31. SAAM 2020
Updated: May 4, 2024
This Moment
April is sexual assault awareness month, or SAAM. Each new year of SAAM brings with it a fresh wave of activism, intention, thought, and care. This year's SAAM is different than those of the past for a new reason. While there have previously been unsafe contexts where people have lived, right now, some people are currently living in unsafe contexts that may be exacerbated by stay-at-home orders put in place as public health measures to combat this new coronavirus.
I am aware that for some, home is not a safe space. To anyone reading this who may either be in danger of abuse or is already suffering from abuse, I encourage you to seek help. If you want help, but don't know where to start, please see my post about Immediate Support After Sexual Trauma. You will find a link for it at the bottom of this page.
I've seen various versions of internet posts by those attempting to let survivors know that they are available to help if needed. It involves something to the effect of providing survivors with code words to reach out to ask others for intervention or to call the police for them. That way, if their phones or social media accounts are being viewed by their abusers, the abusers will not know that a call for help has been sent, thus potentially preventing retaliation. Our collective wish is to remind anyone suffering from any type of abuse that there are so many people who love you, care about you, and want you to experience safety. I hope that your homes are safe places for you, but I believe you if they are not.
Our current health crisis is stirring up trauma responses for many. If you have already been through a trauma in your life, you may find that some of your fear responses are activated by news about the number of people who are getting sick or passing away, the measures that are being taken to attempt to quell the spread, or even the isolation that may be accompanying you in this time. For some, job losses are activating panic modes. For others, scarcity fears are rearing up, causing worries about if there will be enough food or toilet paper. There are so many facets to this time, and so many nuances taking place, so I'll sum it up with the word stress.
What I want to remind anyone reading this is that now is not the time for harsh self-criticism, nor is any time for that matter. Now is a time, especially for survivors, to be gentle with ourselves. While many aspects of "normal life" are different these days, I encourage anyone who is struggling to seek out help in the ways that are available. That could include reaching out to talk to others, making art to reflect a safer world, or letting yourself curl up and nap in a cozy blanket. For additional ideas on ways to support yourself at home, please see my post from The Resourcing Series, Part 3; Self-Directed Support. You will find a link for it at the bottom of this page.
Don't expect everything to flow normally, because so much at present is not what we have grown accustomed to. Please go easy on yourself if you are not meeting all of your expectations about what you think you should be doing. There is no one right way to approach how you cope, just as there is no one right way to approach your personal healing as a survivor.
This global health crisis presents strange contexts, but can also be a time for transformation. I don't pretend that this time is all opportunity, because it's also a lot of grieving. What I am suggesting is that there may be some part of our self-perceptions, our normal operating systems, or our attentions and intentions that might be ready to shift in unexpected ways, and who's to say what sort of results might be possible.
I am attempting to hold space for hope, possibility, and healing. Please know that I am thinking of every survivor right now, both those who are currently in unsafe contexts and those who are in safer homes. I am wishing protective safety around everyone in this global crisis and an especially potent layer around survivors. You are not alone.
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