Moving Forwards
Moving forwards
Many survivors want to know how they can move forwards after experiencing sexual violence. It is important to note that this is different for everyone and may happen at a different rate.
You may not feel like a survivor yet – but remember you have survived your experiences and you are still here.
By reading this, and maybe engaging in, or considering engaging in therapy or other support services, you are beginning to take control in trying to build the life you want and not allowing your life to be determined by your experiences of abuse.
It can help to take time to acknowledge what you have achieved in your life so far. What are you proud of? What do you feel good about it? It could be a relationship, parenting, success at work, sports achievement, something you have done to help someone else, standing up to injustices. No matter how small, acknowledge these achievements.
Remember – what you are feeling is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.
Choices of Strength and Healing
- To choose life
- To have deep inner reasons to live
- To find safety if suicidal feelings are not controllable
- To hunger for truth, despite the pain, for freedom.
- To take charge of one’s memory work
- To be a loving parent to one’s child parts
- To be determined to love oneself
- To defeat fear (except truly self-protective fear)
- To defeat anger (except truly self-protective anger)
- To discover and process the trauma that causes parts to want to act out destructively or self-destructively
- To be a thriver, to have an internal locus of control
- To be the leader of one’s healing team
- To connect with others and to have close relationships
- To be kind and considerate of helpers and loved ones
- To be financially self-sufficient, or work toward this
- To lead. To have a mission to help others
- Integration (or preserving a few co-conscious parts)
- To be spiritually centered
