I'm a woman. I was physically and sexually abused by my father as a child. The impact it's had on me is painful to describe. I was working as a software engineer in the tech industry and was constantly experiencing PTSD symptoms being surrounded by men -- though by no fault of their own, it was totally because of what my father did to me.
It's been a frustrating journey. The sexual abuse happened to me at such a young age that I didn't realize until now, in my 30s, that I was molested. I feel completely robbed of my life -- to feel constant panic, anxiety, and depression for no fault of my own. It's been an expensive journey of therapy and various treatments to try to reach a stabilizing baseline. It's been an embarrassing journey -- as a software engineer, I am extremely competent. I just cannot work with men, apparently..
I'm glad studies like this are coming out to validate experiences of fellow incest survivors. A book instrumental in my understanding and healing also: The Body Keeps Score.
Thanks to whomever read this. I wrote it mostly to experience sharing my story publicly, and reducing to myself the shame that exists of being a child abuse survivor.