Even people who know you have been abused don't want to deal with it.

They feel guilty they haven't helped

They are in denial and not ready tocome out about their own abuse, so they are indenialabout yours

Other people want to organize their feelings about you as though that is all you were. Abuse survivors still eat polish dogs and like to go swimming- but we don't want people to see our scars and scare us.

I'm so fortunate that my own abuse was so very very minor thtI am nottoo deeply scarred by it butcan still identify a bit.

okay to talk about it until you are sick of hearing yoruself talk eventually, someone willlisten, and you will say 'butthat's enough aboutthat, let's go tothe zoo forthe rest of the day."

Is that a good working goal - Idon't want to talk about it any more right now?