Hiya!

[Amaranta]

Hi, everyone. I'm a bit nervous about posting...but I was assaulted about a year ago and I still have trouble talking about it, even in therapy. I'm a college student, and I'm going abroad next semester, so the few people (by which I actually mean the three people) I've told will be far away. I'm hoping maybe posting and reading here will provide a bit of support.

On a happier note--I study Spanish and anthropology at a liberal arts school, and I'm a passionate writer and musician. I've always used the arts to manage my anxiety, and they've played a huge part in keeping me sane this past year. But of course sometimes things bubble up... Anyway, I'm looking forward to maybe getting to know some of you. Thank you for reading.

Amaranta

[MeBeMary]

Hello Amaranta,

Welcome to AS. I am sorry about your trauma, but know this is a very supportive site. It is ok to be nervous, everyone is new at one point, and you may not know totally what to expect. Take your time and know that there is never any pressure here. I am glad you do have an outlet for your stresses, as I believe that is important. I wish you well on your healing journey.

Mary

[ActivistAlly]

Hello Amaranta and welcome to AS (After Silence)

Sounds like you've got some wonderful passions and I hope you are having a great time pursuing those!!!

I'm sorry to hear of your assault and it's very normal to have trouble talking about a trauma like that. I hope belonging here will help you get some of the kind support you deserve to help you heal!

If you have any questions or need help with anything I hope you'll feel free to pm (personal message) myself or any of the Newbie Support Team (NST) because that is what we are here for and we will do our best to assist you!

With support,

Activist Ally

[reglois]

if OK

[spocknado]

hello and welcome!

most of us have trouble talking about our experiences. i've never been able to talk about mine out loud. it happened almost five years ago and only three people know -- one is a therapist and one is an anonymous RAINN counselor. so, i consider you very brave. i hope you do, too.

i went to a liberal arts college in new england for two years and loved it so much! i studied psychology and environmental science. i ended up going through a pretty awful disability discrimination situation and was kinda chased out of the school, so now i'm halfway across the country studying animal science and i'm much happier with the field. i do miss the liberal arts atmosphere, though. a huge R1 university with 40,000 undergrads isn't even comparable.

going abroad seems scary, and maybe some of it will be since some of your safety nets will be away, but you'll have so much fun! i went abroad for a little while in high school and i had an absolute blast even though it was ~10 months after my assault. if you run into some bad times, there will always be someone here to talk to

anyway, i hope you find what you're looking for here!

[Ann03]

Hey Amaranta! I don't know very many people who can talk about their experiences easily, so you're in good company. I'm also at a liberal arts college, and I love writing and music! Most of what I'm used to is classical piano, but someone finally coaxed me into improvising, which is pretty exciting for a score-bound player like me What kinds of things do you like to write/ play/ sing?

[Aryah]

hi and welcome