CW: Domestic Abuse

(Updated 11/26/2023)

There’s no sugarcoating the effects of physical and emotional abuse a child may bury away in their adult mind.

Into adulthood, they may keep it buried. They might do it by being the life of the party, forcing extroversion on themselves like a drug. Which sadly, the physical drugs can be an option to keep the burial plot intact as well.

For some of us that were abused at any age, the muscle memory for overall self-defense might never go away completely. Not when you find yourself in the presence of one or multiple parties involved in the abuse, and can tell they’d never admit to it.

They may even “forget” it ever happened and dismiss or divert your thinking from their judgment.

That’s why it can be hard for those that (re)discover this to connect with genuine people. The new people may never touch them in a harmful way, but even innocent words from them could remind the victim of the precursors to those bruises. Or worse.

I can’t say that what you went through is what strengthened you and that you should feel brave for surviving it. It’s cliche, tired, and throws more dirt on the emotional burial site.

You deserved to be safe. Protected. Loved without conditions.

And you still deserve it.

What happened, or even happening to you, should not exist. You deserve to speak up about it. No matter your age, their social or familial connection, don’t let it eat you from within.

They revel in believing you suffer in silence.

Fight back by speaking up, if and when you can.

It’s your turn to win.

D.F.