War, conflict, and organized violence

Serving in combat or a war zone

Military service that included direct combat exposure. Being in a place where death and violence were part of the daily environment. What you saw, what you did, what you lost, and what you carried home. Including the experiences that still live in your body long after the service ended.

If some version of this is part of your story, you already know that the hardest part is rarely the memory itself. It is carrying it in a world that mostly does not want to hear about it. This fellowship exists so you do not have to carry it alone, and so you never have to explain it to someone who has no idea what it means.

What can follow an experience like this

No two people carry the same experience the same way. These are some of the effects that people with this experience often describe. Having some of them, all of them, or none of them says nothing about how real what happened to you was.

Chronic pain no one can fully explain Pain that has been investigated and treated and remains. Complex or ongoing trauma and its effects When trauma happened repeatedly, over a long time, or at the hands of people who were supposed to care for you, the effects go deeper than a single event. Not knowing who to trust Trust that was broken, repeatedly, by people who were supposed to be safe. Not knowing who you are, or experiencing multiple parts or identities A self that shifts depending on who you are with. Dissociation or feeling detached from yourself Dissociation is what the nervous system does when what is happening is too much to stay present for. Trouble letting people in emotionally The wall that goes up when someone tries to get close. Brain fog, memory gaps, or trouble concentrating Trauma affects the brain in measurable ways. Problems with authority or people in power The original experiences with authority figures, parents, teachers, institutions, abusers, shaping the automatic response to anyone who holds power.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

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