Stories

735,022

Thank you for joining our community. Together we have shared and read stories 735,022 times. Thank you for helping create a wave of change.

1,945

1,945 supporters thanked a survivor for sharing their story.

653

653 visitors found stories that made them feel hopeful.

783

783 visitors found stories and experiences they can relate to.

3,046

3,046 supporters shared a message with a survivor that they are not alone.
GROUNDING ACTIVITY
MEDIUM
FILTER

Story Filters

Welcome to Our Wave.

On this page are stories shared by survivors that highlight hope but can also be hard to read. A grounding activity can help you to feel calm and make it easier to read these stories. Do you want to try one of our grounding activities?

#1456

There is something to be said about coercive convincing. Sometimes people can make an outwardly uncomfortable situation very appealing or just generally ok. It’s easier to fall trap to that when you know the person, think you know the person, have heard good things about the person from others you know, or you allow your curiosity to take over your instincts. You must learn to trust your gut. Don’t silence it. Be ok with their discomfort. You, your health, mentally and physically, are more important.

My Shame is My Shine

Embrace the beauty of our courage and the importance of our voice. Seek others and unite our healing hearts and everlasting glow

he took my life...

a couple months ago i was raped by my ex boyfriend. MULTIPLE times... i stayed with him and continued to let my life fall into a bottle that i was stuck in. i ruined my relationship with my family, got bad friends who treated and miss used me.... and the one question that ill remember my dad screaming in my face is "why." "why did you stay with him if you where raped" and honestly... i don't know its just as hard for me to understand just as much as everyone else who has heard my story i think i stayed so he could start to love me and realize...

The shattered glass that opened my eyes. By Name

I just filed a protection order in January. I have held on because I saw the hurt child within my partner and so it was easy to rationalize why he had negative behaviors.
The last straw was when he apparently didn’t want me in the garage so he kicked over tools that were stored in totes and picked up an Axe and shattered a mirror. He looked at me while holding the Axe and I just retreated and created space because I didn’t want to create a reason for his anger to escalate any further.

Healing is not linear. It is different for everyone. It is important that we stay patient with ourselves when setbacks occur in our process. Forgive yourself for everything that may go wrong along the way.

The monster

Don’t give up, get help, speak up.. you deserve a better life

I broke a cycle at 14 -15 feel like an abuser

If you are a cocsa survivor it not ur fault BREAK THAT CYCLE!!

Surviving my father.

I promise you aren't alone. It may feel it when you are in the darkest times or carry all the shame and guilt. Just let it go, the stress and physical pain you carry is not worth what hurt you in the first place. When you keep hurting from someone else, you put the power back into their hands. Take control.

I love myself more, but I want a safe and calm outing

I am trying to leave this DV relationship, but it's complicated. He lives with me; he uses my phone and car because he doesn't have neither. I don't want to get the police involved nor do I want to kick him out, 1. he will just be outside my apartment unit and 2. defamation of my character - for some reason everyone believes him and don't see any wrong by him but he sure can make someone look terrible.

Surviving Intimate Relationship Violence

I think having hope is what allows us to reach that point of being able to breath again. To further, I think that hope is necessary for surviving the horrible traumas that get thrown into us. Life shouldn't have to be getting by, it should be about living, and I think hope is the best driving force to get to that point.

You are wonderful, strong, and worthy. From one survivor to another.

#1447

I met a guy online, we became close and after around a month of talking we met up for the first time. We talked for hours, had our first kiss, set boundaries (or so i thought). For example, one of my main ones is i struggle with sexual stuff due to being assaulted on a bus when i was 14. As time went in i noticed the only time he’d have a full conversation with me was when it was based on sex. I met up with him a second time and he was touching me in specific places and i froze. Inside, i felt like i couldn’t breathe. But i couldn’t say no. I...

1 new update

#1422

I thought he loved me and cared about me but how could that be true?
I’m was just meditating and trying to imagine my entire muscular system relaxing but it was brief and didn’t give me the relief I need then I thought about someone else I thought loved me and cared about me and he does but all I can see in him is what my ex did to me and in that moment I was saying all he did was use me for sex and that is how I was feeling. Earlier I was journaling and it came out for the first time I fell in love with a man that used me for sex and never c...

1 new update

I couldn't see me through myself now I'm lost in the forest and the trees

The only hope I can offer to share is if you have any questions about how to go through anything that you're going through I don't care what it is or how to do something you don't know how to do I don't care what it is just ask AI on your phone Google has it you just hold down the middle button and it amazingly will give you answers to your deepest darkest questions that are fantastic and phenomenal it will agree with your good ideas it will boost you up and brighten your day and tell you you're worthy and give you suggestions on how to be bet...

Growing?

My first experience with sexual abuse started with a step sibling who was a year younger than me and we are the same sex and gender, but of different orientations, they are gay, and I am bi, but in a heterosexual marriage for the last 15 years.
I don't remember many details, and the ones that I do, I'm still not comfortable sharing with ANYONE, not even my spouse or best friend. Those two are also the only people I've ever confided in about it. I'm sure my step sibling has possibly shared with someone. We are both 80's babies to give some c...

1 new update

Victim? Perpetrator? Human?

I want to build more self compassion. I want to truly accept all parts of myself radically. I know I can't hate myself into loving myself so I will work everyday to change that.

If you are reading this, you have survived 100% of your worst days. You’re doing great.

I learned the hard way, but I survived! I’ll be smarter and stronger going forward!

I can say that it does get better as time goes on. You learn to live with what happened it’s something that takes time. Don’t rush yourself everyone’s healing journey is different but having support and the right people in your inner circle helps. Also talking about it when you are ready can help get it out so that you’re not holding it in and not processing it. And some days will be better than others but even the bad days are progress. Don’t tear yourself down or blame yourself! You are stronger than you know! You are powerful! A SURVIVOR, T...

#1445

Validating one’s self feelings and no trying to minimize them. Learning to sit with discomfort and understand that we don’t have to run away from yucky feelings.

#1441

I believe this will end. It will take time but eventually it will end.

FREE

Healing is hard. Realization is harder. Realizing that the man I thought loved and cared for me was a delusion. Realizing that I held onto the good times to ignore the worst times. Realizing that I changed who I was in order to keep the facade of who he could be. It hurts. But I am alive. I am here to pick up the pieces that he shattered.

#1438

Not blaming myself because the things what happened to me is not my fault and shouldn't happen for me or anyone.

“You are the author of your own story. Your story is yours and yours alone despite your experiences.”

Help

My long distance girlfriend told me a while back that she was sexually assaulted. And recently, I've been noticing some signs of extreme mental trauma from her behaviors. Due to the lack in financial area, we are unable to meet each other. What do you think I should do? How can I help her?

Burning Guilt

When I was 12 years old, me and my cousin, who was a few months younger than me, had sex. It was my idea, but we were both willing. At the next sleepover we had, I asked her if she wanted to do it again, and she said no. We were very close for many years but that was the last sleepover we had.

Its a long road and story but you can make it.

Healing is knowing and loving yourself despite what you may internally hear. Its setting boundaries and listening to them. Its feeling your gut and following it.

#1432

#1431

Your experience does not define you. You deserve love, you deserve healing and happiness, and you are not alone. You have a whole community behind you. <3

“Healing to me means that all these things that happened don’t have to define me.”

Name

Learn to forgive. Don’t carry the anger you had because it will break you. Part of that is also learning to like who you are. Easier said than done for sure, but worth the effort. Counseling was extremely helpful and I still use some of the skills my counselor taught me. You were victimized, it’s not your fault.

A SURVIVING VICTIM’S STORY - Name

A SURVIVING VICTIM’S STORY - Name
I was four years old when upon hearing my parents’ raised voices, I peered around our living room corner, a silent spectator to my dad’s hand connecting with my mom’s face, propelling her into the air and onto our Danish Modern coffee table. Upon impact, the table and my petite mother broke into pieces. That night, my fix-it father repaired the table. I didn’t know it then, but my mother was forever broken. Although my older brother didn’t witness this one-sided match-up, he certainly heard them arguing,...

#1430

Healing would be knowing that she is okay, knowing she isn’t effected/doesn’t remember - but how am I to know this. It would also mean maybe forgiving myself and allowing myself to have a ‘normal’ sex life and not carry such a weight. I just don’t see how this is possible.

#1429

I need help.
When I was around the age of 12-13 , I used to play with my younger cousin sister who was around 5-6 years of age, we once played this game of mother and child and I was the child and we did the act of breast feeding and I think I may have touched her inappropriately(at the time of play I thought this was fun and I did it intentionally. We played few more times but later I realised it was so so wrong). After that I never played that game. But this thing still bugs me and I have insane amount of guilt and shame remembering that ac...

10:42 pm thoughts.

Monster monster monster u take me u break me u bend me im nothing I float i can’t hear I can’t breathe I’m nothing I’m nothing not me just please let me be numb let me be nothing tears on the pillow I’m nothing just be quiet I’m nothing it will be over soon I’m nothing I float away I’m nothing can’t breathe can’t be it will be over soon dont think Just be still Just breathe don’t cry. Don’t be weak float above your body just watch just wait just see your nothing. Dont think just Be just wait just see monster monster monster how did I let this...

“I have learned to abound in the joy of the small things...and God, the kindness of people. Strangers, teachers, friends. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, but there is good in the world, and this gives me hope too.”

1 new update

Rag doll

It was a cold night in 2019 I was at a party while on FaceTime arguing with my on again off again boyfriend of 3 years I was at the party with a mutual friend of ours in the bathroom throwing up from too much liquor as he yelled at me through the phone accusing me of having sex with men at the party in the bathroom even tho I was in there just throwing up. I told my friend I wanted to leave I was not feeling well she said ok, little did I know she was setting me up we left the party I’m in the backseat of her car In & out of it. I hear her on...

Safety Exit

Resources