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Meet TiffanyWhat do you wish the community understood about the victimization you've experienced?
I wish the community understood that human sex trafficking happens everywhere. It can happen to anyone. I was in college, 19, from a middle class family when I met my trafficker.
You aren’t instantly healed when you escape, healing is hard, and that’s when, in my experience it’s hardest to find help is after you escape. I feel that is a need the community needs to address as well as getting survivors out of their situations, how do we help them after? How would you describe what survivorship has meant to you?
Being a survivor means I’m alive. It means I’m hopefully able to help spread awareness and maybe one day help others and to show other survivors they aren’t alone.
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What encouragement would you give to your younger self?
Never Let them win.
What was the best type of support you received in your healing journey?
While I have my family, I don’t want to put them through more than they have already gone through. When I first got out it didn’t feel like I had any support, sometimes it still doesn’t. The best type of support I’ve received is just someone to listen, someone to validate my experience. As well as Value unconditional, I love that they meet you where you are. The horse therapy program they are able to be apart of has been the most help at this point. The horses have been really truly amazing and I’m glad I’ve been able to be apart of it.
What else would you like the community to know?
I was trafficked for ten years from 19 to 29. The trafficking world is a very dark world. It makes you feel worthless. Especially when you’re sold for drugs, like I was. It was living from one rape to the next. I know statistically they say that those that are trafficked believe they are doing it ‘willingly’ even though they are being brainwashed and manipulated, that wasn’t my experience, I knew I didn’t want to do it.
I was trafficked across multiple states from hotel to hotel. Having choices when you are just getting out is overwhelming. It’s like you have to relearn how to exist in the world because the trafficking world is so much different.
I was trafficked across multiple states from hotel to hotel. Having choices when you are just getting out is overwhelming. It’s like you have to relearn how to exist in the world because the trafficking world is so much different.
I’ve been out for almost four years and it’s hard. If there’s one thing I’d want other survivors to know, it’s that you can make it, even when it doesn’t seem like it.
-Tiffany
Interested in sharing YOUR story?
The Value Unconditional Survivor Spotlight is:
This may include but is not limited to experiences with child abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, grief and loss. Trauma comes in many forms, and there may be several things you wish the community better understood.
You can request more information and complete the submission form by contacting us today.
- an opportunity for survivors to share their experiences to the extent that they are comfortable with.
- intended to honor your survivorship and healing journey
- a platform to inform the community about what you wish they knew regarding your experience.
This may include but is not limited to experiences with child abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, grief and loss. Trauma comes in many forms, and there may be several things you wish the community better understood.
You can request more information and complete the submission form by contacting us today.