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Trauma wants you to stay stuck, because then you never learn the secret: it doesn’t define you. It will never win.

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Finding meaning in our trauma requires digging up the past and deciding what is worth keeping and what should be left behind.

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We spent the whole day together, and I knew something wasn’t right. I should’ve forced you to go…somewhere. 

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If you document your pain, you’ll find that 100 heartbreaks may call for 100 letters of forgiveness or that fear you’ve been experiencing calls for bigger faith and trust in God.

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To a trauma survivor, these visits can be more than an inconvenience or a discomfort. They can be painful, and they can be scary. They can cause flashbacks, and they can make us relive our trauma. They can even retraumatize us. 

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It only took me four years to utter those words, and even then, I can’t seem to lose the “technically.”

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Whether you reported your attack to the authorities or are one of the many survivors who didn’t, it’s not your fault.
It was never your fault.

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Healing from a major trauma takes a long time. It will always haunt the back of your mind until you do.

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Because of you, reciprocation and thoughtfulness make me feel uneasy. You taught me that even if it is given, it doesn’t last long and it is only used to get something in return.  

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When I’m awake, everything that I see, hear, feel, touch, and smell triggers the trauma that lives within me.