Freedom Without Permission

The Reality Behind “Acting Strangely”

People love to say, “They’re just not right.” But they never stop to ask why someone might be struggling.

Trauma rewires a person. It changes how they see themselves, their worth, their safety, and their relationships. Survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence often develop PTSD, depression, dissociation, and deep insecurity. These aren’t flaws. They’re injuries.

And the truth is this: They did not act strangely and therefore get abused. They were abused, and therefore they struggled.

How Trauma Shapes Choices

After years of sexual abuse, I chose non‑monogamy to cope with the insecurity and worthlessness that had been instilled into me by my partner. I didn’t cause my abuse because I “liked sex.” My abuse caused me to see sex as a cheap substitute for intimacy, something I could give away because I didn’t believe I had enough value to be respected by any partner.

That’s what trauma does. It distorts your sense of worth until you start making choices from a place of survival, not self‑love.

Why the Narrative Must Change

When someone says, “They’re not right,” the response could be: “Can you imagine what it does to a person to be violated at the core of their being?” and how much that would change the script around the conversation of abuse?

One educated voice in the room can stop the harmful rhetoric. One person can shift the conversation from judgment to understanding.

Owning the Truth

I have shown all the signs instability, confusion, emotional volatility, because at the time, I was not mentally stable. Not because of who I am, but because of what was done to me.

And that distinction matters.