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Help show your support for SAAM by changing your cover photo for the month of April!

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#SAAM is here!

Happy April! In 2009, President Obama declared April National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month. An entire month dedicated to the cause is huge. Organizations all over the country are using the month of April to help engage communities in positive conversations to help spread awareness of sexual assault.

So many lives are affected by some form of sexual assault, but so few will ever speak about it. April and SAAM can help change that. The more awareness that is spread, the more people are talking about it, and the more we are talking about it, the more opportunities there are for silent survivors to make a connection with the ones who are courageously sharing their stories.

I'd love to hear what you have planned to help spread awareness for SAAM!

The Book That Changed My Life

Ladies and gents, I present to you, the book that changed my life.

 

 

I Never Called It Rape. The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting and Surviving Date and Aquantaince Rape, by Robin Warshaw

 

 

If I could sum up in one word what this book gave to me, it would be Validation. I had yet to share my whole story. I had yet to release my shame, anger and pain. I had yet to say the "R" word out loud with out hesitation or fear of imposition. Until I read this book.

 

 

I so completely connected with the words. The statistics showed me that I was not alone. The stories helped me to believe I wasn't crazy. And when I finished this book I felt validated in the heavy whirlwind of all that I was feeling, for the very first time. And it was that feeling of validation that carried me throughout the next steps of my recovery.

 

I find it so important, so necessary for survivor's stuck in victim mode to truly know they are not alone. It is often that knowledge that catapults us that much closer to where we need to be.

 

You can find the book on Amazon (or just click here) for as little as .01 cent!!! It is not yet available on Kindle (darn it!!), but you can request for the publisher to make it available through Amazon's website!

 

Truly a MUST READ for my fellow survivors or date/aquantaince rape.

 

Would love to hear what you all think of the book if you end up picking one up!

 

 

Keep Calm and...

I couldn't resist! All the cool kids are doing it.

Sign the Petition - Save a Man's Life

This petition came through on my Facebook feed today. I couldn't help but look more into it, read the story and ultimately, sign the petition to save this man's life. Everything about this story is heartbreaking. But what stood out to me the most was that this wounded soul felt too much shame to admit to anyone the truth of what those men did to him.

This is why I am so passionate about ROAR and our mission! Groups and organizations like ROAR need to continue to be shared with the world so that all survivors, living in silence and living with that shame, know that they are NOT ALONE.

Discovering I was not alone gave me validation. That validation revealed to me my power. That power helped me to change my life. And now WE have the power to change this man's life.

Join me in signing the petition today.

http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-tom-corbett-pa-board-of-pardons-district-attorney-seth-williams-grant-clemency-to-terrance-williams-survivor-of-child-sexual-abuse

Food for Thought

7 Years

The 7 year anniversary of my rape came and went this last week. On past anniversaries and the days leading up to them, I would find myself consumed with anxiety, sadness, anger and haunting memories of that night. It was like all those old feelings found a way to resurface again every July. But this year was different. I had remembered that the anniversary was coming up (I was raped on my mom's birthday, so the date has not easily been forgotten). But it wasn't more than a breif thought and I even had to pause for a minute and try to remember how many years it had been. When I figured out this would be 7 years, I couldn't believe it. I can remember it like it was yesterday.
July 17th came and went this year, and with out a single second spent remembering that night 7 years ago. It never crossed my mind. And I am so proud of that. I made the choice to forgive and move on and to not waste another minute of my life on someone who never even deserved that one night. And I gave more than just a night to him, I gave years. Years of being stuck and feeling ashamed and feeling like it was my fault. But not anymore. I am loving my life and living it to the max because that's what I deserve and that's what I want for myself and it is what my husband and children deserve from me, all of me all of the time.
ROAR was born to help other survivors get unstuck. It is my hope that you will realize that you deserve a life free of guilt and shame and full of love and forgiveness and PASSION. It is possible. And this 7 year anniversary has just reminded me that I am more than capable, we all are.
Love & Courage always.

Effects of Sexual Assault

According to RAINN.org sexual assault statistics: In 2007, 248,300 people were victims of sexual assault. That is more than a quarter of a millon people in just one year. Far too many. What saddens me the most is knowing that all of those people will experience some of the life altering effects of such a traumatic experience.

• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Substance Abuse
• Sleep Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Self-Harm
• Depression
• Body Memories
• Suicide

These are just some of the effects one may endure in the days, weeks, months, and years to follow being sexually assaulted. This is why it is so important to reach out and get the help you need. There are so many ways to begin healing. Perhaps you aren't ready to talk to anyone. Maybe picking up a book is a good start. Or start clicking on the different links to the left of this post and keep reading what other survivors have written about their own experiences. Just reading this blog post is a wonderful place to start.

If you are ready to talk to someone, ROAR is always hear to support you! RAINN.org hosts the National Online Hotline and someone is waiting to talk to you right now, and it's totally confidential. It might just change your life. The time to ROAR is now.

The time is now!

April is here! April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), which means all of the wonderful sexual assault activists of the world will be ROARing louder than they ever have before. Twitter will be on fire with passionate tweets to raise awareness, Facebook profile pics will be accessorized with teal ribbons and one by one, our voices will be heard.

I encourage survivors to participate in whatever way you can. Last April, I made some lifetime connections with other survivors on Twitter. It was an overwhelming experience that reminded me that I don't have to go through this by myself, and that together we can ROAR so much louder than if we were standing alone.

If you were a victim of sexual assault in the past, maybe even years ago, please reflect back and ask yourself if you have ever really healed. And if the answer is no, then the time is now. There is a large community of survivors ready to support you on your journey. It's time to ROAR!