Stories

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Welcome to We-Speak.

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?

Understanding the Complexity of Sexual Abuse

There is hope in survivors coming together to share their stories and offer each other support, encouragement and understanding. We are stronger together.

I met her last night

I'm 9 weeks on from my assault and in the early stages of wedding planning. I'll never forget what happened me but I hope in time the good out weighs the bad.

There are good guys, I promise

Healing is allowing yourself to be seen and known and loved, even when you are carrying all you have been through and everything that has made you feel broken. Healing is realising you don’t need to be ‘healed’ to be loved, by yourself or anyone else. Healing is knowing you are perfect and worthy just because you exist. Healing is finding home in your body again. Healing is being your own safe space.

#1418

A number of years on, I am still healing from my experience, but it begins to get a little easier as you build more positive memories beyond what happened to you in the past. Having a relationship that is healthy, and that we all deserve, is healing because I feel more safe now and I know my boundaries will be respected and I will be loved regardless of the level of intimacy. I am healing by enjoying experiences that make life feel worthwhile.

#1540

It's not your fault.

#1518

I’m able to get out of bed, laugh with my friends, achieve great things and carry on with my life, when all of that felt impossible at one point.

My journey

If you have experienced rape, know there is supports available. People will listen and believe you. Their is always hope. Take it one day at a time or even one hr at a .time,if that means you feel safe. Know the help is there when your ready to take that step, when you feel lost, alone, angry or upset. Talk to someone. There is always someone at the other end of the line and there is always hope.

Feel all emotions to heal all emotions

Believe in yourself
Trust have faith and never give up
FEEL IT TO HEAL IT

Hope is near

When I feel safe,
Healing is undoing the pain by living the life I have, doing the things I missed out in life, things I've never allowed to experience before, being fully in control and never have to look over my shoulder in fear.

#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.

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

#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

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!

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.

Safety Exit

Safety Exit

Resources