Bad days can hit you out of nowhere. Sometimes, I can actually predict if a bad day will probably happen if I know I’ve pushed myself or had to talk a lot about my story the day before. Either way, when everything all started, I had no idea what I was up against. I had no idea if what I was feeling was what everyone else was feeling, or if this was how it was going to be for the rest of my life. Here are some things that I experience when I tend to have what I call, a bad day.
How Can I Help Someone I Love Who Is A Survivor?
Someone you love, whether that is a daughter, son, sister, brother, or friend has just told you that they have been sexually assaulted or something like it. How should you respond or react? What are the best actions for you to take from here? Is it okay for you to feel grief and sorrow? Many loved ones of survivors have had these exact thoughts. Here are some ways to help you be able to be the best help to your loved one who has gone through trauma like this.
The First Few Steps You Should Take
If you are also a survivor of sexual violence, I just want to tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through such a terrible experience. You did not deserve to go through something like this, but I hope that these tips can make the healing process a bit easier for you.
Here are some of the best steps you can take at the very beginning of the healing process when you have just barely realized what has happened to you. Remember, it is a very overwhelming and confusing time and it’s okay to feel shaken—but hopefully these steps will make it a little easier to get back on your feet.
Music Heals the Soul
Music is the heart of the soul! It truly reflects our emotions and can speak for us when we can’t find the words to portray how we are feeling. We can tag a memory to a specific song, we listen to upbeat, party music when we want to get pumped up, or depressing, slow music when we are feeling down. It influences our emotions and can also help us with our healing process. When I am having a high anxiety day, moment, or know I will be encountering one of my triggers, I always listen to my music. It completely calms me down, distracts me from what is causing the anxiety, and gets me through the trigger. For example, one of my triggers is showers. I literally could not shower without having a panic attack until I started playing music in the shower with me and forced myself to sing along to the songs. It forced my brain to think of something else, quickly get through my shower, and get out of there before I had any time to trigger a panic attack. Now, I am able to take showers with hardly any anxiety and sometimes without my music playing! I’m very excited about this progress!