The Two Narratives

The purpose of sharing my experience is to make sure other victims have a point of reference if they find themselves walking the same path. The idea behind Which Narrative is to bring awareness to the reality that there will always be competing narratives whenever there are opposing sides. I will continue to reiterate how brutal the aftermath of sexual misconduct is. As the initiator of a sexual misconduct complaint, I was asked to provide information that had absolutely nothing to do with the actual case. I suspect this tactic is used to amp up the embarrassment, and plant seeds of self-doubt. The imposition on my life also included the contacting of family, friends, and other individuals that had no bearing, nor held any interest. It saddens me to know that laying in the shadow of the narrative from the other side, filled with empty innuendo, was my pain. Gaping and unacknowledged. The truth is, when there was no dirt to uncover, the path shifted from victim-blaming to retraumatization in the form of gaslighting. Gaslighting is a powerful tool in the absence of a solid self-care plan and resources. It takes months, even years to recover from sexual misconduct; unfortunately, some victims never do. No matter how difficult things may get, never aid your perpetrator by exchanging self-doubt for a firm hold on the truth. You control the narrative!

Traci