I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE… | Surviving a Violent Attack Abroad, PTSD & Learning to Feel Safe Again

One ordinary walk home changed Charly’s life forever.

After surviving a violent attack while working overseas, nothing felt safe anymore.

The physical injuries healed, but the panic attacks, hypervigilance and fear stayed for years.

In this incredibly honest episode of Becoming Lucy, Charly shares the story of the night that changed everything. She opens up about surviving a violent attack abroad, navigating PTSD, rebuilding her confidence, and learning how to feel safe in the world again.

Together, we explore trauma, panic attacks, anxiety, the body’s response to traumatic experiences, therapy, the criminal justice system, resilience, and what it really takes to reclaim your life after everything you once knew has been turned upside down.

This isn’t just a story about surviving.

It’s a story about learning how to truly live again.

Whether you’ve experienced trauma yourself, supported someone who has, or simply want to better understand the long-term effects of trauma, this conversation is raw, educational and ultimately full of hope.

In this episode we discuss:

• The night that changed Charly’s life forever

• Surviving a violent attack while living overseas

• PTSD, panic attacks and the hidden effects of trauma

• How trauma changes the brain and the body

• The police investigation and navigating the criminal justice system

• Therapy, hypnotherapy and finding the right support

• Rebuilding confidence after violence

• Resilience, healing and post-traumatic growth

• Why recovery isn’t linear

• Becoming authentically yourself after trauma

If this episode resonates with you, please follow Becoming Lucy, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who may need to hear this conversation.

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Support

If you’ve been affected by any of the topics discussed in this episode, support is available.

• Mental Health Foundation – https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

• RAINN – https://www.rainn.org

• Hypnotherapy Directory – https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk

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Connect with Charly

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlyylouise?igsh=djhiOTllajA2Mndx

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Follow Becoming Lucy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becominglucy?igsh=dXdtNTdqbjB4MG5u

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@becominglucy?_r=1&_t=ZN-97cJn8Zyj9G

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Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: The Night That Changed Charly’s Life

06:18 – Living the Dream Before Everything Changed

11:25 – A Ten-Minute Walk Home

21:20 – When Your Instincts Tell You Something Is Wrong

30:08 – Running for Her Life

32:26 – Fighting to Survive

33:44 – “I Thought I Was Going to Die”

35:46 – The Attack Ended. The Trauma Didn’t.

37:19 – Reaching Safety

39:35 – The Police Response That Shocked Her

49:51 – Searching for the Men Who Attacked Her

56:46 – Living With Trauma

57:34 – Learning to Feel Safe Again

01:00:16 – Starting Over in a New Country

01:02:03 – ‘Jazz Hands Charly’: The Mask That Hid Her Pain

01:06:30 – When Trauma Lives in the Body

01:12:27 – Healing, Hypnotherapy & Finding Herself Again

01:18:38 – Becoming Charly

01:23:16 – Final Reflections

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