Breaking the Silence: My Journey as a Survivor of Abuse**

Hello coffee lovers, I have been drinking coffee for a very long time, Since maybe the age of 10. Knowing that I can drink coffee and still think about my past, we know that the past has a way of alway being in the back of your mind. Like I remember drinking coffee at 6am in the morning with my stepmom and playing Mario Bros. Some memories go away or you forget but some memories of the past you cannot forget. Let's Talk about victims in young ages who can’t forget their past even if they wanted to.

Abuse is a word that carries a huge amount of weight, yet it's one of the many people who struggle to fully understand until they've experienced it firsthand. For too long , I kept my story hidden, wrapped in a blanket of shame,fear and uncertainty but today ,I'm breaking my silence. This is my journey from victim to a survivor ,and I hope that by sharing my story,others who have faced similar struggles will find the strength to speak out and seek help. Abuse can take many forms—physical, emotional, verbal, financial, or sexual. It’s not always visible, and it doesn’t always leave physical scars. The emotional wounds, however, can run deep and take years to heal. In my case, the abuse was a mix of emotional manipulation and physical violence, something that left me questioning my worth and my place in the world. Living through abuse is like being trapped in a never-ending storm. You feel isolated, worthless, and powerless. For a long time, I believed that I deserved the treatment I was receiving, that somehow I had caused it or that it was a reflection of who I was as a person. This kind of thinking is a common consequence of abuse—it warps your sense of reality and self-worth. The turning point in my journey came when I realized that I couldn’t continue living in fear. It wasn’t easy. Leaving an abusive situation is one of the hardest things anyone can do. It requires immense courage, and sometimes it feels like you’re stepping into the unknown. But that first step—acknowledging that something is wrong and that you deserve better—is crucial. One of the most important things I learned was that I didn’t have to go through this alone. There are people and organizations out there who can help. Reaching out for help was the best decision I ever made. Whether it’s through friends, family, or professional support services, having someone to talk to can make all the difference. People asked me why I became a writer. Ite because reading stories and having books made me feel like I wasn't who I was and what I was going through.Writing was my outlet and still is. I think many other writers can agree. Healing from abuse is a journey, not a destination. There are good days and bad days. But what’s important is that you’re moving forward. I’ve learned to forgive myself for staying as long as I did or not saying something sooner, and I’ve learned to rebuild my life on my own terms. It’s not easy, and the scars are still there, and I saw myself covering myself up so no one would look at me but I overcame that and what happened to me is but these days those who harmed me and made me a victim no longer define me, no longer will i be what everyones see as one of me other than a survivor. **A Message to Other Survivors:** To anyone reading this who is going through or has gone through abuse: you are not alone. Your experiences do not define your worth, and there is help out there. Speaking out is hard, but it’s the first step toward healing. Telling yourself it's not your fault is your first thing to do. Look in the mirror in the mirror and say it everyday until you believe it because it's not your fault and you did nothing wrong. I know this conversation was a lot to soak in and I never thought I would say a word that I would keep to myself but I see so many others out there going through what I went through who sometimes don’t want to even see their beautiful faces because they feel it's a curse. Those bodies they try to hide because they feel as though everyone sees them as a person they can take advantage of.As i said before you are not alone and i hope for your healing but until our next conversation i'll talk to you latee. #bloggers #coffeelovers #victims #abuse #writers #fyp #heal #vanessaawriter #readers ##breakthesilence