165. Anonymous: A Return Guest Shares Some Meaningful Impacts of Being a Guest on SASS

This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I'm joined once again by a guest whose voice made a deep impact the first time she appeared on the show. For this episode, she's choosing to remain anonymous and will be known as "Ann"—a decision that becomes increasingly meaningful as you hear why she reached out to return. Ann came back to talk about a part of the survivor experience that rarely gets acknowledged: what happens inside a person after they share their story publicly, and how the emotional ripple effects can show up long after the recording ends. In this conversation, Ann walks us through the internal shifts, realizations, and unexpected reactions she went through after her initial episode aired. She wanted to help future guests understand that the process of speaking about trauma—especially sexual assault—is powerful, and with that power comes impact. Her goal wasn't to warn anyone away from being a guest, but rather to shed light on the importance of preparing emotionally, mentally, and spiritually for what it feels like to bring such a personal story into the world. Her honesty lays out a roadmap that many survivors will find both grounding and validating. If you've ever considered sharing your story on this show, Ann's insight might be one of the most supportive gifts you could receive. This episode doesn't discourage—it equips. It empowers. It gives language to the quiet places survivors often navigate alone. And as always, the Sexual Assault Survivor Stories family welcomes every story with compassion, respect, and the unwavering belief that survivors deserve to be heard, believed, and supported every step of the way. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://womensmediacenter.com/profile/rita-smith https://1in6.org/ https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/repeat_rape.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL www.arcigrey.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590 https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in.