If you have any form of social media, you have seen women everywhere, of all ages, writing “Me too” on their pages. In the past week, there have been thousands of women posting this as a way to show the severity and commonality of sexual harassment and assault.

The movement, which was started years ago by activist Tarana Bruke, recently caught on when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted for women who have been affected by sexual harassment or assault to tweet “Me too.”

This movement is to stand up against and raise awareness about the widespread effect that assault has had on women around the world.

For some of these women, it is the first time they have publicly spoken about their assault.

These women are brave and some have even shared their harrowing stories of assault in order to support other women and expand awareness for this devastating and widespread issue. A number of celebrities have spoken out including actresses Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lawrence and olympian Mckayla Maroney.

This social media phenomenon has become a platform for women to stand up and stand together in support of one another and each one’s personal journey dealing with harassment and assault.

But for those women who aren’t ready to post “Me too,” do not suffer in your silence, your story is still important.

For some of you, this admittance is too painful, the event is too fresh in your mind to publicly declare that you were assaulted. You are not alone. Your silence has been heard and your story still matters. Every person must deal with their experience in their own way, on their own time.

For some women, talking about their experience with sexual harassment or assault is empowering. Some women gain closure or peace by speaking out about their experience in hopes that they will help someone else dealing with the same hardship.

But for other women, it’s not that simple.

Sometimes, even posting something as minimal as “Me too” on their facebook page can be terrifying.

Speaking about a traumatic experience with assault is scary and can bring up anxiety and triggering memories. However, these stories still matter.

Harassment and assault are not easy subjects to talk about, hopefully, this movement will provide you with the encouragement and support you need in order to speak up.

While you may not be ready to speak out on this issue publicly, it is imperative that you find someone to share your story with.

Reach out to a friend, a family member, or a mentor who will support you and get you to the help that you need.