Dissociated
Dissociated — Breaking Silence. Building Joy.
There was a time when silence was survival. But silence doesn’t last forever.
Host Sheryl Brown survived fifteen years of childhood sexual abuse by her adoptive father. Decades later, when her niece came forward about the same man, Sheryl finally found her voice.
In this deeply personal and hopeful podcast, she shares her journey from trauma to truth — and the light she discovered through the cracks.
Each episode blends intimate storytelling with conversations from survivors, therapists, and authors, exploring what it means to heal, to reclaim your power, and to build joy after pain.
Because the cracks in our stories aren’t where we break.
They’re where the light gets in.
Dissociated
S1 | E4 | Groomed: Living Two Lives to Survive
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode, I return to my childhood timeline during a period when grooming intensified and survival became something my body learned before my mind could name it.
I share how gradual boundary shifts, confusion, and manipulation trained compliance and silence — and how dissociation allowed me to live two lives at once: one that looked normal, and one that existed in fear.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes more detailed discussion of childhood sexual abuse, grooming, and trauma responses, including the emotional and physical impact of those experiences. While explicit graphic details are avoided, listener discretion is advised.
This is not a story told for shock.
It’s told to explain how grooming works, how survival strategies form, and why so many survivors struggle to identify harm until much later.
CREDITS: Created, hosted, and produced by Sheryl.
Website: dissociatedpod.com
RESOURCES
Immediate Support
- National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-4673 Website: https://www.rainn.org
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 Website: https://www.crisistextline.org
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 Website: https://988lifeline.org
Therapy & Trauma Support
- Psychology Today Therapist Finder: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapist
- Therapy Den — Inclusive Therapist Directory: https://www.therapyden.com
- EMDR International Association: https://www.emdria.org
- Trauma-Focused CBT: https://tfcbt.org
Organizations & Survivor Communities
- RAINN: https://www.rainn.org
- 1in6 (for male-identifying survivors): https://1in6.org
- Pandora’s Project: https://pandys.org
- End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI): https://evawintl.org
