Stories

72,636

Thank you for joining our We-Speak community. Together we have shared and read stories 72,636 times. Thank you for helping create a wave of change.

297

297 supporters thanked a survivor for sharing their story.

81

81 visitors found stories that made them feel hopeful.

96

96 visitors found stories and experiences they can relate to.

550

550 supporters shared a message with a survivor that they are not alone.
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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?

#1287

This poem by Rupi Kaur captures the essence of healing
"What is stronger than a human heart which shatters over and over and still lives"

Not my fault

Healing for me was learning to love myself again. I had felt worthless. It is being comfortable in myself. It is knowing what a healthy relationship is and knowing that the abuse i suffered was not my fault.

Trust?

Someone wants to listen to your story. Someone wants to help. Don't deal with this alone. I believe you, I see you. You can survive this.

Internal battle

Being honest with yourself, allowing yourself to feel the emotions & not push them down.

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

When a yes turns to a no

You did nothing wrong. You will be okay. Seek help and talk to someone.

Date

You matter, your story matters, and nobody knows what happened to you that day. Never stop fighting. Never let it get the best of you.

Title

13 years ago, My Ex-Fiancé didn’t take no for an answer and raped me anally. All I could do was lie there in my own bed in my own home and allow him carry on. And even after that we stayed together for another 6 months, I have never told anyone the type of rape it was or how exactly it happened. The shame and fear of judgement is too overwhelming. I still feel disgusting from it. Lately the flashbacks are getting more frequent. I never reported him, I wish I had gone to a doctor at the time but didn’t. I have moved on but will never forget the...

#1279

Learning to love my own body again

Title

I’m in a loving Marraige, three amazing kids, good job, great friends - it took a tough road to get here but it was worth it xxx

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

#1258

You are not alone. ❤️

#1245

You're not broken and you are worthy of love

Name

Healing is possible. Take a deep breath for me. As cliche as it is, know that you are not alone. Your story is yours to share when you are ready, but I promise you that when you take that leap, so many people will be there to catch you.
You are so loved.

Summer before college it all changed

It will get better, it will get easier to live and actually be conscious of the life you have and the life you could have. At the start it can be difficult, you may feel alone but truly you aren’t. You may feel failed, and together we can push through that and change it into a positive in helping others speak up, requesting more changes and penalties and raising awareness

Make consent modules mandatory in secondary school( my story )

You are not alone , there is always hope and you didn't deserve what you went through, you are loved , none of this was your fault

“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.”

Imagine an Ending

What is now won't be forever

An Exploited Friendship.

Sharing and seeking help will do more good for you than you’ll see or feel for a long time. People are genuinely here to help, you’ll be surprised who has similar stories.

I still hear and feel his breathing. In my ear, number years later. He is still a Bouncer in popular City bars.

I have found huge comfort in sharing my story with other survivors. More women go through these trauma’s than you think. We’re all just scared that we’re too broken, too much. But we are not. We were violated. We lost our freedom and rights. We were forced on in the most vulnerable of places. That doesn’t go away. Still a number years on from when I was raped the first time I still struggle to talk about it. a numberyears on from being sexually assaulted and I haven’t told anyone about it. I’ve gone to the Rape Crisis Centre countl...

Women are powerful, find your voice

Healing is finding my voice. No longer being afraid to share my story and be listened too.
Holding in those feelings and thoughts, what happened to you is never the best way to heal. Find your voice and I promise you’ll be heard.

They saw me deeper, but we all know them better now.

There's always more fight left in you. Hope is your guidance. You are not alone, it's never too late and you will be believed!

“Healing means forgiving myself for all the things I may have gotten wrong in the moment.”

We were friends.

We were friends. That is what I told him when he tried to kiss me when I was drunk. He smiled and said he understood.
We were friends. That is what I told him when I agreed to sleep off the alcohol at his as he insisted it wasn't safe for me to walk home. I felt a sense of relief and comfort when he smiled and said he understood.

Me Too Taxi Driver

It can help when others get justice.

Normalise sexual assualt

There is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always hope as "hope is a thing with feathers." There is help out there and there is always someone willing to listen. Things always get better in the end, there is so much more to look forward to. You are not your past trauma. There is a future out there, waiting.

I never thought I had to be wary of women.

I'm trying not to judge myself and be kind to myself and to not blame myself. What would I say to a friend? I try to say that to myself.

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN....IT WAS NOT

You as a Survivor are incredible. Only you know what your story is like. No body understands what it is truely like unless they have experienced it themselves. You are not alone. Other Survivors understand you better.Stay strong always and never let anyone discredit your story.

“It’s always okay to reach out for help”

A date to always remember but never forget

Each year it crashes in like the waves beating the stand.
It brings a swirl of emotion and feelings unbeknownst to my fragile mind.
My body seises as it struggles to stay afloat.
I gasp as the sharp prickly water traps my body,
unable to move,
but only to breathe,

The title of the story is: Stare the Stalker Down

Absolutely. If my story is of help to anyone or anyone needs to share their story with me, I would be so happy if anything helps. I survived that part of my life and am working on the other parts.

#781

What happened was not your fault. You deserve to be speak and be heard.

Stalked by a professional in Ireland

Speak up and speak out about your experiences and you will be amazed at the outpouring of support you will receive. And above all, never give up.

Saoirse ; Freedom

You've got this! You are unbelievably strong and you are not alone!

“I really hope sharing my story will help others in one way or another and I can certainly say that it will help me be more open with my story.”

#708

Just know that it was never your fault for what happens. You are strong and deserve to be happy in who you are.

Safety Exit

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