“Pain is a message. You are probably going to experience a fair amount of it, so it’s important that you know this. No matter how bad it is, pain is not a judgment, or a punishment, or a weakness: pain is a message, from the part of you that wants to live, telling you that something is wrong.
I don’t care which jerk told you to “handle it” “better”; you are receiving a message, right now, from a very necessary part of yourself. The message is, “I want to live. Get me some help.” It’s urgent. That is why it hurts.” (from We’re Called Survivors Because We’re Still Here)
We think this is a great article for people who are, or know, sexual assault survivors …
… so that’s everybody (unfortunately).
It is good enough that we recommend it despite the brief mention about involving the legal system — which we do not support.
Philly Survivor Support Collective 