as you have, and can relate to how you feel, and I hope that you can get the support you need here at AS

Take gentle care, and feel free to PM me anytime

[Hi, I'm A Newbie]

Hey Jenny,

Welcome to AfterSilence

I don't think time is relavant in how much "it" hurts, what happened to me happened afew years ago, and I don't think time is a healer, I think unless you're getting therapy and support and taking active steps such as joining AS in your healing, I don't think that time will allow you to heal, and it is totally understandable and normal for you to get anxious during the time of year which the abuse occured, I think most survivors can relate to that feeling

We are very happy to have you here at AS, and we hope that you find the support and healing you need here at AS, I personally have found AS a very supportive and a great place to be, and I hope you do also, if their is anything I can do to help you please let me know, I'll do my best

I am looking forward to having you here

[Censor?]

To use the black out thing put the word spoiler, in brackets [write word "spoiler" here] text [/write word "spoiler" here ]

E.g.

SPOILER

Hope this helps

[Hello]

Hey there ProtectedTink,

Welcome to AfterSilence

I am sure you will find plenty of support and understand here, and I am sure you'll make some friends here too!!!! We'll it look like you have 3 already ...

The people here are just wonderful, they offer such great support and understanding, and I really hope that you find that while being here at AS

Looking forward to having you here at AS , feel free to PM me anytime, if you need a hand with anything, or just wanna chat Awesome to have you here

[New]

Hi nitewisp77,

Welcome to AfterSilence, I am sure you will get the hang of posts and using AS soon , once you do it for a while it gets easier , just feel free to open up as you feel you can We'll be here to support you when you do, but take you time their is no rust, everyone healing at their own pace, whatever you're comfortable with

- I look forward to having you here

John

[Hi]

Then I tried several times to get into discussions, I'm not very good with computers and kept getting the message that I was not allowed into those areas. Even though I kept getting the same messages I kept trying, feeling like a complete idiot because I couldn't find the right buttons to push. After logging on and off several times, then writing a ridiculous message for help, I left.

Rahja, I think this may have been while your account was validating in the AfterSilence system, you should have full access to AS now

I am glad that you finally joined, and WELCOME ... I like you came to AS many times because actually joining, just to get the feel of things, however when I joined it was sooooo much more than I expected, this place is just really supportive and validating and the people here are sooo lovely and you can really make friends for life here

It is ok to be stressed out, and scared, but atleast you have recognised that, and trust me if you can when I say that will pass with time, we all have butterflys when we first join, it as very new and different environment to anything we have ever exerienced before, but that isn't a bad thing, because it is such a supportive environment, I am sure the member here will welcome you with open are, and I hope you can get the support you need here

If I can help out in anyways, if you just want to have a chat, or anything feel free to PM me anytime

Again Welcome to AfterSilence, so glad your here

[The Healing Quotes Thread!]

[Loving Our Bodies, Loving Ourselves]

Loving myself or my body is something that I think I struggle with, I am constantly tense and I always push my body to the limits, I can easily stay awake for days if I want to get something done urgently, mind of matter, when I am studying I won't eat for days sometimes, and I am really unsure how to love my body, I think personal grooming etc, in society is generally seen as a womens thing, but I think that this is just not true, men also have concerns about their body, and their self image, I know personally I do, I have no mirrors in my room because I don't like how I look, and always angle the car rear view mirror just at the right angle so I can't see myself, something I had always been conscience of is my hair, I have always wanted very long hair however I never do because I don't like to stick out, well now I am, I am growing my hair long, long enough to have a pigtail, and to have my hair touch my back, and to be able to tie it back, I have always wanted to look like the achery guy with blonde hair from lord of the rings, well that is my aim now, hehe. I guess another think I do for loving my body is hygenie, I am very hygenic, but other then that I do find it hard to do things which are loving for my body or myself. I just have this feeling of undeserving, however I hope with time I can overcome this.

John

[Um, .... Hi....]

Hey GlitterTeardrop,

I am glad to see another Australian here at AS, and I hope that you obtain the support and validation you need here at AfterSilence

I am glad you have join AS

Feel free to PM me anytime

[Trying To Let Go...]

Hey KimmyJo

I am glad to see that you have joined AS, AS isn't really something you should use to replace counselling, what I find is that it works well in conjuctions with counselling, I have been through 5 counsellors before I found my current one and she seems that right person for me, so I wouldn't give up your search for a good therapist because my goodness they can help you out. It's just finding that good one

But in saying that, AS is a wonderful place to come and get support and encourage during your healing journey, and I certainly don't think I could be without AS on my healing journey , and I am so glad that you have now joined AS for your healing journey, and I hope the we can give you support and validation you need during this time.

Please take gentle care, and feel free to PM me anytime !

[Hi]

Hey CastlesMadeOfSand

Welcome to AS

First of all, I want to say I absolutely love you username, it reminded me of the beach and making big sand castle, I am glad that you choose such as postive name

I am glad that you came here to AS, and I hope that you find the healing and validation that many members here have found here before you, this place is such a validating and supportive place, and to myself personally AS has given me so much, and I hope I have given back even just a fraction of what AS has given to me, this place is all about healing and supporting togeather and with each other, and I hope you like it here

Feel free to PM me anytime

John

[Greetings From Down Under]

Wait Wait Wait.... You're saying greetings from down under?

And you're account has the same time zone as mine, wow you're from Australia

I'm from Australia also , better watch out everyone we are getting a far few Aussies now, hehe , we're taking over

Welcome to AfterSilence - I'm looking forward to having you here at AS

Feel free to PM me anytime

[Search Function]

No problem I'm glad you found what you where looking for

[Hi, I'm New]

Hey ChrisitinMarie,

Welcome to AfterSilence

When I first joined AS, I had never done this before either, but trust me over time as your feel more comfortable in the AS environment you will be able to open up more and more, but just take things at whatever pace you feel is right for you, when you're ready to open up we will be here to offer support

I look forward to having you here, and I hope you find being here benificail to you healing

[Search Function]

Also for more help using the search function, click here

John

[Search Function]

Hello Lex,

To search, Click here

Select the forums you wish to search, and type in the query you wish to search, the search function searches the board index, which only includes the name of the threads, and generally won't search the content of threads as this would take too long, so if your searching for a thread please type the name of the thread, I believe you search would have returned no results is because it is too general, e.g. too many thread have that word in them.

Try making your search more specific

I hope this helps

[Just Introducing Myself]

Hey Wispet,

I am glad to see you posted in the Welcome forum

I am looking forward to seeing you at AS and I hope that we can help you in your healing, and get the support you deserve

John

[I've Never Really Done This Before..]

Hi, I am glad that you have turned to a place as wonderful as AS for support, AS really is a lovely place where I am sure you will make plenty of friends, you can also talk about what you have been through at whatever pace suites you, their is no rush, we have as much time as you need, just tell us the thing you want to when you feel ready

Also please feel free to PM me or any member of the Newbie Support Team anytime, we're here to help

[Speechless]

A way me and my T kind of get the conversation going is by email, we send each other emails through the week and often get an ideas of the issues we need to cover in the next session, like through the week I talked to my T about how we where going to go about talking about "it" so then when I talked in their, we started with the usual how was your week etc, and then the Question, Do you want to talk about it? ... Like having a house brick thrown in your face but it broke the ice and allowed me to open up somewhat about what has happened, so I guess having some kind of "plan for attack" for talking about that subject can be a good way to tackle this problem.

I still found it quiet difficult to talk about "it", I was just running through it in my head, but it wouldn't come out of my mouth, I guess in this regards you just have to give yourself time, and breathe etc. That's all I can think of, I guess we have to remember that we are talking about the most horrible experiences of our lives, it's not easy, so I guess we also have to have realist expectation of ourselves, and don't push ourselves too far. I hope this helps

[Hello]

Hello crystalday,

Welcome to AfterSilence, I think many of us can relate to that inner turmoil you're discribing, you're not alone in this, and over time you will heal from the experiences that you have had, for which I am very sorry for I myself didn't tell my family for a very long time, and I understand that feeling of not knowing how to tell them, you will know when is the best time to tell them, and in what context, it is your decision of when you want to tell them, and we will be here to support you in whatever decision you make in this regards

Please know that we are very happy to have you here, and are very happy you're reaching out to AS, and are obtaining so healing, and breaking the silence that you have had, I look forward to having you here, and I hope that AS proves beneficial in your healing, feel free to PM me anytime

[Hi I New To The Site]

Hey adragonfly,

Welcome to AfterSilence!!

I am sorry for what has happened to you, and for the effect that it has had on your life, but I am glad that you have decided to come to AfterSilence and break that silence about what happened to you. Many people experience what your experience where it all seems to come back, or a delayed onset of PTSD, I hope that being here is healing for you, and you find the support you deserve. This is a very accepting site, and I am sure people will give you lots of support

[Holding My Breath]

Hey Laureen,

Welcome to AfterSilence

I am sorry for the trauma that you experienced at the hands of your local police officer, someone who is ment to protect people, not hurt them, please know that it wasn't your fault and I am glad that you have come here to AfterSilence to gain some support for what you have experienced

Educating our children about the threat of sexual abuse and violence is a very good thing for a parent to do, and I think you're very wise for doing this, I hope that you find some of the resources available on this site helpful in doing this

I look forward to having you here, and getting to know you more, and please feel free to PM me anytime