Quote Originally Posted by Driveslikeagirl
And "survivor" adds an undercurrent of heroism that, at least for me, I feel is wholly undeserved on my part. I lived through a smattering of "unfortunate circumstances" like we all have to do eventually. For example, I don't consider myself a domestic violence victim OR survivor. It's just something that happened that ended up making me a better person (more understanding to others in similar circumstances, blah blah).
I for one have no problem hearing someone call themselves a survivor. If that goes anywhere to building esteem, hallelujah. The reasoning is good here, except that it is heroic to survive something and not to let the scar tissue define you.

You survived your experiences and have not only a healthy self-image, but an incredibly reasonable and sane outlook on it, too.