S1 | E7 | The First Boundary

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I revisit the season after dissociation became my survival strategy and share a layer I hadn’t spoken about before — the moment I stopped only enduring and started pleading.I talk about trying to protect my siblings, parsing language for safety, and the quiet shift that happened when I realized fear didn’t belong to me alone. I share what it looked like to leave home without truly escaping, how self-sufficiency became my shield, and how trauma quietly shaped my understanding of love, safety, and authority in early adulthood.This episode explores boundary setting after childhood sexual abuse, the cost of silence in marriage, and the complicated space between survival and autonomy. It’s about holding a line for the first time — not perfectly, not loudly — but clearly.And it’s about the awareness that follows.Content note: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse and boundary violations. There are no graphic details, but listener discretion is advised.CREDITS: Created, hosted, and produced by Sheryl. Website: dissociatedpod.comRESOURCESImmediate SupportNational Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN):  1-800-656-4673 Website: https://www.rainn.orgCrisis Text Line:  Text HOME to 741741  Website: https://www.crisistextline.orgSuicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 Website: https://988lifeline.orgTherapy & Trauma SupportPsychology Today Therapist Finder: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapistTherapy Den — Inclusive Therapist Directory: https://www.therapyden.comEMDR International Association: https://www.emdria.orgTrauma-Focused CBT: https://tfcbt.orgOrganizations & Survivor CommunitiesRAINN: https://www.rainn.org1in6 (for male-identifying survivors): https://1in6.orgPandora’s Project: https://pandys.orgEnd Violence Against Women International (EVAWI): https://evawintl.org