Declaration From Survivors Of Childhood Trauma

We refuse to continue to feel guilty about our illness and will not apologize for it anymore.

We were treated horribly as children by our parents and caregivers.

We were neglected, abused, and treated callously and carelessly over a long period of time.

We did not have any sense of basic safety and had no chance to be children.

The trauma we suffered has ongoing and permanent repercussions for us.

We struggle every day, mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

Our bodies are sick from carrying the toxicity of trauma for so many years,

and many of us struggle with chronic physical ailments that compound our struggles.

Just because we don’t seem sick in a conventional sense does not mean that it is not real.

We are not exaggerating, embellishing, or making it up.

We are not drama queens trying to get attention.

We are moody, angry, sad, and exhausted, and for good reason.

We sometimes act out aggressively out of frustration.

We are easily overwhelmed by small things and will not always feel able to keep commitments.

We are not flakes, we struggle at times to function in even the most basic way.

We worry too much because anxiety and fear dominate our lives.

We have trouble trusting others because we could not trust those who should have put our needs and well-being first.

As a result, we may frequently seem aloof, defensive, or filled with rage.

This is an apt response to the horrific circumstances that we have been forced to endure.

This is our life. We struggle a lot and we are doing the best we can.

We feel isolated, misunderstood, judged, and rejected when we need the most support and love.

We are NOT sorry.

We will not apologize again.