What am I Even Doing Here?

Summary

The author joined Medium after learning about it from a friend, found a publication that resonated with their personal experiences of surviving domestic violence, and decided to use the platform as a therapeutic outlet to share their life stories.

Abstract

The author, initially unfamiliar with Medium, discovered the platform through a friend's recommendation. After reading their friend's work and stumbling upon the publication "We Are Warriors," which features stories from survivors of domestic violence, the author felt a deep connection to the content. This experience motivated them to start writing about their own traumatic experiences, including domestic violence, and to use Medium as a form of personal therapy. Despite having no support network during their time of abuse and feeling unheard by a domestic violence charity, the author now feels ready to share their journey, inviting readers to join them in exploring the challenges and triumphs of their life.

Opinions

The author found Medium to be a platform that allows for personal expression and healing.
Reading stories from "We Are Warriors" and the Editor, Samantha Clarke, had a significant impact on the author, prompting them to confront past traumas.
Writing on Medium is seen as a cathartic process, aiding the author in dealing with unresolved issues from their past.
The author emphasizes the lack of support they received during their abuse and the importance of finding a platform where they can be heard.
There is a sense of empowerment and readiness to share personal stories, suggesting a positive transformation in the author's life.
The author extends an invitation to readers to engage with their personal narrative, indicating a desire for community and shared experience.

Why I joined Medium and why I’m still here.

Six weeks ago, I’d never even heard of “Medium”.

I was chatting to a friend and he told me he’d finished a piece of writing he’d been working on, I had been keen to read it and asked him to send it to me. He told me I could look him up on Medium. Medium? What’s that? I got out my phone and he got me to look it up. I read his piece later that evening and afterward, something caught my eye.

It was a publication on Medium called We Are Warriors and I read something by the Editor Samantha Clarke. It’s a publication with stories by survivors of domestic violence. I read a couple of stories until I hit the paywall. Having survived a violent relationship in the past, what I read really struck a chord with me.

It made me decide there and then that I wanted to write about my experiences. And not just about the domestic violence, about other life experiences that I’ve gone and am going through.

I sit on my bed typing this with 18 drafts on my account, some almost finished, some just begun, some mere ideas but the more time I spend writing about my life experiences, the more I feel like Medium is a form of therapy for me.

Back when I was suffering the domestic abuse, I had no one. No support network. I reached out to a domestic violence charity and they never responded to me. And although I managed to leave that relationship alive, and move on with my life, I never ever actually dealt with the trauma I went through.

Well, now it’s time.

I’ve found my voice now and I’m ready to show myself, thanks to Medium and if you want to read me pouring my heart out about the ups and mainly downs of my life, come along on my journey with me.