Dec 16, 2021
This week, we dive into the story of singer, songwriter, and founder of the Red Songbird Foundation, Hilary Roberts. Hilary experienced trauma and abuse from a very early age which continued all throughout her adolescence. She talks about how there was very little healthy adult supervision growing up and how an ultimate lack of protection resulted in her being subjected to so many abusive people and situations. To make matters worse, nothing was ever done to help her, and things were not taken as seriously as they should have. As the years went by and the abuse continued to happen, Hilary quickly grew more resentful and began to take the burden on herself, thinking about what it was she had done to deserve this abuse and how it must be her fault. Hilary talks about how her self-esteem ultimately reached a point in which she felt like she was “a piece of garbage” and “not worthy of love.” Then, as she grew into her teenage years, she found alcohol, which helped her forget about some of the trauma she had continually experienced as well as helping turn down the constant thoughts of unworthiness she had spinning in her head. All this neglected abuse and trauma was building up into a launchpad that would end up being Hilary’s addictions and negative treatment of herself in the years to come.
Jason and Hilary discuss why childhood trauma can be so damaging to a person’s future psyche and how it is possible for an individual to be placed into so many vulnerable places. Jason also marvels at the fact that people were so willing to find Hilary help with her alcoholism in her teenage years but not at all willing to help her with the sexual abuse she had experienced growing up. In a story involving so much adversity and so many levels, we had to make it a multiple part episode.
Tune in next week for Part 2!
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