As we ride the post-election shockwaves this week, many will also be navigating the impacts of trauma* in their daily lives. In response to increased trauma from this presidential campaign on sexual assault survivors with disabilities, the NCIL Violence & Abuse Subcommittee has compiled self-care recommendations and a list of national crisis support lines.
Our country has spent months and months being barraged with media loops of ablest, racist, misogynist language and actions. Our media-saturated work and personal habits amp up the volume of these messages and can overwhelm survivors’ regular coping mechanisms. Please make the time to take care of yourself and others this week.
Self-Care Recommendations:
- take the time to relax, eat, sleep and exercise
- separate yourself from the TV, internet and other news sources
- unplug or put your phone on airplane mode for an hour each day
- take a social media break
- talk to friends and family
- talk to a therapist if anxiety, anger or fear persist longer than usual
- celebrate your survival skills and your personal wins
- share your experiences and your coping strategies with others with whom you can connect
Get support if you or someone you care for needs help:
- RAINN Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233) and 800-787-3224 (TTY)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Threats of violence or current crisis: Call 911
*Trauma: It is important for CILs to understand the impact of trauma – be it from specific lived experience with perpetrators – or as a response to the violence inherent in the systemic oppression we fight in our disability rights movement. Trauma often results in specific signs of distress and can affect many parts of a person’s life over a period of time
