January 7, 2022

Life After the Life Blog Series, Part 1

Josie*

If you are reading this, you clearly are passionate about something much bigger than yourself. Something that needs to be talked about.  Something that needs to be stopped. 

My name is Josie and I am a survivor of human trafficking. I was both familial and pimp controlled; familial meaning trafficked by a family member and pimp controlled meaning trafficked by a pimp through force in exchange for money. I am a young adult dealing with life after being trafficked and all the struggles that come with being a survivor. 

I have been free for four years and am grateful every day for this freedom, but getting to that point was a lot harder than one might think. Many assume that once you break free of the life, the hard part is over. But in reality, the hard part has only just begun. 

In this blog series, I will talk about what it is like to be a survivor of human trafficking, relearning how the world is supposed to be, the symptoms I still deal with, and much more. I encourage you to follow along so you can better understand what survivors go through. I also want to point out that every survivors journey is different. This one is mine.

In my next blog, I will discuss what it was like relearning the way life is supposed to be, allowing people to help, setting healthy boundaries, and realizing that there were people out there who truly cared about me.  

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about this horrific issue, and joining me as I share my story. 

*Josie

*Survivor name and photos may be changed for their protection.