Additional Material: Social Media Posts

You are not broken. You did nothing wrong. You are not the sum of what happened to you. You’re a survivor and you can heal.

It took me many, many years to believe this about myself. I know this is true for myself today and I know it's true for everyone reading this that feels this way.

You are the way you are today because your nervous system is doing it's job. Your nervous system is still protecting you from the trauma you survived.

Healing is about teaching it that it can feel safe again and I'm telling you, it can.

Stay positive and take action!

I used to be terrified to share my story. Now, I share it because I know someone needs to hear it. If it helps one person realize they’re not alone, it’s worth it.

Stay positive and take action!

When I was struggling the most, I wish I could’ve heard other men speak openly about their abuse and healing. That’s why I do this work, to be the voice I needed back then. I'm here to let you know, you can heal from sexual abuse and your worth healing.

Stay positive and take action!

You can’t outrun your past. I tried to outrun my past several times, and it always caught up to me. It will always catch up with you.

Healing starts the moment you stop running and turn to face it. My healing started when I faced my past, accepted it, and started rebuilding my identity.

Stay positive and take action!

Acceptance doesn’t mean approval. It means you stop pretending it didn’t happen. You accept it as part of your story and decide to use it for good.

Stay positive and take action!

Healing is about rediscovering the person buried beneath the trauma. Bit by bit, you peel back the layers and reconnect with who you’re meant to be. That’s when you stop surviving and start thriving.

Stay positive and take action!

Healing isn’t something you “finish.” It’s a lifelong journey filled with ups and downs. There will be setbacks, but you’ll overcome them because you refuse to give up.

Stay positive and take action!

Healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Even if you can’t see it today, you’ll look back months from now and realize how far you’ve come.

Stay positive and take action!

See the version of yourself you’re becoming. Visualize that person every day. Bad days don’t define you. Keep showing yourself compassion and grace.

Stay positive and take action!

If you’re living in survival mode, constantly on edge, or wondering why you can’t “just get over it,” please hear me: There’s nothing wrong with you.

Your nervous system is doing its job, protecting you. We’re not broken; we’re healing. We’re teaching our bodies that it’s safe to rest.

Stay positive and take action!

When a challenge arrives, take a deep breath, stay calm, and tell yourself, “I’ve got this.”

Stay positive and take action!

YOU are no longer just a survivor. YOU are a thriver. YOU'VE endured the unthinkable and you’re still here. It’s NOT too late to heal. YOU are worthy. You are strong. YOU are enough.

Stay positive and take action!

When you’re stuck in survival mode, it’s not weakness, it’s protection. Your body thinks the danger is still here.

That’s why healing can feel exhausting, you’re teaching your body that it doesn’t have to be on guard anymore. You’re safe now. You’re learning to live, not just survive.

Stay positive and take action!

For years, I learned tools to manage anxiety, anger, and fear, only to forget them when I needed them most. I used to think that meant I’d never heal.

But I was wrong.

I wasn’t failing, I was retraining my brain and body. Healing takes time, practice, and compassion. Keep showing up. It’s working.

Stay positive and take action!

I wasn’t dumb, I was overwhelmed. When your body lives in constant alert, your brain can’t focus. Healing gives your mind the space it needs to think clearly again.

Stay positive and take action!

You’re not too sensitive, you’re carrying trauma that was never addressed, wounds that never had the chance to heal.

Your reactions to stimuli are survival patterns. You can start healing today by addressing your past.

Stay positive and take action!

Reflexive invalidation is a trauma-informed term that describes a knee-jerk reaction to dismiss or minimize your own (or someone else's) emotions, needs, or experiences, often without even realizing it.

Here are some examples of reflexive invalidation:

⚠️ "Why am I being so sensitive?"

⚠️ "It's not even that big of a deal."

⚠️ "I should be over this by now."

Here are some examples of reflexive invalidation when given from someone else:

⚠️ "You'll be fine."

⚠️ "At least it's not worse."

⚠️ "Try to stay positive."

Reflexive Invalidation is a protective pattern that can result from growing up in an environment where your feelings were dismissed or unsafe to express.

You learned it wasn't safe to express your feelings and your nervous system now equates emotional expression with threat.

We can heal from Reflexive Invalidation by:

✅ Noticing when it's happening (awareness).

✅ Pausing and naming the feeling. For example, "I'm feeling anxious right now, and that's okay. It makes sense because..."

✅ Practicing self-validation. Instead of judging yourself, try understanding it, "Anyone who's been through what I have would probably feel this way too."

✅ Build tolerance for emotions over time. The goal is to increase your capacity to sit with your emotions safely.

Stay positive and take action!

I know what it's like to feel stuck, just getting through the day. But life truly transformed when I stopped coping and took the reins to create something new.

Stay positive and take action!