What Surviving Him Taught You (And What It Cost You)

A sexually abusive stepfather warps your sense of safety early. Not in a dramatic Lifetime-movie way, but in a constant background hum of vigilance. You learn that home is not neutral ground. You learn that adults are not automatically protectors. You learn to read rooms the way other kids read comic books. Who’s walking how. What that tone means. Whether tonight is a hide or endure night. That skill sticks around. As an adult, it can look like anxiety, hyper-awareness, or being “great in a crisis.” People will compliment that without realizing it came from surviving one.