For 12 years, I said nothing to anyone about the sexual misconducted I experienced during a testing procedure at a world-renowned medical facility. I wish I had known that silently carrying it along for all these years would only deepen the wound, and embed the shame in a cavern inside me. I wish I had known that the best way to heal, the best way to process what happened was to speak up and speak out. I now wonder if I could have helped other women by speaking up about what happened to me, which is so often the case in these situations, it is hardly ever just an isolated event, and each voice, each story is important to bringing about conviction of the perpetrator and justice to those who have been harmed. I now know it was not my fault, I hold no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed, and I have been able to heal and move forward because I chose to speak up about it.
I realize now that by speaking up, and speaking out, I honor myself and the young woman who was harmed by this medical professional all those years ago, I can protect her now by finding my voice and knowing that I will always be more prepared in the future to ensure I fully known my rights and be more proactive and protective of myself in the future. If this has happened to you as well, please know you are not alone, and it is not your fault, do not listen to the voices in your head saying you had anything to do with it, or you should have known better, or you should have said something, done something differently… you did nothing wrong, you put your trust in someone and they took advantage of that trust. I hope you find the strength to speak up much sooner than it took me.
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