The Cost of Silence: I Wasn't Really Assaulted - The Weight of Minimization

Sometimes the deepest wounds aren’t carved by the act itself…but by the words that follow.“I wasn’t really assaulted.” That’s what I told myself — and what others told me — for years. As if adding “really” made it less violent. Less real. Less worthy of outrage. I believed that lie because it was easier than facing the truth, easier than going against the people who were supposed to protect me.In this episode of The Cost of Silence, I unpack how minimization creeps in, how it tangles with family loyalty, shame, and survival — and how it can take decades to untangle. This is about the moment I stopped avoiding the truth… and stopped avoiding myself.Let’s keep the conversation going. Follow Voice Unchained on your favorite podcast platform, and share your thoughts using #VoiceUnchained.