Please can I ask for positive experiences of mixed changing villages and some "get over it" advice? Or any type of advice?
My workplace is building a new big sports gym which will have entirely gender neutral facilities, lots of private cubicles in larger communal areas with joint showers. I only found out about this when others were talking about it in the changing rooms.
When it opens I'm fairly certain I won't be able to use it anymore (to do with an assault I went through), and neither will the young Muslim students or the friendly older local women, that's what they were talking about.
I'm guessing the gym has done their research and worked out that they don't mind losing some memberships, so I'm thinking that it's safer to stay quiet and never go again - but would it be worth saying something?
On a related note, if you've ever been badly assaulted (being vague in case this somehow ever gets connected to me), have you ever got to the point where you're completely confident without any flashbacks or fear at all in these situations? Would you use these without a worry and am I worrying over nothing here?
After years of therapy and CBT I'm a lot stronger than I used to be but yes, I admit that men in some situations still scare the hell out of me, especially the loud swaggering sort.
I feel like such a worthless nobody sometimes and all this makes me feel more so.