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Strength, Courage, And Bravery

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Sues

MyPTSD Pro
I'm a domestic violence survivor. I wrote something a while back that I thought I'd share...

People write about strength, courage, and bravery, but most know nothing about any of those things. Those of us who have suffered and suffer still, know all about those three qualities. We live them every day...

Strength isn't how much weight you can lift. True strength is measured by what you have had to overcome, by what it took to survive the unimaginable, by how long you spent in hell and how hard you had to fight to get out. True strength isn't visible. It's never talked about, bragged about, or shared. It's a burden that's hidden like a secret shame, and carried with you forever.

Courage isn't merely facing an enemy. It's also waking up each day knowing you have to face your worst nightmare, your scariest enemy in your own home. It's knowing that today you will be hurt, treated like garbage, and made to feel worthless. But despite knowing that, you still get up that morning and face it head on without flinching.

Bravery is living in hell and facing the monster who hurts you. It's standing between that monster and your child, knowing you are the only thing that can keep your child safe. It's taking the pain, taking the violence and hurt in order to shield and protect your child. Bravery is also taking the first, big, scary step of leaving the only home you know, walking away with nothing, just so you can escape the monster. Bravery is even after you get away, still waking up each day after a night filled with nightmares and horror and getting up and going on, long after you think you can't.

No, most people know little of strength, courage, and bravery.
 
I thnk strength courage and bravery can be misenterpreted.

We are the brave the courageous and the strong for being here in the face of such abuse and suffering trying to carry on and focusing on self development as well as everyday trials. We should give ourselves a bit more credit sometimes :)

I think we practise good virtues inside. :)

Best wishes
Saffy :)
 
I really like this thread, thank you Sues.

I think a lot of us don't recognise or believe the strength, courage and bravery we all have to endure so much and survive, putting others before ourselves in the process to protect them.

It's good to have this highlighted and written out so well as a reminder.
 
Thank you all!! I sat down one day and wrote this and the words just came instantly. It really spoke to me after I read it later and I think a lot of people can relate to it, no matter what they've been through.

I never even realized how bad my situation had become until I got away from it. I saw a post on another web site that had this quote that put it into perspective... “I've heard that people stay in bad situations because a relationship like that gets turned up by degrees. It is said that a frog will jump out of a pot of boiling water. Place him in a pot and turn it up a little at a time, and he will stay until he is boiled to death. Us frogs understand this.” - Deb Caletti
 
Sues,
Your post is very inspiring and I think your quote is an excellent one. It is very, very true. For people on the outside it can be hard to understand but the slow increase combined with manipulation and undermining can be devastating and insidious. Well done to you as you are brave and courageous.
 
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