🧠💬 To Share or Not to Share?

They say telling your story is part of the healing process.

I have a 15-page sworn testimony—32 years of my life—already shared with a few trusted people: 6 friends, 2 family members, the courts, the Guardia Civil, my psychologist, my doctor.
It’s been translated, sworn on oath, and is in the hands of those who needed to see it.

Now, the women’s group I’m part of is encouraging me to share it publicly—to educate others, to let them know there is a way out, and that there is support out there.

From a psychological perspective, sharing can:

Activate the brain’s narrative networks, helping make sense of trauma and integrate it into your life story.
Release oxytocin when people respond with empathy, strengthening feelings of connection.
Shift the brain from victim mode to agency mode, reinforcing the belief “I survived, and I can help others survive too.”

But neuroscience also reminds us:

Retelling trauma can re-trigger the amygdala and stress pathways, especially if the audience reacts with disbelief or judgement.
Once a story is public, you lose control over who reads it and how it’s interpreted.

Sometimes, it’s easier to show the document than speak the words—but once shared widely, it cannot be unshared.

So here’s my question to you:

If you had a 15-page testimony of truth—one that could educate and maybe save lives—would you share it publicly, knowing it might also reopen wounds?