My story is one of literal survival. As a young teenage boy I ended up on the streets of a large city following fleeing an abusive and chaotic home. Once on the streets I had nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat and no idea how to meet my basic needs. It wasn’t long before I fell into the clutches of an older man, who through the deception of acting like he cared about my welfare and “showing me the ropes” began sexually abusing me repeatedly, often while I was under the influence of alcohol. It disgusted me and I wish I could have fought back but he was larger and stronger, plus I was dependant on him for my survival in that situation so it continued. It felt like I would never escape him, although eventually I did, after which I was put in touch with a youth agency that helped me stabilize and get off the streets.
However, after being sexually abused by that man it felt like I wasn’t the same kid as before. I am now in my early 40’s and just beginning to work through what happened to me way back then. I spent years drinking trying to avoid dealing with it until alcohol couldn’t help me with it anymore so I quit. That was a year and a half ago and in a lot of ways I’ve never felt better, but recovery from sexual abuse isn’t easy, and there are days that I feel completely emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed by it all. That said, I can still recognize the benefits of what is very hard work, with staying sober and being able to live with my emotions the first among them. Anyways thank you for the opportunity to share my story. The more I do so the better I feel. Thanks again.
