My Confession A
sking for help isn't easy for me I'm usually at the end of my rope or have my back against a wall before I scream for mercy. Chaplain Julia Cadenhead's article on page ten gave me the courage to share an overdue cry for help I wasn't aware I needed. This shows how one woman's sharing can empower, encourage, and/or enlighten another woman. I too, benefit from this publication! Use your voice! Tell your truth! Share your story! During a recent VA video appointment, I was asked if I ever experienced MST. The nurse gave a brief explanation of military sexual trauma. As she spoke, my thoughts drifted to when I first joined the Navy forty years ago. There was silence between us for a moment then I hesitantly answered her question. "Yes, I have." She then asked if I wanted to talk to someone about it. After another brief moment of silence, I agreed to talk to someone.
laVender shedrick williams Creator/Publisher of The Other Woman (TOW) https://www.facebook.com/lavender.williams
photo credit - The Ugly Goat
The day arrived when I would "talk to someone" and I was full of anxiety. I felt like my stomach was full of knots. I didn't know what to expect or what I would say. The moment came when I would share what I kept a secret for so many years. As I shared, I experienced a flow of therapeutic tears and feelings of anger and guilt. The counselor said I definitely experienced sexual trauma and she offered therapy for PTSD. Wait...what? Are you saying I have PTSD? I need therapy, too? Without hesitation, I accepted the help. My tears and initial sharing felt amazingly liberating, so I can't imagine the benefits of therapy. Forty years of unspoken, buried pain - talk about peeling back the layers! At the end of our conversation, I had so many thoughts and questions. How has my secret impacted my life? How has my secret influenced my inability to trust people (especially men)? Has my secret been my reason for avoiding relationships? All I can say is I'm ready for another rebirth! I'm ready for healing! I'm ready for therapy! Therapy - I said it and it feels good. To be continued...
laVender shedrick williams
THE OTHER WOMAN
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