Breaking the Silence
“Perhaps it’s time to break the silence - for silence is breaking me….
If I dared, would it avail? Would I indeed be free? Free to heal, to be restored,
free to finally seek some answers to the burning questions I’ve never dared to speak….
Perhaps at last God would exchange those things I knew before for higher
truths and purer hopes and nobler goals; restore my wounded soul and broken
heart and devastated mind, redeem my life from death’s fast grip, my inner sorrows bind.
If I should speak and break the rules that silence keeps in place, what would result?
What would I find behind this plastic face?”
All too often, we use silence like a protective barrier. It can feel like safety. But for many survivors of trauma, silence becomes a prison—one built from fear, shame, and the belief that speaking out will only bring more pain.
In this chapter of Just Before Dawn, the author explores the deep, isolating power of silence and the courage it takes to break free from its icy grasp.
For many, silence is a learned survival strategy. It is reinforced by abusers who threaten or manipulate, by families who “don’t talk about those things,” and by a world that often struggles to hold space for difficult truths. The book makes it clear: breaking the silence is terrifying—but necessary for healing.
Why Do We Stay Silent?
This chapter does a powerful job of addressing why so many survivors hold their pain inside. Some of the most common reasons include:
Fear of retaliation or rejection
Feeling like our pain isn’t “bad enough” to matter
Not having the words to explain what happened
Being conditioned to believe that emotions are a burden
Fear of not being believed
But as the book reminds us, silence doesn’t protect—it isolates. The longer we hold our pain inside, the more it eats away at us - keeping us disconnected from ourselves, from others, and hindering our ability to heal.
Finding the Courage to Speak
Healing starts when we find the courage to use our voice, even if it shakes; but this chapter also acknowledges how difficult that first step can be. It highlights the importance of finding a safe person to confide in—someone who will listen without judgment, who won’t minimize our pain, and who will hold a space for our healing.
Many worry that if they finally speak up, they will unravel. The truth is, holding it all inside is what keeps us stuck. Speaking about our pain in a safe, supportive space is what allows us to process, to release, and to begin healing.
This chapter is a powerful reminder that no one is meant to heal in isolation. We need connection, validation, and the freedom to be heard without fear.
If you have felt silenced—by fear, by shame, or by the people around you—you are not alone. You deserve to be heard, to be supported, and to heal at your own pace. Therapy is one of the places where that healing can begin.
If you’re ready to take the first step in breaking the silence, Just Before Dawn is a place to begin.
