This blog post is just what I needed to read today.
http://www.wearyourvoicemag.com/calling ... speak-out/
I hope that this Forum -- and my own posts -- do not make any MK survivors of childhood abuse in NTM environments feel they have failed if they do not speak up, if they do not make demands of NTM, and continue to make demands, as months turn to years.
This article expresses so well the fact that every survivor IS truly courageous, no matter what. You are safe now. No one else should tell you what to do, or what choices to make in response to what was done to you in the past.
As a victims' advocate, I stand by, ready to help you or support you in any way I can. But I don't want my availability to be interpreted as pressure.
Thank you, Nik Moreno, for expressing these truths better than I ever have.
"Reader, there is validity in your trauma, even if you don’t feel safe to speak up. Your survivor-ship is real. Your trauma isn’t your fault, and it never will be. Any feelings you may have about your trauma or your abuser are valid and reasonable; no one is allowed to tell you how to feel about your experience(s). No one has the right to invalidate your pain, feelings, your mental illnesses, and especially not your courage!"
"You shouldn’t be burdened by your community, or authorities with the guilt of your abuser possibly inflicting trauma on someone else. You are not responsible for another person’s actions; ever. You have the autonomy to keep your experiences to yourself, no one can take that away from you. No one’s allowed to tell you what trauma does and doesn’t look like for you. You deserve the same validation and empowerment as those survivors who have spoken out. You have full control over your narrative, even during times where it feels like you don’t, when you feel like everything is out of control."
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). Now we can break bread with a diverse group, enjoying Big Macs, Roast Lamb, Kangaroo Burgers, Swedish Moose Stew and a host of other international cuisines.