3|From Silence to Strength: Deanna's Story of Breaking Free from Abuse and Rewriting Her Story

Intrepid Storytelling · Nov 26, 2025 · 11m

This is a short episode from the Intrepid Storytelling live event. Born into a sheltered, fundamentalist Christian upbringing, Deanna Powell was taught that women and children were to be seen, not heard—and that a woman’s purpose was to serve men, marry, and have children. Naïve to the world and lacking boundaries, she became a target for predators, enduring sexually abusive relationships and three failed marriages. Struggling with addiction, her life took a dramatic turn on June 20th, 2012, when she got sober and began reclaiming her voice and self-worth. Choosing to embrace life on her…