The Difference Between Gossip and Storytelling
People often dismiss survivors by saying, “you’re just talking shit.” But there’s a big difference between gossip and sharing your story. One tears people down, the other rebuilds your voice and creates healing.
Your Legal Right to Share Your Story
In the U.S., you have the First Amendment right to tell your story, even if it names experiences of bullying, abuse, or harassment. The only legal limit is defamation, which applies if someone knowingly lies or makes false statements of fact.
The U.S. Courts confirm that truth is an absolute defense against defamation (U.S. Courts – Defamation Law). That means if it happened to you and it’s true, sharing your story is protected speech, not “talking shit.”
Why Storytelling Heals Trauma
Psychology research proves that silence doesn’t protect you — it makes trauma worse.
- Trauma expert Dr. Judith Herman explains that healing requires “reconstructing the trauma story” and reclaiming your narrative (Trauma and Recovery, 1992).
- Survivors who engage in narrative therapy or journaling often report reduced PTSD symptoms and stronger self-worth.
Staying silent keeps the pain bottled up, while storytelling gives survivors control over their own experience.
👉 Related: Mental Health Impact
Silence Is the Bully’s Favorite Weapon
Bullies and abusers thrive in silence. They rely on others being too afraid, ashamed, or disbelieved to speak out.
Research from the Workplace Bullying Institute shows that 60% of workplace bullying only ends when the target quits, not when the bully is held accountable (WBI U.S. Survey). That’s because silence protects the bully, not the survivor.
This is why speaking up matters, telling your story challenges their control.
👉 Related: Workplace Bullying
Talking Shit vs. Sharing Your Story
- Talking Shit = rumor, second-hand accounts, or malicious intent.
- Sharing Your Story = fact-based, first-person truth that names what happened and how it impacted you.
Gossip is about character assassination. Storytelling is about accountability, meaning-making, and healing.
👉 Related: Reactive Abuse
Your Story Isn’t Gossip — It’s Power
Here’s the truth: in the U.S., the law protects your right to share your story, and psychology confirms that survivors need to tell their story to heal.
Bullies depend on silence. Abusers depend on confusion. But your voice is your power. Sharing your story isn’t gossip, it’s a way to hold others accountable, reclaim your narrative, and create an echo loud enough to break the silence.
