“Survive enabled me to love and care for myself. I can see the damaging patterns that had emerged in my life and I have made many changes. I am starting to feel whole.”

Chloe* was sexually abuse by a family friend from aged seven years who made her feel ashamed, bad and naughty. She developed anorexia and bulimia, self-harmed and frequently overdosed. She entered an abusive marriage and started drinking heavily. After her divorce, she was full of self-loathing, shame, drank more, lost her job and was scared her children would be taken into care.

She got sober and started counselling at Survive where she learned techniques to manage her feelings and emotions, to show compassion to the little girl she had once been and to forgive herself and feel less blame and shame.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the survivor. Images are for illustrative purposes only.