They Thought Retaliation Would Break Me. It Made Me Louder.
- Sharisse Stephenson
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
I was thrown into litigation while living with PTSD.
Begging — begging — for the award-winning “physician mental health services” they brag about in recruitment ads.
The ones they plaster on glossy brochures.
The ones I was locked out of.
✍🏽 When Therapy Wasn’t an Option, Writing Became One
Instead of therapy, I started writing.
The Workers’ Comp portal became my therapy journal.
As I explained why I was not going to withdraw my case except through a fair settlement, I wrote:
🩸 “U Should Have Asked My Mama.”
🔥 “Mission Statement or Nah?” — a reflection on the hypocrisy of a large, religiously affiliated health organization retaliating against a physician while preaching equity and inclusion.
✊🏾 “Still, I Rise — Workers’ Comp Edition,” where I declared, “I don’t care if I win or lose this case. I will appeal. You will never take my voice from me again.”
⚖️ I’m Not a Lawyer — I’m Louder
I’m not a lawyer.
But I learned how to get under opposing counsel’s skin.
I’m a doctor with PTSD — and somehow, that was enough to make a billion-dollar company spend enormous resources trying to shut me down:
Legal. HR. PR.
All scrambling — just to deal with me.
📣 Finding My Own Platform
Social media was never my thing.
But I learned quickly — it’s the great equalizer.
When traditional media shrugged and said, “Sorry you had a bad experience,” I realized I could speak for myself.
And once I did, I started finding others like me.
🧠 The Pattern Became Clear
This wasn’t just me.
This is a corporate playbook.
Across industries.
Across professions.
Those who speak up get crushed — and then erased.
But I wasn’t alone anymore.
And the more they retaliated,
the sharper I became.
The stronger I became.
The louder I became.
🕊️ From Survivor to Strategist
I taught myself to write federal complaints.
I hunted down every regulatory agency I could report to.
I learned their pressure points, one by one.
Maybe they still think I’ll go away.
But what they don’t realize is — they created something new.
Sharper. Stronger. Louder.
And this time,
it’s not just about me.
✊🏾 Join the Phoenix Movement
If you’ve been silenced or retaliated against for speaking up, you’re not alone.
📣 Share your story — your truth matters.
💬 Follow the Phoenix Advocacy Network for real stories of courage, reform, and survival.
🔥 Support those who are standing up to billion-dollar systems and refusing to disappear.
They thought retaliation would break me.It made me louder.
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