Rape and Sexual Assault: Your Way Back To Life

It is a tragic fact that many women suffer rape or sexual assault at some point, and for some it can ruin their lives. Are you one of these women?

It is possible to turn this terrible experience around completely, and not only get your life back, but grow far beyond what you believed possible. In this article, I will give you a glimpse of how to change your thinking and create something positive for yourself, even in the face of such darkness.

The Starting Point

In the early days after the assault, it can seem almost impossible to go on. Your world has been turned upside down, and it feels as if nothing can ever be the same again. Feelings of security and safety have been shattered beyond repair. Confidence and empowerment have been replaced with worthlessness, feeling like an object, feeling like nothing, feeling dirty and contaminated.

The place you are in right now feels like the bottom of a deep, dark pit. There seems to be no possibility of escape and no possibility of the life you knew ever returning. The anguish you are feeling cannot be silenced. You may be thinking of harming yourself; using physical pain to block out the emotional pain. You may be thinking of taking your own life.

Liberation and Wisdom

Now, I ask you to find a few moments of strength, and lift yourself up from this pit. Mentally detach from what you are feeling and put it on one side, just for a minute.

Imagine taking your consciousness up out of the top of your head, and out of your current situation. Now move your consciousness forward in time. See it moving like a beautiful ball of light through the days, months and years, until you are about five years in the future.

Look down on your body in this future time. You see that you are healed physically and emotionally. Now imagine moving your consciousness down into that future body and actually becoming your future self. You immediately feel how strong you now are. Feel the wisdom you now have. You sense a profound power and a deeper understanding of life than you ever had before the assault.

Now, imagine your future self speaking with another younger woman who has just been raped. You see that she is utterly crushed. You now have the power to help her, simply by your example. As you talk with her, she begins to see what is possible. You see her energy shift as it dawns on her that there is a life ahead after this experience: if it is possible for you, it is possible for her. You are showing her, simply by being yourself, that she can leave the trauma behind and find life again.

She sees that you did not wipe out the experience; you did not suppress it or try to pretend it did not happen. Instead you took it and used it to grow and evolve, gaining in wisdom and insight. You took that pain and used it to learn to love yourself and respect yourself as never before. Instead of seeing the trauma in you, she sees that you have pride, both in yourself and in the fact that you have survived and grown from the experience.

You realise that your example has saved her.

Now, lift yourself out of that future body, but take the memory of that strength and wisdom with you. Gently bring yourself back to the present and back into your real body.

Your Way Back to Life

Everything you have imagined is possible: more than that, it is your future. We women are very strong. We each have an amazing core of strength within us. This is your birthright. You can find this strength and harness it. The future you have just imagined will be your reality.

When the days ahead seem terrible and full of despair, remember the younger woman in your future vision. Your example could be the key that empowers her to live again. You could be the one to literally save her life.

Wouldn't that be an amazing gift? Wouldn't that be something worth carrying on for?

Dr Anne Whitehouse went from Scientist and University Lecturer to ME sufferer and invalid. Then, despite what the doctors told her, she decided to get better. She is now a speaker, transformational therapist and author of You Are The Alchemist - Transform Your Life. Do you want to inspire others with your life? Would you like to help others by being an example of hope? Would you like your suffering to have some real meaning? Discover how you can turn your life around. Go to http://www.youarethealchemist.com/ to find out how and join Anne online at http://www.annewhitehouseauthor.com/ to have your questions answered.