It takes an unthinkable amount of trust and vulnerability to motivate a survivor of abuse to disclose their experiences, because the last time the survivor trusted someone, they were abused.

 

As a result, it takes even more inner strength to be willing to open up and share their story due to past consequences of being vulnerable. Abuse often leaves the survivor feeling powerless. In a survivor’s attempt at self-preservation and to maintain the smallest shred of power, they put up walls that prevent that vulnerability and deny trust to all. What more abuse survivors need to be told repeatedly is how strong, capable, and resilient they are, because truthfully, anyone reading this who has survived abuse is courageous. When we empower those who feel powerless, we give them a safe space to share their story.