Assault Survivor Faces Pressure to Reveal Past to Parents

Grandmother's insistence complicates woman's decision on when and how to share her traumatic experiences

The woman has been assaulted multiple times in her life, mostly during high school and college, and has been in extensive therapy to work through the trauma.
Her grandmother, who is also a survivor of assault, is the only family member aware of her experiences.
The grandmother has been pressuring the woman to tell her parents about her past, despite the woman's reluctance and fear that she is not ready.
The woman is concerned that her grandmother might reveal her secret to her parents, causing hurt feelings and a potential mess.
Amy Dickinson, the author of the 'Ask Amy' column, advises the woman that she owns her story and it's her choice when and how to share it.