I almost died from shame. I was assaulted, stalked, psychologically abused and publicly humiliated. When I tried to fight back, I was put on trial for being a slut. The harasser sent 40 lascivious pictures of me to my friends, family, and classmates. He wrote letters and emails telling everyone all the ways in which I was a total whore. The stress from this trauma kept me in a prison of fear and self-criticism so debilitating, I wanted to be dead. Daily life did not feel doable. I hated what I saw in the mirror. I was constantly afraid of being "found out" and constantly afraid someone was trying to hurt me. Normal tasks like going to the grocery store felt intolerable. The cognitive load of carrying a secret kept me from truly engaging with people around me. PTSD made me an irritable lunatic. I was barely living. When I couldn't find a book to help me with my problem, I began writing my own advice. I wrote about how not to care what people thought of you. I wrote about falling in love with yourself as you are. I wrote about conquering all the little stressors that can add up to make you miserable, and how to live in precisely this moment--not with irritability, but with peace. "So You've Been Slut-shamed" is a podcast to help anyone who has experienced debilitating shame. I have hodge-podged together brain science, mindfulness meditation, and self-care tips. If you have been slut-shamed, you are likely suffering from self-doubt, from always feeling like you're not good enough, and from nit-picking your appearance and your accomplishments. Join me each week and I'll show you everything I've done to find relief. "Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is." - Rhett Butler You deserve to be peaceful and happy again. Love, Jerene