Jeffrey Epstein Survivor & Mental Health Advocate, Kelly Brennan, Hosts Open Q&A
No Topic is Off Limits — Submit Your Questions Now
TWO-MINUTE SUMMARY
While our society has made considerable progress in ridding the negative stigma attached to sexual assault and mental health, I can attest that the fight is not over. Since sharing my identity and traumatic history with the public, I have received private messages and public comments teeming with victim shaming, rude questions, argumentative accusations, and uninformed judgment. Thankfully, the destructive feedback is outweighed dramatically by positivity, and after years of therapeutic services, my mental state is strong enough to deflect the rest. However, this was not always the case and continues to be an obstacle for many victims.
There are countless men, women, and children who keep their assault a secret, never seek justice or get urgently needed professional care because they are afraid of what others might say or do in response. It’s imperative as a society to create a safe environment advantageous to the needs of the victims. Otherwise, predators will remain free to repeat their crimes while the victim’s mental health slowly deteriorates. Moreover, survivors plagued by untreated mental health issues may transform into the abuser without proper medical care, allowing the cycle to repeat in the next generation. To end the overabundance of abuse and neglect in our country, victims need validation and examples of how to share their experiences and get help safely. When someone publicly victim-shames a survivor, the impact extends beyond the two engaged in dialogue and may unintentionally influence a reader to remain silent.
Most of the victim-shaming I encountered seemed to stem from a lack of knowledge and an unconscious assumption that all Epstein victims shared the same experience; this is not the case. Like many predators, Epstein had an uncanny talent for quickly identifying potential victims and their specific vulnerabilities. Although his crimes followed similar patterns, he tailored the lies, manipulation techniques and abuse to fit the person and situation. To promote awareness and provide a safe, healthy learning environment, I invite anyone and everyone to ask about my experience regarding mental health or sexual assault; after all, knowledge is power. Although I request that your submissions are respectfully phrased, no topic is off-limits, and you’re welcome to ask more than one question. Whether to appease curiosity, validate your own experience or partake in a civil, educated exchange about the topic in general, please use me as a resource. If I feel comfortable, I’ll share what I know, going into in-depth detail about my experiences in writing or via an upcoming YouTube video.
SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR ME TO ANSWER
Please note that I will answer questions in the comments below and those with the highest upvotes on Reddit first. To submit a question, type one into the comment area below or click one of the following links to post on the platform of your choice: Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, or Website Contact Form / Email.
THE FULL STORY
Are you tired of hearing about sexual assault and the importance of mental health in the media? You’re not alone. Recently, I’ve heard from people that proudly share the same opinion. While I agree that our society has made considerable progress, I can attest that the fight is NOT over. Epstein’s alleged associates and the countless other offenders committing similar crimes worldwide have yet to be held accountable for their actions. Additionally, negative stigmas are still associated with sexual assault and mental health issues. They need to be fully distinguished before we can consider our job done.
Since sharing my identity and traumatic history with the public, I have received private messages and public comments teeming with victim shaming, rude questions, argumentative accusations, and uninformed judgment. After participating in hundreds of counseling sessions, support group meetings and other therapeutic services, I now understand what it means to have value and self-worth, and I can cope in a healthier way. However, this was not the case for nearly two decades and continues to be an obstacle for many victims, especially those whose trauma recently occurred or took place when they were a child. There are countless men, women, and children who keep their assault a secret, never seek justice or get urgently needed professional care because they are afraid of hostile reactions. I know from personal experience just how detrimental this can be.
Previously, when I had considered asking for help, fear, shame, and doubt clouded my judgment causing questions to relentlessly flood my mind, including Will people look at me differently? Will they believe me? What if society blames me? Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong? What’s wrong with me? What if I get in trouble? Will people think I’m a slut? Will loved ones be mad at me?
Eventually, when my suffering became so unbearable that any other situation would be preferable, having nothing left to lose, I summoned as much strength and courage as possible before taking a leap of faith, hoping and praying for my living nightmare to end. However, with the stakes high because of my frail mental state, already wounded and feeling vulnerable, the adverse reactions caused me to shut down and internalize the negativity. Instead of receiving help, fuel was added to the fire exacerbating the typical symptoms that plague victims of abuse like self-deprecation, low self-esteem, self-harm, depression, and anxiety. The reaction reaffirmed my fears and caused my mental state to decline further, making it increasingly difficult to get help in the future.
Thankfully, the negative feedback is dramatically outweighed by positivity. I have received a mountain of compassionate feedback from kindhearted, empathetic individuals, and I am incredibly grateful, humbled, and motivated by the support. Yet, as a sufferer of PTSD and low self-worth, I regularly struggle with maintaining my new healthy mindset, and on a bad day, even just one cruel comment can easily undo that progress. Worse, when someone publicly victim-shames a survivor, the impact extends beyond the two engaged in dialogue and may unintentionally influence a reader to remain silent.
If abuse in the United States is ever going to end, it’s imperative as a society to create a safe environment advantageous to the needs of the victims. Survivors need healthy examples of appropriate coping mechanisms and how to share their experiences and get help safely. Otherwise, to no fault of the victim, the daunting environment will inadvertently allow predators to remain free to repeat their crimes. Furthermore, it may breed additional abuse continuing the cycle, turning the victim into the abuser, as the untreated mental health disorders lead to self-harm and violence against others. Because of this, I urge people to think twice about posting tactless comments, regardless of whether you agree with me, the original poster (OP). The fallout of your actions is more extensive than you realize.
Luckily as a society, we have made progress. By the time I read the harmful messages, other survivors and advocates had typically confronted the author, causing the person to remove the post or repent and mitigate the destructive impact. While I don’t believe public shaming is the answer, I appreciate the irony and eye for an eye mentality that comes with inflicting the same toxic behavior on the offender. There’s a sense of poetic justice, and with any luck, it will teach wrongdoers empathy and sway people from committing similar acts in the future. Plus, people, specially grown adults, need to be held accountable as there’s no justification for inappropriate, hateful, or disrespectful behavior today. As American citizens, we have the right to free speech, allowing people to disparage others they disagree with. However, just because someone is legally entitled to do something doesn’t mean they should do it. This is especially true when that same right has paved the way for people from all walks of life to create a plethora of content and entertainment, containing something for everyone and providing ample opportunity to find something more suitable to their taste.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that people with a difference in opinion never discuss the issue, as it’s imperative to do so to gain much-needed individual and collective growth. Rather, I encourage people to conduct themselves in a manner that doesn’t cause mental or physical harm to those involved or future readers. In its place, consider offering constructive criticism while being open-minded about learning new facts and understanding someone else’s perspective. At the very least, stick to the Golden Rule that even small children understand and tend to abide by; If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Adults often lose sight of this simple concept, but its simplistic wisdom could save someone from unnecessary heartache.
The information available thus far regarding Epstein, Maxwell, and the others, does not apply to all victims. Because most of the recent victim-shaming I encountered seemed to stem from a lack of clarity on the subject and the assumption that all of Epstein’s victims endured the same set of experiences, I encourage anyone and everyone to ask me questions. Like many predators, Epstein had an uncanny talent for quickly identifying victims and their vulnerabilities. Although many of his crimes followed similar patterns, he tailored the abuse and manipulation techniques specifically to each person to maximize success.
Although I ask that the submissions be respectful, no topic is off-limits. You’re welcome to ask me anything. There are no stupid questions.
Please note, I do not speak for all of Epstein’s victims, no less all sexual assault survivors, and can only share my experiences. However, if I know the answer and feel comfortable, I will answer the question in writing or in an upcoming YouTube video. Whether to appease curiosity, validate your own experience or conduct a civil, educated discussion about the topic in general, please use me as a resource. Knowledge is power. There are countless lessons that I’ve discovered over the last couple of years that could have drastically changed my life had I known them earlier. I’m hoping to prevent others from learning the hard way.
More Details
Are you tired of hearing about sexual assault and the importance of mental health in the media? You’re not alone. Recently, I’ve heard from people that proudly share the same opinion. While I agree that our society has made considerable progress, I can attest that the fight is NOT over. Epstein’s alleged associates and countless other offenders committing similar crimes worldwide still need to be brought to justice. Before considering the war won, we must extinguish the negative stigma associated with sexual assault and mental health.
Since sharing my identity and traumatic history with the public, I have received private messages and public comments teeming with victim shaming, rude questions, argumentative accusations, and uninformed judgment. After participating in hundreds of counseling sessions, support group meetings and other therapeutic services, I now understand what it means to have value and self-worth, and I can cope in a healthier way. However, this was not the case for nearly two decades and continues to be an obstacle for many victims, especially those who recently suffered trauma or were abused as children. There are countless men, women, and children who keep their assault a secret, never seek justice or get urgently needed professional care because they are afraid of hostile reactions. I know from personal experience just how detrimental this can be.
Previously, when I had considered asking for help, fear, shame, and doubt clouded my judgment causing questions to relentlessly flood my mind, including Will people look at me differently? Will they believe me? What if society blames me? Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong? What’s wrong with me? What if I get in trouble? Will people think I’m a slut? Will loved ones be mad at me?
Eventually, when the suffering became so unbearable that any other situation would be preferable, as I had nothing left to lose, I’d summon as much strength and courage as possible before taking a leap of faith. However, with the stakes high because of my frail mental state, already wounded and feeling vulnerable, the adverse reactions caused me to shut down and internalize the negativity. Instead of receiving help, fuel was added to the fire exacerbating the typical symptoms that plague victims of abuse like self-deprecation, low self-esteem, self-harm, depression, and anxiety. This reaffirmed my fears and caused my mental state to decline further, making it increasingly difficult to get help in the future.
Thankfully, the recent negative feedback has been dramatically outweighed by positivity. I have received a mountain of compassionate feedback from kindhearted, empathetic individuals, and I am incredibly grateful, humbled, and motivated by the support. Yet, as a sufferer of PTSD and low self-worth, I regularly struggle with maintaining my new healthy mindset, and on a bad day, even just one cruel comment can easily undo that progress. Worse, when someone publicly victim-shames a survivor, the impact extends beyond the two engaged in dialogue and may unintentionally influence a reader to remain silent.
It’s imperative as a society to create a safe environment advantageous to the needs of the victims. To end the abuse and neglect in our country, victims need examples of healthy coping mechanisms, how to share their experiences and ways to get help safely. Otherwise, to no fault of the victim, the daunting environment will inadvertently allow predators to remain free to repeat their crimes. Furthermore, it may breed additional abuse continuing the cycle, turning the victim into the abuser, as the untreated mental health disorders lead to self-harm and violence against others. Because of this, I urge people to think twice about posting tactless comments, regardless of whether you agree with me, the original poster (OP). The fallout of your actions is more extensive than you realize.
Luckily as a society, we have made progress. By the time I read the harmful messages, other survivors and advocates had typically confronted the author, causing the person to remove the post or repent. This mitigates the destructive impact. While I don’t believe public shaming is the answer, I appreciate the irony and eye for an eye mentality that comes with inflicting the same toxic behavior on the offender. There’s a sense of poetic justice, and with any luck, it will teach wrongdoers empathy and sway people from committing similar acts in the future. Plus, people, specially grown adults, need to be held accountable as there’s no justification for inappropriate, hateful, or disrespectful behavior today. As American citizens, we have the right to free speech, allowing people to disparage others they disagree with. However, just because someone is legally entitled to do something doesn’t mean they should do it. This is especially true when that same right has paved the way for people from all walks of life to create a plethora of content and entertainment, containing something for everyone and providing ample opportunity to find something more suitable to their taste.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that people with a difference in opinion should never discuss the issue, as it’s imperative for much-needed individual and collective growth. Rather, I encourage people to conduct themselves in a manner that doesn’t cause mental or physical harm to those involved or future readers. In its place, consider offering constructive criticism while being open-minded about learning new facts and understanding someone else’s perspective. At the very least, stick to the Golden Rule that even small children understand and tend to abide by; If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Adults often lose sight of this simple concept, but its simplistic wisdom could save someone from unnecessary heartache.
Stories depicted in the media regarding Epstein, Maxwell, and the others, do not apply to all victims. Because most of the recent victim-shaming I encountered seemed to stem from a lack of clarity on the subject and the assumption that all of Epstein’s victims endured the same set of experiences, I encourage anyone and everyone to ask me questions. Like many predators, Epstein had an uncanny talent for quickly identifying victims and their vulnerabilities. Although many of his crimes followed similar patterns, he tailored the abuse and manipulation techniques specifically to each person to maximize success.
Although I ask that the submissions be respectful, no topic is off-limits. You’re welcome to ask me anything. There are no stupid questions.
Please note, I do not speak for all of Epstein’s victims, no less all sexual assault survivors, and can only share my experiences. However, if I know the answer and feel comfortable, I will answer the question in writing or in an upcoming YouTube video. Whether to appease curiosity, validate your own experience or conduct a civil, educated discussion about the topic in general, please use me as a resource. Knowledge is power. There are countless lessons that I’ve discovered over the last couple of years that could have drastically changed my life had I known them earlier. I’m hoping to prevent others from learning the hard way.
