Survivors

 “Survivor” this word holds a lot of meaning and it often means different things to different people. I feel as if survivors are people who have overcome great obstacles and/or hardships. There are survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, breast cancer, natural disasters, war, other types of illness, and/or other types of devastating loss. Today I would like to focus on the work that I do which is with survivors of sexual assault.  Survivors of sexual assault often feel as if their lives have been changed permanently and they often feel as if they are no longer the same person they used to be. Many survivors feel as if they have permanently lost part of themselves and feel as if they will never heal from what has happened to them. There are so many emotions and thoughts that go through a survivors mind. Unfortunately, most of these thoughts and feelings are initially negative. They feel as if they are to blame for what has happened to them, they feel dirty, ashamed, and it takes a long time for survivors to learn to forgive themselves for things that they hold themselves responsible for. Survivors may see themselves in a negative light initially however through the healing process they are able to learn how to change their negative thoughts into positive ones. When survivors walk into my office, it is easy for me to see their courage and bravery; however it takes some time for them to see themselves as brave and courageous. All survivors have to go through the process of healing these wounds by talking about their thoughts and feelings and working through the issues that they carry with them daily. It is our goal to have them break free from the control that this sexual assault has had on their lives and once they are able to do so this process is so empowering to all survivors. Many survivors ask if they will ever forget this horrible experience and my answer is often no, however that does not mean that they will not be able to heal from this. Many survivors will never be the same but that does not mean that they cannot be better. 

This is an article I submitted to the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center newsletter which comes out quarterly.  If you are interested in receiving a copy of our newsletter please contact us at 806.763.3232.