Everything Is Fine, I'll Just Work Harder: Confessions of a Former Badass

In an unflinching examination of the impact of trauma, one queer person navigates healing and therapy from the trauma of a past sexual assault

One day, during an ordinary early-morning run, Cara’s watch dinged with a Facebook friend request. But when they checked the message, the photo slammed them backward in time and froze them in fear. Their rapist wanted to “friend” them.

Cara always had a long to-do list; always had many projects; always was busy. But as her rapist continued to send friend requests and tried to reconnect with her, she began losing her grip on her work, her projects, and her relationship. But then she connected with a therapist who guided her in what was a long but powerful process of desensitization and reprocessing, excavating and reliving the old wounds in her life to move past them and heal