Finding Freedom: Escaping Abuse and Reclaiming My Voice

My abuse started at a very young age by someone I loved and was meant to trust in life. He was large, scary, and mean. At age 6, it started with physical violence, and it progressed to sexual assault as I got older in life. My abuser trapped me until I fought for my life, I finally escaped at 21 years old.  

I spent the first few years of freedom lost, confused, and lacking any self-worth or identity. This opened the door for years of shame, guilt, and letting men take advantage of my body for years, until I decided that wasn’t the life I wanted anymore. 

In 2020, I woke up one day and decided I was going to share my story, and I posted my first TikTok video. It went viral enough for people to want to listen to and understand my story. After I started posting more and talking to others, I started to see that I truly am not alone. Many women and men started sharing their stories with me and encouraged me to keep it up. 

I decided that speaking up about it was not going to be enough, so I started doing my own research and found the right people to help me out. After years of court battles, my abuser was sent to prison. 

I learned that the past can’t be changed, and carrying shame and our trauma only makes it harder to be myself and continue in life. I started attending retreats, doing yoga, meditating, reading self-help books, connecting with others, and gaining control of MY life. 

Just because someone took the innocence of my youth and took away my freedom growing up, they no longer have power or control over me. I get to decide my path in life, and now I hope to help other survivors find their newfound freedom. Life can be beautiful and hard, but mostly it is perspective. Looking for the brighter things on the darkest days helps me find the light.