It Never Took: A Memoir

Beaten and Bruised, But Not Broken

Terrah Hancock suffered a childhood of pain, manipulation, and abuse at the hands of her parents and uncle. Refusing to submit to their cruelty, Terrah rebels as a teenager, puts herself in dangerous situations, and is raped. At seventeen she leaves home, gets pregnant, and makes the impossible choice to give her baby up for adoption.

Barraged by relentless challenges, tumultuous relationships, and another pregnancy, Terrah saves her second child from a rare illness through her own tenacious research, giving her the confidence to enroll in college. But with fragile mental health, Terrah would need to summon strength she didn't know she had in order to uncover the truth of her past and overcome deep wounds of generational abuse.

In writing this raw and poignant personal narrative, Terrah Hancock speaks out against the shame of keeping secrets and the stigma against seeking care for mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and complex PTSD. Her journey of self-discovery reveals deeply observed lessons about valuing mental health treatment and how to thrive after abuse with courage and grace.