You have to do this yourself. For yourself. You are worth it.
I’ve spent years trying to find peace in a body that still carries the memory of child sexual violence (CSV), from age three to 18.
No one is going to show up for you. They just aren’t.
Our Canadian government can’t even provide affordable housing or food. So why are we shocked they’re cutting back on mental health care?
I’ve tried it all, read a mile-high stack of books on CSV, enrolled in support groups led by fellow survivors who volunteered their time (by far the most helpful form of talking therapy), watched every documentary I could find, attended conferences and workshops, done one-on-one therapy, gone to university, advocated, supported others to sue their offenders, wrote a book titled Breathing the Night Out, pleaded with my family for help, put offenders in prison, and sued offenders.
I practice yoga daily, walk in nature, plunge into cold water, and volunteer alongside people who are just trying to survive.
You name it — I’ve done it.
And then I picked up The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. Every word resonated. I’m now reading it again.
If you’re only going to read one book, this is the one I recommend.
This work is hard. But you are worth it.
I will always look for accessible ways to offer support, though let’s be honest, nothing is truly free. We live in a money-driven world where everything is for sale. Everything.
If you can’t afford to buy this book, get it from your public library. If they don’t have it, ask them to order it, libraries do take requests, and they actually listen.
There are millions of people who want to help. But there’s only so much anyone can do.
You have to do this yourself. For yourself.
And you can.