This truth can be a trophy, a medal of honor:

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⬥ It was never your fault.
⬥ You are resourceful and resilient.
⬥ You are known and treasured. 

If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse, you are in the company of millions of other people. At least 25% of all American adults were abused as children. Some have repressed those memories but the trauma lingers in our bodies and in our minds until it is resolved.

Please know this:  Every survivor's story is different but our journeys are all hard. You will have ups and downs, and it will be a bumpy road sometimes, but you are moving forward. You lived through great trauma and distress; please be patient with yourself. 

Also know that no one has the right to harm a child, and abuse is never the child's fault; adults were responsible for keeping you safe.

Please remember that faith is made harder by abuse. Be gentle with yourself, and don't feel guilty if you're having trouble trusting God or believing in God. 

There are steps you can take on your own. You are not powerless. You may not be able to find or afford a therapist, or maybe you’ve tried therapy and it didn’t help at that point in your life. Here are some suggestions:

- Please know that there are different paths to healing, and different timetables. Try not to compare yourself to other survivors. Some techniques may not help you, but others will. Find what works for you, and stick with it.
- It often helps to focus on what you can control. You can’t change the past but you can make small decisions now that will build your strength and confidence.
- Don’t let anyone push you into steps that you aren't ready for, such as forgiving your abuser, disclosing and telling your story, or spending time with toxic family members.
- Always be honest with God, whose faithfulness to you is everlasting. 

At Silence Broken, we  want you to know that you aren't alone. We don’t have all the answers but we will walk beside you. For more information and for possible help, please see our list of no-cost or sliding scale resources. I’m a survivor too.

Feel free to email me, any time: Mary.Brown@SilenceBrokenNow.org. We will maintain complete confidentiality, and we will never charge for any service that we provide.