AKA’s mother, Lynn Forbes, has opened up about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. In her blog, Forbes said the perpetrator was her parents’ close friend and she never told anyone about the abuse for the last 38 years of her life.
“I have carried this ‘secret’ inside me. I am ready to tell my story now because an untold story never heals and an untold story does not help or protect anyone but the perpetrator.”
Though it happened a long time ago, Forbes said the abuse still affected her life when she was an adult until she had courage to finally talk about it and forgive herself for it.
“I found the courage to forgive myself for something which I was never to blame for in the first place … not until I started telling my story. It took over and controlled every aspect of my life, work and relationships.
“Certain things or circumstances would trigger flashbacks, taking me back to my childhood and the abuse. I have a huge problem with being controlled or manipulated by people or by situations in my life. When this happens I feel the grip tightening around my throat and all I can think about is breaking free and running to escape the suffocation,” she said.
She said a significant event happened two years ago gave her the courage to speak up and face the events of her childhood.
“When you have lived with the pain of childhood sexual abuse all your life, talking about it is like being free after a lifetime in jail. It took an enormous amount of courage to get to this point. I have healed but it’s not yet easy for me to talk about this. I didn’t get up one morning and just made a decision to blurt it out. I had to find my voice.
“When you are searching to find your voice, you have to start with a whisper, making a little more noise every day until you are driven by the desire to stand up, speak out load and inspire others to share their story. That’s when I found healing and the courage to help others to do the same.”
