Surviving Silence: Healing from Childhood Trauma & Shame. School of Rock Bottom 62: Madeleine Black

[TW: sexual violence & child sexual abuse – discussed from the start] I sit down with a survivor of sexual violence Madeleine Black, who shares her extraordinary journey — from the silence she held for years, to the shame that followed her through school and the deep impact it had on her sense of identity. She speaks openly about the PTSD she didn’t know she had, the physical toll it took on her body, and how trauma can remain locked in our cells long after the event.We explore how she began to heal — through therapy and confronting the memories she had once buried. She shares how her body would shake, cry, and throw up during sessions — and how, despite all of it, she found her way through. What’s remarkable is how forgiveness entered her life, not as a decision, but as something she describes as “accidental.” She didn’t seek revenge. Instead, she chose to heal — not for anyone else, but for herself.We also look into the cultural side of this story — the rise in misogyny and violence towards women, the danger of men like Andrew Tate and why we need to talk about how to educate young men. Shows like Netflix’s Adolescence are doing important work in this space, and we unpack how early conversations about consent, boundaries, and empathy can change everything.This episode is a powerful, intelligent and moving looking at what it really takes to heal, why shame is so powerful — and how survival is never simple, but always possible.Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalTopics -0:00 Intro 3:30 Madeleine's rock bottom6:15 Why didn't Madeleine tell anyone? 7:30 Reputation at school 9:00 Do you blame alcohol? 11:30 Are rape survivors more likely to be raped again? 12:30 No one asked me if I was OK 14:00 What caused Madeleine to stop eating and drinking?16:10 100% of rapes are caused by rapist's 17:20 Revenge?19:30 I'm an accidental forgiver 21:30 Forgiving & healing yourself 23:40 I'm from a family of survivors 26:25 Trauma was locked into my cells 29:00 Healing PTSD 30:30 Strength in private moments 35:30 Letting go of shame 36:30 Lessons from Netflix's Adolescence & Andrew Tate 40:20 Sponsor 41:20 How do we educate young people? 42:30 Why young men become incels Follow46:30 Going in to get out! 51:40 What do you want written on your gravestone?Follow Madeleine Website - https://madeleineblack.co.ukBuy her book - https://amzn.eu/d/5j95ilCInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/madblack65Follow OliverInstagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpdsPlease subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/3tjdsvwaSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3Z0Pr1rApple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3#PTSDRecovery#SexualAssaultSurvivor#ToxicMasculinity