@avant-garde thank you for clarifying what you are needing hun. I always appreciate that you will tell me when I've missed the mark.
I am not sure if many members realise just how humbled myself and the team are to bear witness to the stories shared here. I consider it a privilege, nothing short of precious, that folks are willing to share the most vulnerable and sacred parts of themselves in this space, and that we get to sit beside them and hold that vulnerability. Because it is soooo devastating to be dismissed, shut down, or otherwise rejected for being open.
There's also the fact that bearing witness to these stories and learning from members has been super beneficial to my own recovery. I don't know if some folks here realise that - that the support can go both ways. Reciprocity is an important principle in Peer Support; we can all learn from someone who shares their story. So yeah, if it's had an impact on me, then there are likely many others who have been similarly moved by reading the incredible things shared here, by you and many others.
I read a quote recently - 'all intimacy is vulnerability'. I believe that it is by sharing our stories that we are able to build connections, and connection is vital to recovery. It's vital to life. Openness and vulnerability do come with risk - we aren't always noticed. Sometimes we are rejected or dismissed. But sometimes, we don't notice that others are noticing us, empathising with us, seeing us.
I think this is why there's such bravery in telling our stories in a space like this. Because we never know who it might reach, might touch, might move into a new level of understanding. Your words hold power, and your vulnerability holds weight, in that it shows others that there's always, always hope 💜
