Empath Confessions

Are you a victim of abuse who's struggling to learn how to forgive yourself?  I spent years taking the blame and shame upon myself, and I was unable to forgive the people that scarred me and left me broken. So even though I wanted to, it took time and some serious work to forgive myself. As an outsider to any life-altering situation, it's easy to tell someone "it's not your fault". But as the victim, we replay it in our heads everyday. It dictates our thoughts, even if we don't realize it at first. And for those that were told it was their fault or that they "should've" done something differently... well, being told those things contributes to the problem. You go from being hurt and vulnerable to being judged and confused. You go from fighting for what's right to fighting for your sanity... and that's not your fault either. The mind can be a tricky place to store information. Many people repress trauma because it's just easier not to