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I’m a Sexual Assault Survivor. Here’s My Advice for Building Relationships
It’s not easy, but involving your partner may lead to better intimacy
Being a survivor means something different for everyone. Some people don’t even use “survivor” to describe themselves, and that’s perfectly fine. I didn’t start using it until I became engaged in activism around it. I used to call myself a “victim” of sexual assault, and many others refer to themselves that way. There’s honestly no right or wrong answer, but I think people began to lean toward using “survivor” as an act of empowerment and a way to reclaim their bodies and feelings of safety if not normalcy. Whatever term one uses, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone processes their experiences the same nor does everyone feel the same level of comfort openly discussing their experiences. For some, talking about their experiences leads to reliving them and can be quite triggering, so avoidance is an approach that may work best for them.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and the goal is to raise awareness about what sexual assault is, how prevalent it is, how to prevent and eradicate it, and how we can best support survivors and organizations doing the necessary work to end sexual violence. Started in 2001 after decades of grassroots organizing, SAAM has…
