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I have been abused in the past We're glad you found us, though regret the circumstances that brought you here. Abuse often leaves long-lasting aftermath, and it does help to talk about it with other survivors who get what it's like because they're going through the same thing. Fort membership is free and anonymous, and gives access to sixty forum folders, seven chatrooms, three weekly hosted chats, journals, social groups, etc. Forum posts, chat logs, user profiles, etc are visible to members only, and do not come up on Google. Anyone who believes they were abused, is over 16, and agrees to follow our guidelines is welcome to join us, using Fort as much or as little as they feel like.

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I am being abused currently Abuse is a serious matter that requires immediate attention of trained professionals in your area. We've been there, understand what it's like, and we care - but we're only an anonymous support group, and aren't qualified to assist with 3D crises. Instead, we list links and numbers of over a hundred of organizations that can help you ensure your safety: emergency numbers, domestic violence shelters, rape hotlines, numbers of Child Protective Services, therapist directories, suicide chatlines, etc. The list is organized by country and by topic, for easy navigation. Please do reach out for help in 3D: abuse is a crime, nobody should be subjected to it, and there are organizations in your area that will help you escape it.

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My loved one was/is abused Thank you for googling information on supporting your loved one! Abuse (past or present) is terribly isolating, and we're glad that our fellow abuse survivor has you in their support network. Feel free to browse our library - all of the pages there are written by abuse survivors and/or mental health professionals, and cover a wide range of topics, from personal memoirs expressing what it felt like to be abused - to articles on coping with insomnia. Awareness section includes a few pages written specifically for supporters like you.

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As you can imagine, abuse is a pretty sensitive and painful topic, so most of our forums and chatrooms are open to survivors only. However, feel free to use our Public Forum - it's free, anonymous, requires no registration, and is open to both our members and visitors. Keep in mind though that none of us offer crisis counseling, referrals, or relationship advice; we simply share our personal experiences with each other.

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I want to raise awareness Thanks for the work you do! Fort is created and maintained by anonymous survivors just like you, and we always welcome participation. You're welcome to add to our Memorial Wall, Glossary of abuse-related terms, Survivors Art Quilt, Survivors' Poetry Collection, or send us your memoirs, how-to's, or other abuse-related writings through the Tell Your Story page. We also offer a bunch of widgets you can embed on your site or blog to support our cause. Click the button below to see all the current Fort projects we'd love you to contribute to:

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I am already a member Great, click on "Sign in" link in the top right corner of any page, enter your username and password, click "Sign in," and then click on "Forum", "Chat", or any other place you wish to go. If you forgot your password, click on "Forgot my password" under the "Sign in" menu.
Just browsing Cool beans, feel free to poke around. We've been around since 2008 and are permanently growing and expanding, so you're likely to find something new no matter if it's your first of your hundredth visit. Here are some pointers:
  • Library has bunch of articles written by Fort members and visitors (including mental health professionals): self-help, memoirs, how-to's, etc. We also have a decent collection of full-length documentary films, and a list of books that our members found helpful
  • Quizzes are completely anonymous, results are displayed to you instantly without any ads or sign-up prompts, and your answers are not recorded. There's also a list of academic research studies you can participate in, if you feel like it.
  • Playroom has a few dozen of jigsaws, physics games, nerdy puzzles, etc that you can play right here on Fort and that have no ads or triggery content. Tetris, for instance, has been shown to lessen PTSD symptoms. There's also the Calm room with a bunch of nature videos, guided imagery, meditation mp3s, etc, the Doodling page where you can play with online caleidoscopes, mandalas, or draw something creative, and a few other such pages for when you're triggered and need a calm distraction.
  • About has all the info you might want about Fort: who we are, how to contact us, privacy policy, community guidelines, FAQ, sitemap, etc.
  • Help has tons of 3D resources for anything to do with abuse or its aftermath: hotlines, DV shelters, therapist directories, rehabs, social security benefits, etc. Plus some information on online safety and a list of alternative sites you might like.

Fort started in 2008 as a private support group for abuse survivors. We've grown quite a lot in the past decade, and now offer resources for anyone affected by abuse/trauma. You're welcome to browse the site and see what you find, but if you're feeling overwhelmed and need to quickly find your way around - just select the option that best describes you above, you'll see what we have specifically for you.

Survivor

Membership is free, does not expire, and is offered to anyone who is legally over 16yo, believes they have been abused, and agrees to follow our guidelines. It gives access to our forums and chatrooms, journals, hosted chats, art gallery, poetry collection, etc. Forum posts, chat logs, user profiles, etc are private, do not come up on Google, and are visible to Fort members only. Fort is open 24/7, there's plenty of us here, we come from all continents and time zones, so you're likely to find company at any hour.

Abuse and its aftermath can be terribly isolating and overwhelming, so talking anonymously to other survivors who are going through the same thing can be of enormous help. Collecting your thoughts and writing them down helps you make sense of what happened and what you can do about it now. Reading about how others deal with the same issues you have can provide invaluable insight and inspiration. Group discussions offer endless topics to ponder, which promotes personal growth. It's also a great way to practice social skills: all we do here is interact with each other in a protected environment with clearly spelled out boundaries, so you can work on social anxiety, shyness, assertiveness, conflict resolution, and making friends. It's not as risky and scary as in 3D. Finally, it's a place to hang out with people who get it, where nobody will make rape jokes, attack you out of nowhere, promote drugs, or start pointless arguments with you.

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Victim

over a hundred of links and numbers of various organizations that provide professional help for issues that abuse survivors often struggle with: emergency numbers, suicide chatlines, domestic violence shelters, rape hotlines, therapist directories, numbers of Child Protective Services, etc. Organized by country for easy navigation. We also have a few fun pages to play with and distract, if you're upset but not the point of needing hotlines: Crisis resources

Supporter

Over a hundred of pages written by Fort members and visitors (including mental health professionals) on a variety of topics relevant to abuse and its aftermath: self-help articles, survivor memoirs, tips and tricks on practicalities of life, etc. InformationWe also have:

  • Documentary Films
    A bunch of full-length documentaries on abuse and its aftermath, organized by topic, that you can watch right here at Fort. Self-understood that the content may be upsetting.
  • Bookstore
    A list of books our members found interesting and relevant to the topic of abuse and its aftermath - some are classics, others are fairly new and/or controversial. Each comes with a picture, a short descriptions, and a link to buy it on Amazon.
  • Quizzes
    No registration required, results are displayed to you instantly, and your answers are not recorded. All of the quizzes on Fort were developed by mental health professionals, but are provided here for educational purposes only.
  • Calm Room
    Abuse often causes PTSD and anxiety, so it's crucial for survivors to have a handy resource of grounding/relaxing/calming materials like nature videos and sounds, guided imagery, relaxation, meditation, etc. Our page has dozens of files you can playback here on Fort, feel free to bookmark it to use when you're triggered or struggling with insomnia.
  • Playroom
    It seems really helpful to abuse survivors to have an easily available and safe distraction from hard/triggery topics. Tetris, for instance, has been shown to lessen PTSD and flashbacks. Aside from Tetris we have a few dozen of jigsaws, physics games, nerdy puzzles, etc that you can play right here on Fort and that have no ads or triggery content, and a few links to other sites with cool distractions.
  • Draw-A-Doodle
    Art is a great thing for abuse survivors: helps you express your feelings when you're at a loss for words, offers a calming distraction when you're struggling with self-harming urges, and overall is just a cool hobby. We offer four doodling apps, from a silly kaleidoscope to a semi-professional photo editor, plus a few ideas to spark your creativity.

Project you can participate in:

  • Survivors' Art Quilt
    Pictures speak louder than words sometimes, so feel free to browse our art or add yours. All of it was done by abuse survivors, most by members of Fort Refuge. We didn't include extra graphic content on this page, but we have a social group on forums where you can post it as well.
  • Survivors' Poetry
    Most of our poetry is on forums just because it's a sensitive thing, but we have a decent size page in library too. There's a link to add your poem to the collection too, no registration necessary.
  • Memorial Wall
    The place where you can post various abuse-related anniversaries, such as obituaries of children who died through abuse, birthdays of people who contributed to the cause, international awareness days, etc. Abuse is not a theoretical concept, it costs lives, and seeing pictures and stories of real people who were affected by it on today's date makes it a lot more personal.