The following things have helped my recovery from sexual trauma:
- Keeping a nonexistent digital footprint until I was ready to be found.
- Not sharing anything publicly until I was healthy enough to do so and keep myself safe.
- Finding a trauma-informed therapist, writing down all the trauma and systematically working through it until “it was finished.”
- Moving out of a toxic faith community and not seeking another until such time as I and my family are ready – if we ever are.
- Moving to a smaller home where I feel safe in a neighborhood where I am less isolated but also less known.
- Reducing my physical workload to something that I can maintain myself i.e. smaller residence with less outdoor/indoor work
- Starting to move my body and find some good in it.
- Discovering what self-care looks like for me and doing it.
- Reading ferociously and writing beautifully.
- Keeping and maintaining a TINY table of trusted friends.
- Not overly identifying with my abuser(s) by not providing them any rest free space or publicity.
- Taking a graduate program on advocacy and finding kinship with The Heroes – the survivor community.