205. Vanessa Wulff: No One Knew What She Was Surviving

Vanessa Wulff was working toward a future in chiropractic care when she became the victim of multiple sexual assaults and rape. In this episode, she shares what happened during that period of her life and the effects those experiences had on her education, her sense of safety, and her ability to move forward. Vanessa's story reflects a reality that is often poorly understood: trauma does not always produce a clear, predictable, or easily explained response. Survivors may continue attending school, going to work, interacting with others, or trying to maintain the appearance of an ordinary life while privately carrying fear, confusion, shame, and the lasting effects of what was done to them. This conversation is also an important reminder that repeated victimization never makes a survivor responsible for the crimes committed against them. Each assault results from an offender's decision to violate another person's autonomy and consent. The responsibility belongs to the perpetrator, every time. By sharing her story, Vanessa gives listeners an honest look at the effects of multiple sexual assaults and the strength required not only to survive them, but to find the language and courage to speak about them. Follow Vanessa on Instagram: @vwulff1 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 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 your time zone and 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 and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. 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! https://thevocalmin.com https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-vocal-minority https://goldinthecracksofficial.com https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com 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. -Dave