Someone who has survived a traumatic childhood may have difficulties forging a new future. They might not know how to get past their memories of their abuse and trauma. When they want to find happiness and be optimistic about their lives as adults, they may want to use other survivors' accounts of happiness as a model on which to base their own lives. They may find hearing others' child abuse survivor stories to be beneficial. These accounts could provide them with the objectivity and strength to move on and rebuild.

As adults reflect on their past trauma, they might think about the times that they were ignored or disbelieved. It is not uncommon for many adolescent victims to be accused of making up lies and trying to get their abuser in trouble for no reason. Other trusted figures, like parents, teachers, and coaches, may place the blame on them rather than the abusive individual. This disbelief especially takes place when the abuser is someone the whole community trusts and likes.

When they are accused of lying, victims often become depressed and withdraw from life. They may resign themselves to being abused for the duration of their childhoods until they reach maturity and can venture out on their own. This unwillingness to fight their abuser and escape the circumstances can have scarring effects on adults' lives These survivors may suffer from such severe depression that these individuals believe that they can never be happy again.

Even so, hearing someone else tell their account of survival can help a victim find new hope. This individual may learn that his or her abuser, despite being a respected community figure, was entirely to blame and in control of the events. Learning that someone else went through similar circumstances and still was able to lead a product life afterward can help that victim find the courage to face the past and discover the determination to let that part of his or her life go.

Many victims include professional counseling in their rebuilding process. They may come to realize that they cannot escape their pasts without an empathetic professional who is trained to help survivors cope with their past traumas. Counseling can last for months or years, depending on how long it takes someone to reach that point of objectivity to realize that he or she is not to blame and had no control over what happened to him or her.

Thus, people may wonder where they can hear or read a story of someone's survival. Many places are considered ideal for finding these accounts. Many survivors write novels detailing their accounts. These novels can be found in bookstores, libraries, or other places where books are available. Many novels that touch on this matter get a fair amount of publicity.

Many websites now exist as well that are created and hosted by adult survivors. They invite others to log on and recount their own childhood horrors, as well as take encouragement from other visitors when it comes to their own survival. These websites are often therapeutic and beneficial in helping people move on with their futures.

Survivors of traumatic childhoods may rely on child abuse survivor stories as models of optimism and hope. These accounts can teach victims that their futures do not have to be tied to their pasts. They can move on and lead lives that are happy, productive, and void of the trauma and neglect that marked their earlier years. They may even be able to forgive their abusers.