Trigger warning – sexual assault, rape,pain,depression, guilt and low mood.

Disclaimer- I am NOT a medical professional, this post is written from a survivors perspective. Please get professional help if you feel you need it.

I am in my thirties, the following happened before I hit 21, I’ve had distance to heal from it, and I wish that someone brave would have written from a survivors perspective when I was going through all this it would have helped, so I hope my article helps someone else.

6 times! I was sexually assaulted 6 times by 6 different people at different points of my young life.

It hurt a lot but telling my stories, I’m not here for that in this article. What I am here for explaining how to heal from the pain, guilt and brokenness that comes after you have been violated by sexual assault.

I tried a lot of things to survive the pain and disgust I felt on a daily basis, some helpful some not so wise.

Here’s the healthy things that worked for me and why. Maybe they will help you too.

1. Wearing my pain – I wore black, I was grieving so I dressed like a funeral everyday because it was my way of grieving my lost innocence.
2. Music was my manna – I made playlists to help me get through the day. I have a method of music mapping emotions. This was a survival tactic.
3. Working with medical professionals – In my case that meant working with doctors for depressions and councilors for PTSD it was a long process, but these professionals really helped.
4. Journaling – Writing my feelings really helped with seeing how I was progressing.
5. Self Care – Taking the time to have that extra long bath or read the books for hours or go for that walk were all really helpful tactics to take extra special care of myself.
6. Soul Care Work – This one requires you to be brave but if you can do it, its the most transformative thing that you can do. It’s all about deciding to become the best version of yourself for your yourself and your loved ones. Then you seek out mentors, to help you get there. Read the books, listen to the podcasts, watch the videos, whatever it takes to get the knowledge upgrade, so you can upgrade your life because you are worth it, the assault should not define you.
7. Finally we have the foundation on which I stand, Identity work. – In my case, I know my identity is hidden in Christ on high, and because I know who I am in Him, I can explore who I am in me.

Let’s be real, sexual assault breaks you soul,body,mind and spirit it takes a lot of effort to put yourself back together again (or let God) The tips above will help you build a sturdy foundation back into your life.

Once you have a firm foundation,whatever you build on top of it can be as tall as you like. The sky really is the limit!