NOTE FROM TED: This talk contains a discussion of sexual assault and suicide. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...

TEDxGlasgow 2019 Principal Partner #SCOTLANDISNOW'

“I remember wishing they would kill me to make it all end.”
It takes courage to speak the unspeakable. But for many years, Madeleine Black felt too afraid and too ashamed to utter a word of what happened to her.
Violently attacked at the age of thirteen, her story is one of pain – but also of recovery, strength, and forgiveness.
Through her words, Madeleine hopes to help others find the courage to speak up, whatever their story. And to show us that it’s not the traumatic events in our life that define us, but by how we choose to reclaim our lives after them. How we become unbroken.
Madeleine uses her personal and moving story of forgiveness to help end the shame, stigma and silence surrounding sexual violence, enabling others to find their voice, whatever their story.

In March 2018 she won the Amazing Strength award at the No. 1 Magazine Amazing Women Awards and in October of the same year was asked to be the Patron for Say Women, a Scottish organisation which offers safe accommodation and support to young women who are survivors of sexual abuse/rape and who are homeless. She continues to work as a psychotherapist in Glasgow and her memoir, Unbroken, was published on April 4th 2017. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx