From Silence to Strength | Sahithi Mannar | TEDxSIBMBengaluru

Story and Trauma - The speaker shares her personal story of child sexual abuse and subsequent trauma [2][3][4][5] - The speaker describes the experience of living with PTSD, including flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, and physical symptoms [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] - The speaker received diagnoses of PTSD, borderline personality disorder, clinical depression, and generalized anxiety disorder [15] Recovery and Healing - The speaker emphasizes that mental health diagnoses are not "death sentences" but roadmaps for healing [16][17] - The speaker rebuilt her self-esteem through small, concrete actions, documented in an "evidence journal" [17][18][19] - The speaker reclaimed her identity and confronted her trauma by returning to dance classes [20][21][22][23][24] - The speaker learned to transform trauma responses into strengths, such as heightened self-awareness and vigilance [25][26][27] Advocacy and Empowerment - In December 2021, the speaker founded an NGO dedicated to empowering survivors of abuse and educating children about grooming [29][30][31] - The speaker highlights the importance of raising awareness about grooming tactics to break the cycle of abuse [30][31] - The speaker emphasizes the possibility of rewiring the brain, rebuilding self-esteem, and rediscovering courage [32][33]