Owning and Ensuring Recovery
Navigating victimization by sexual violence isn’t easy. Outside of the physical, mental, and emotional impacts. Those of us who have been harmed are left to navigate the field of life with limited, if any, resources, navigation devices, or armor. Anything we have is from what we (directly and indirectly) learned growing and what those in our lives know - it’s limited. This lack of education, coupled with the victimization, makes navigating life that much harder.
Moving forward in a healthy, meaningful way becomes possible when we gain access to credible information that allows us to both understand the trauma we’ve endured and the steps we must follow to begin to be able to take back control of our bodies and lives. Successfully, surviving sexual violence is more than just existing or following the motions. It’s fully reconnecting with our bodies and managing our emotions so that we may make the healthiest decisions for ourselves and our families.
Please remember that each journey is unique to the person and there is no one set time frame to get better.
These steps may not require a lot of physical effort, but they do require mental and emotional effort that may require the support of a qualified, trauma informed mental health professional. Having access to a professional may help us navigate the waves of difficult feelings and physical affects that will arise while navigating a safe, self recovery journey. Understanding that access to a professional isn’t always feasible, taking steps to be better can be done independently. A major difference noted by some survivors is the difference in the time it takes to move forward. But, please remember that each journey is unique to the person and there is no one set time frame to get better. A shorter or longer timeframe isn’t an indication of a better or worse person or effort. What matters most, is that we start.
Actionable steps seem easy enough, but require us to be honest with ourselves and vulnerable:
Acknowledge the fact that the assault or abuse happened
Recognize and take inventory of the bodily harm, then seek medical attention for testing
Give yourself time to grieve the acknowledgement, if possible
Identify your current mental, emotional, and physical needs and triggers
Communicate with people who may able to help you satisfy/resolve your needs
Proactively seek information and resources regarding understanding sexual violence
Build community with people who are willing to be present and respect boundaries
Assess relationships with people to help ensure that positive, well people are around
Repeat steps 4 - 8 on an ongoing basis, per different phases and stages of life
Getting on a healthy path of wellness after victimization isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. And, it’s worth it because every single one of us is worth it. We are all valuable and deserving of a life where we can thrive.
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