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This episode was hard to make.

Not because I didn’t know what to say —
but because I’ve spent a lifetime learning how not to say it.

In Episode 8 of Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, I stop performing strength and start telling the truth. About growing up in chaos. About abuse. About the ways trauma shapes your voice, your body, your anger, and your need to survive at any cost.

I talk about what it means to be labeled “too much” when you were never protected enough. About learning to sharpen words into weapons because silence was never safe. About how survival can look like confidence — until one day it doesn’t anymore.

This episode isn’t about revenge.
It isn’t about naming villains.
And it isn’t about rewriting anyone else’s story.

It’s about finally telling mine.

Some people will hear this and feel uncomfortable.
Some will feel exposed.
Others may recognize themselves for the first time.

If this episode makes you cry, pause, breathe, or need to step away — that’s okay. You’re not weak. You’re human.

I have always been a storm.
But storms don’t exist to destroy.
They exist to change the landscape.

⚠️ Trigger Warning (Please Read Before Listening)

This episode contains discussion of:

• Childhood abuse
• Emotional and physical abuse
• Sexual abuse (including references involving minors)
• Trauma responses
• Suicidal ideation
• Family dysfunction

Listener discretion is advised. Please prioritize your emotional safety while listening.

💛 Support & Crisis Resources

If this episode brings up difficult feelings or memories, you are not alone — and help is available.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.

Suicide & Crisis Support

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.)
  Call or text 988 | Chat at 988lifeline.org
  Available 24/7
• International Suicide Hotlines
  Find local resources at: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
  
  

Child Abuse & Neglect

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (U.S.)
  1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
  Call, text, or chat — available 24/7

Sexual Abuse & Assault (Teens & Adults)

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (U.S.)
  800-656-HOPE (4673) | Chat at rainn.org
  Confidential, 24/7

Domestic Violence

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.)
  1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | TTY 1-800-787-3224
  Or chat at thehotline.org

If you’re outside the U.S., many of these organizations can help direct you to local resources.

You deserve safety. You deserve support. You deserve to be heard.

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© 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.