shoutout to abuse victims who still blame themselves years after getting out of their abuse or years after therapy – you arent to blame for their actions
shoutout to abuse victims who still feel bad for their abuser or still care about them – just because you feel bad or feel compassion it doesnt mean your abuse doesnt matter
shoutout to abuse victims whove been told by others that their abuse is nonexistent – it doesnt require others noticing for it to be abuse
shoutout to abuse victims who are, to this day, still gaslighted and abused by their abusers – youll get out of this
shoutout to abuse victims – your abuse isnt fake and your feelings matter, no matter who you are. youll be fine. youre going to be okay. its not your imagination, what is happening is real, what you remember is real. youre going to be alright.
Your periodic reminder that in people who have been subject to threats and punishment for having emotional responses or ‘inappropriate’ facial expressions, panic attacks look different.
They may look like the person has become calmer and less involved, dismissive, even. Some people become intensely subservient and silent. Some become catatonic.
Panic doesn’t always involve screaming, crying, and obvious signs of distress. It involves an extreme form of the person’s fear response – which can be altered by circumstance, ability, and what they’ve learnt to fear.
Which is to say, it’s not your place to decide someone isn’t having a panic attack, when they’ve told you that’s what’s happening.
