S1E5:  Pacing Your Journey (The Survivor’s Toolbox)

Season 1 Episode 5

Join in as we navigate what it means to take healing from sexual abuse “at your own pace.”

If you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 or RAINN’s hotline 1-800-656-4673. There are also numerous resources on the website that include online chat hotlines. You are not alone.

I am not a trained therapist or counselor. This is a free resource using literature and nonprofit resources available online, dedicated to a community of survivors. If you are able, finding therapy or counseling can be a valuable component to healing from sexual assault/abuse.

Leave support, questions, and comments on Instagram @relentlessjoanna.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – 01:39  Introduction
• 01:39 – 02:39  Considerations to take before deciding which pace
• 02:40 – 05:23  Important pointers
• 05:24 – 14:52  Knowing when to slow down
• 14:53 – 20:48  Knowing when you can take on more
• 20:49 – 22:34  Outro

Homework:

1. Taking your own pace means deciding what your biggest priorities are right now
2. Consider the following things:
   • Do you have a proper support system?
   • Do you have a safe space you can land and where you can decompress?
   • Can you make time without sacrificing your basic necessities for physically living
   • Do you know your personal warning signs or triggers?
   • Are you familiar with healthy ways to decompress?

Announcements

• I am officially back in grad school, so episode release will fluctuate until the end of this season…so thank you for your patience and support as I too, work this at my own pace :)…we’ve got just three more episodes to go, woohoo!
• Best way to contact The Relentless Project is through the Instagram @relentlessjoanna
• I have been thinking about making a survivor workbook…what do you think? Would love your thoughts.

Anything that I’ve missed? Make this the best for you, and leave a comment through the Instagram post for this episode @relentlessjoanna, or as a private message through that same account :).

Until next time :P.

Survivor Conversation 001:  Maranda’s Story

Interview 001

Trigger Warning: Content includes experiences of child sexual abuse

Join us with Maranda as she shares her journey as a child sexual abuse survivor for the first time with the Relentless Project. She shares about how she’s grown up in an unpredictable home, and how she’s been able to finally break free from a trying history of recurrent abuse at the age of 8.

If you feel like you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 or RAINN’s hotline 1-800-656-4673. I have also listed numerous resources on my website that include online chat hotlines. You do not have to go through this alone.

Please note that I am not a licensed or trained therapist or counselor. This podcast is a free resource using existing literature and nonprofit resources available online, dedicated to a community of sexual assault survivors. If you are able, finding therapy or counseling is a valuable component to healing from sexual assault/abuse.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – 04:57  Introduction
• 04:57 – 0:39  How child sexual abuse has affected Maranda growing up
  • 10:20 – 11:44 Shame & Misplaced Fault
• 11:44 – 29:09  The recurrent sexual abuse
  • Revisiting your story & patience with self
• 29:10 – 43:08  The discovery of the abuse & the aftermath
• 43:09 – 48:32  Struggling with depression, therapy, lack of a support system
• 48:33 – 1:19:34  Retrospective thoughts
  • 48:33 – 50:09  Question: What would you tell your 9-year old self?
    • 50:10 – 51:29  Having patience and showing compassion with your younger self
  • 51:30 – 53:58  Question: Things that you’ve learned about yourself, now that you’re uncovering your own history?
  • 53:58 – 57:29  Question: Who taught you the most about love?
  • 57:30 – 1:04:59  Maranda’s mom
  • 1:05:00 – 1:17:36  Healing later in life, Letting go of her mom
  • 1:17:37 – 1:19:34  Question: What advise would you give to someone who has been through similar circumstances?
• 1:19:52 – 1:22:22  Outro & Relentless Project Updates

Announcements

• I’m still here! I have been releasing episodes at a slower frequency (yay grad school), but this winter break has given me plenty of opportunity to create more content
• If you want to leave a comment on this episode, leave one on the episode post through our Instagram account @relentlessjoanna
• If you too would like to share your story on the Relentless Project just like Maranda, send me a private message through our Instagram account @relentlessjoanna

Lastly, Is there anything that I’ve missed? If you have the time, I would appreciate it if you helped me make this the best for you, and leave an honest comment :).

Until next time…Stay Relentless.