Trigger warning - To tell someone about my childhood sexual abuse?

[Sausageandbacon5]

I just don't know what to do it's eating me up inside. It's got worse since having my DC.
It happened 20 years ago when I was 8.
A family member touched me while I was in bed sleeping, it was for about 6 weeks at the weekends.
I tried to tell someone then, it was his sister but she just laughed at me and said it was OK she was 14 at the time so knew it wasn't OK it stopped after that. Maybe she told him I telled her? I don't know. So I thought it was OK then I blocked it out and when I was 19 it all came back to me after someone made a comment.

The thought of my mum and dad knowing really upsets me they will be distraught and I feel like I can't do that to them.

I just don't know. Writing this helps. Anyone in the same position?

IME it will keep eating away at you if you don't do something. After 35 years I went the whole hog and reported him to the police, having only told 2 people decades before that. Took nearly 2 years, but I ended up with guilty verdicts (while appreciating not everyone in the same position is so "lucky")

Only you can decide who you want to tell and how far you want to go with this. IME once I'd started to tell people it became a hugely cathartic process for me.

You can get anonymous help through napac.org.uk/calling-our-support-line/

This site has some helpful resources if you want to try and process things by yourself: www.oneinfour.org.uk/for-survivors/

If you are thinking about going to the police this is a great guide as to what happens: rightsofwomen.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/From-Report-to-Court-a-handbook-for-adult-survivors-of-sexual-violence.pdf

please feel free to PM me

Thanks for the reply I'll check the links later.