OIC
Well done. I agree, silence only hurts us and who cares what others think, they did not live it.
I too have learned ignore those who turn on you and embrace those that support and love you. My family, which I will always love, but will not embrace them until they look at themselves and see the damage that was done to me and how they made healing a much more difficult if not impossible task. As I have said my door is open but no longer on their myopic closed minded terms. I do hope they find help and one day we reconnect. I will never allow anyone to abandon me and torment me again. I am free from such pain and the pain of the abuse.
Keep going OIC, you need to take care of yourself and I am happy your sister has been there for you. I learned we do not need validation from those around us, we just need validation from knowing and having live it and for some of us validation comes from the source, or maybe the near source. Take care of yourself.
Kevin