What Does It Mean to “Survive?” And How Do You Do It?

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it serves as a gentle reminder to cherish and appreciate the survivors you know, the survivors you love, and the survivors you have yet to meet. It also reminds us of when we first learned about the survivor community.

Maybe it was when the #MeToo movement was all over social media.

Maybe it was when your friend came home after a date gone wrong, unsure of what to feel, how to process, or where to go from here.

Or maybe it was when you came to terms with your own history of intimate relationships and experiences - and perhaps explored it in therapy, only to realize that healing - and surviving - is not as simple as you’d like it to be.

No matter what, it’s fairly easy to remember the moment when your reality first accepted the pervasive nature of domestic violence, otherwise known as intimate partner violence, relationship abuse, or simply abuse - and how your reality changes from there.

Data reported by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence tells us that 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes (Source below). LGBTQ+ individuals experience similar rates of partner violence and specific hurdles when it comes to identifying abuse, getting help, and accessing resources.

Surviving physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and otherwise abusive relationships is difficult and may try our characters and willpower to the highest degree but it is possible. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is running 24/7 and available for confidential calls at 1-800-799-7233. Our team of therapists is ready to work with you and/or your loved ones to move on from any situation of intimate partner violence. We know that abuse goes far and beyond scars and bruises, leaving deep mental wounds that we can only work through over time, with support and guidance, and alongside love.

You survive by taking one step at a time - and if you are ready to take that step, reach out to us. We are ready to meet you where you’re at and begin, one day at a time.

Additional resources:
https://www.helpwomen.org/
https://laurel-house.org/
https://www.womenagainstabuse.org/
https://www.woar.org/

Source used: https://tinyurl.com/y4yb3wba