A Survivor's Story: Abarna
“Years of violence lead to my diagnosis of Major Depression, General Anxiety Disorder, PTSD and chronic illness that researchers speculate has some correlation with past trauma.”
Abarna still manages these illnesses today. She is a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault, who hopes her story of resilience, determination, and growth can inspire others who may be feeling lost and hopeless.
Having struggled through violence on her own, Abarna found her passion for advocacy at a very young age, driven by the belief that no one should be isolated and stifled when experiencing such profound traumas or afterwards. She has worked with victims and survivors of gender-based violence for years as a crisis line volunteer where she provided support and practised suicide intervention with those needing immediate help.
Abarna has persevered and accomplished some of her biggest goals in life - and above all, she has survived - something she is grateful for every day. Through sharing her story, offering peer support, advocating on a community level and having designed programs with SAFE to help support victims and survivors, Abarna hopes to be able to provide victims and survivors with the support she did not have herself, and to ensure they get help and find empowerment much sooner than she did. She dreams of SAFE supporting as many victims and survivors as possible.
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