In this episode, I’m joined by Laura Parrott-Perry of Say It, Survivor. Laura joins me to share her story of how she's been able to reclaim her story to tell it on her own terms, and how she’s now helping others to do the same so that they can take back the narrative of their lives.
Click the play button below to check it out!
The Details
Traumatic experience:
Laura was sexually abused by her paternal grandfather from about age seven until he became violent when she said "no" at age eight. Laura was later bullied in middle school.
Effects of the traumatic experience:
Laura felt that her grandfather changed the truth about herself, the world and where her value was in that world. After disclosing to her mother, she never saw her dad’s family again. Laura had her first drink at the age of eleven, attempted suicide at twelve, and became bulimic for a couple years when she was thirteen. All of which led to excessive drinking and promiscuity in college. After having her son in her senior year of college, Laura attempted to regain control of her life, which resulted in behavior not conducive to healing.
Overcoming the traumatic experience:
Laura reclaimed her story when blogging in 2014. Soon after she received a Facebook friend request from her cousin, Mary Lovely, who she hadn’t seen in years. After learning she had also been abused, they reported their (by then deceased) grandfather together. The police officer took them seriously and did a formal report. Upon investigation, the police found another unrelated victim. Laura told her story on the blog and found the response to it overwhelming, but it also made her stop feeling alone.
What Laura does today: Laura is the co-founder of Say It, Survivor.
Final Question:
Given what you know now, if you could go back to when you were going through the tough times and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Laura's Answer: Don’t avoid doing the work, it can’t be worse than the wound.
Links Mentioned:
SayItSurvivor.org - Laura and Mary's site for survivors
LauraParrottPerry.com - Laura's personal website
He Wrote it Down - The post that became viral
Books Mentioned:
She Wrote it Down: How a Secret-Keeper Became a Storyteller - Laura's book
Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you, and I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.
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