Trigger warning: mentions of abuse (sexual, emotional)
I am 20-years-old. I started writing this story when I was 12. I never got this far into the story until now. It has morphed and shapeshifted over the last 8 years. Now, I finally have a clear vision of what the story should be. A key theme in this story is sexual assault and how it affects almost every woman in some way shape or form in this world.
2018 was a terrible year for me. I was in an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship with a much older man. I still have a hard time calling it abuse because he was so charming and manipulative and persuasive. I didn't realize how bad of a person he was until I ended it. Everything began to piece itself together after that. There were a lot of things about that relationship that made me lose myself, parts of me that he took and I will never recover. My already bad depression only spiraled farther out of control.
I feel like honesty and openness and the ability to confront terrible, awful things is a way to heal. At least, it's my way to heal. I am still healing from the way he treated me. Thankfully, I have a very supportive sister, boyfriend, and cousin by my side. But there are still some things he did that haunt me, and possibly always will.
If you're reading this story, I thank you. If you have ever experienced sexual assault or abuse of any kind, I urge you to seek help. Unfortunately, sexual assault is all too common. But it is never, ever your fault.
Below, I have included a list of hotlines.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)
www.rainn.org
number: 800.656.4673
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
www.thehotline.org
number: 1−800−799−7233
Women's Law
www.womenslaw.org
This provides plain language legal information for victims of abuse.
I will include more later. If anyone would like to share others that I can add, I would greatly appreciate it.