Dear Words From Survivors,

I was raped by four older boys when I was 14 years old. I had bruises all over my body and when I went to report it to the police, they didn't believe me. They told me: "we know your culture (black), you're protecting someone in your family." So, I did not report it. I was bullied at school for the fact that I was raped. I'm 17 now and I'm still recovering from clinical depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. I also developed anxiety and I have several anxiety/panic attacks a day. I even had to be admitted to a psychiatric institution because I wanted to kill myself. Thanks to your post (wordsfromsurvivors) and several other Instagrammers, I'm starting to realize that it's not my fault and I'm getting my confidence back!