As a survivor of domestic violence, I used to ruminate constantly.

"How did I miss this?"

"Why didn’t I leave sooner?"

"I didn’t fight back hard enough."

"I should have pressed charges."

"I should have said something."

I carried those thoughts like a second form of abuse, one I unknowingly inflicted on myself. The shame, the self-blame, the endless search for how I could have prevented what happened... it weighed heavier than the trauma itself.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand through my sessions with Better U: it wasn’t my fault. None of it. And if you’re holding onto similar guilt, I want you to know, it wasn’t your fault either.

Healing began for me the moment I allowed myself grace. The moment I stopped rewriting the past and started reclaiming my future.

You are not weak for what you endured. You are not to blame for someone else's choices.

You survived. And that alone is a powerful act of resistance.

Be gentle with yourself. You're doing the best you can—with everything you’ve carried. And that is more than enough.