• Never Again

Never Again

My name is TiaMaria and I’m a survivor.

Not a victim. Never again.

I refuse to say I’m a victim. I was a victim, but not anymore. To continue to use that word means that I continue to allow what happened hold me back. It means that he still has control over me.

NOT. FUCKING. LIKELY.

Once upon a time, I naively swore that I wouldn’t be that girl. I was smart, I was educated, and I would never let a man put me in harm’s way.

And then life found me in the wee hours of the morning curled up in a truck stop lounge a stone’s throw from the Canadian border and a couple thousand miles from home. Crying,scared, and broken. I had let a man hurt me. I had given up the reins of my life, surrendered control, and LET. HIM. HURT. ME.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t take responsibility for his actions. I know I didn’t ask to be smacked or held down. I definitely didn’t ask to be raped. But I know, had I made different choices, I may not have wound up there.

It took me six months of counseling and support groups to reclaim control of my life, of me. It took me six months to discover I am strong, I am a survivor. Never again will I allow someone to take that strength from me.

I won’t be a victim again.

Source: bandbacktogether.com

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About

Band Back Together is a group weblog that provides educational resources as well as a safe, moderated, supportive environment to share stories of survival. Through the power of real stories written by real people, we can work together to destigmatize mental illness, abuse, rape, baby loss and other traumas so that we may learn, grow, and heal.

On Band Back Together, we put a face to things not normally discussed. We are the face of depression. We are the face of baby loss. We are the face of mental illness. We are the face of abuse. We are the face of rape. We are the face of SURVIVORS and we are proud to be here. We wear our scars proudly, like battle wounds because everything we've survived has made us who we are today: better, stronger, and smarter.

It's time to pull our skeletons out of the closet and make them dance the tango.

We will no longer let our secrets fester inside. We will no longer live in the dark.

All are welcome.

Me, Elsewhere

The Band Back Together Project, its host, editors, moderators, staff and volunteers are not responsible for any decisions you make directly or indirectly as a result of content on this site. This site does not claim to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical or emotional problems. The site is not intended to replace the care of a doctor, psychologist, counselor, or other health-care professional, nor the advice of legal counsel. . Effector Theme by Carlo Franco.