de your journey:

Abuse can distort your sense of self and reality. Naming it for what it was — abuse — is a crucial step in taking back your narrative.

• Journaling or therapy can help you untangle self-blame and understand that what happened was not your fault.

• You might say to yourself: “Someone else’s cruelty doesn’t define my worth.”

Reclaiming power starts with feeling safe — physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

• Surround yourself with safe people (friends, family, support groups).

• Consider reaching out to a domestic violence counselor or local shelter for resources and safety planning.

• Create boundaries: you have the right to say no, to disconnect, to take space.

Abuse often silences you. Speaking — even quietly at first — is how you begin to reassert control.

• Therapy, art, music, or writing can be powerful tools for expressing your story.

• Join or listen to survivor communities; hearing and being heard can help you feel less alone.

Abuse erodes confidence and intuition. Reclaiming power means trusting yourself again.

• Practice small, safe decisions each day — what to eat, who to talk to, where to go.

• Celebrate those choices: every act of agency matters.

• Over time, you’ll start to feel that inner compass again.

You are not what was done to you — you are what you choose to become.

• Explore new or old passions, hobbies, education, or community work.

• Set goals, even small ones, that help you reclaim your future.

• Affirm your identity as someone who survived and is now thriving.

Some survivors find power in advocacy or mentoring others; others simply find peace in freedom and self-expression.

• Healing doesn’t mean forgetting — it means transforming pain into wisdom and power.

• Remember: empowerment can be quiet strength or fierce defiance. Both are valid.

1. Recognize What Happened

2. Rebuild Safety

3. Reclaim Your Voice

4. Rebuild Self-Trust

5. Reimagine Yourself Beyond the Abuse

6. Find Meaning and Empowerment