I believed the lies about me were true

November 14, 2013, @motherabuse, Personal Experiences,

It can be very difficult to unlearn all the victim blaming messages that have been imposed on us since childhood and continue to be imposed in all different forms by society over and over again. The media are the worst perpetrators and people believe them, as have I.

I am a survivor of mother-daughter sexual abuse, male childhood sexual abuse, and a ten year abusive relationship with a narcissist. Here are some of the messages I have had to unlearn:
I was a sexual child and invited the abuse
I consented to being groomed and raped at age 15
When I was 8 I was capable of saying no to a sexually abusive teacher
It is easy to leave an abusive partner
I am a terrible mother for not leaving a domestically abusive relationship sooner
As a survivor of multiple perpetrators it must be something about me that caused them all
I am bad and need to be punished
I am a liar
I am an attention seeker
I am a slut
I am dirty
Mothers don't sexually abuse their children
It didn't happen

I could go on.

I like to imagine living in a society where recovery from rape and sexual abusive are not compounded and made all the more treacherous by victim blaming. It is despicable that we live in a society that colludes and protects perpetrators of rape, domestic violence and childhood sexual abuse.

We have a long way to go in changing all this crap but at least we have made a start. I thank the people that are protesting at such injustice, hearing messages over the last few years such as rape is ALWAYS the fault of the rapist has been immensely helpful in my recovery. Victims have enough to deal with without being blamed on top.

It was NOT my fault.

 

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