While in the trenches of trying to sort out our traumatic experiences, I thought about how I can provide a light at the end of the tunnel, and bgdblog.org did the job! I hope these 6 Steps to Healing are relatable for you and that I provide some insight on how to achieve those💜

**TRIGGER WARNING** You may never have thought of your body as a crime scene. After being sexually assaulted, you may feel broken, scared and hurt (all very valid feelings). This crime in particular means that your body is the crime scene. I will be presenting some of the information you need immediately being assaulted.

**TRIGGER WARNING** The goal of this episode is to show you the big picture of assault, yes both men and women. There may be some triggers in here, but I want to make sure you know that I posted National Hotlines for multiple countries on my Instagram: flourishing.with.ptsd.

PTSD is something most, if not all of us have at least heard of at least one time in our lives. While you may have heard about it as a label, some may not know exactly what PTSD is or what knowledge exists out there about it. Here’s a brief look at some of my online research, to put my best effort into breaking it down into facts.

TRIGGER WARNING: Today, I am so excited to have a guest speaker on the show! Shay is the founder of We Are The Evidence, which is her project and goal to educate survivors and the community in the general when it comes to sexual assault. Everything from resources to testimonies and Q&As can be found on her Instagram: wearetheevidence. You can also visit her website at weareevidence.com. I'm so excited to talk with her today about what she's been up to, listening to her story of courage, resilience and determination. Shay is making a beautiful difference in this world and I'm so honored to support her in her journey! She does briefly discuss her story in this episode so I have put a trigger warning here in the description. We are not medical professionals. We are two women who are combatting the lack of education and understanding of sexual assault and the recovery that needs to happen following that kind of trauma.  Also, yes my voice is super quiet in this episode, but the important thing is you can hear Shay!

We go through life at such a fast pace, whether it’s going to school, going to work, taking care of the kids or simply trying to survive until tomorrow. Sometimes life can be overwhelming, and it’s important to check in on your bad days and realize how far you have come. It’s crucial to realize and remember that progress is indeed possible!

Part of the aftermath of a trauma is the range of emotions, called grief. We grieve a life lost, a state of safety or security now gone, grieving an easier time because now, post trauma, we have a life to rebuild as a survivor.

**SPECIAL GUEST** My ex-boyfriend and I sit down and discuss what dating was like while I was going through my struggles with PTSD for the first time. We talk about our struggles and what we did right.

Last week you heard Jen, Jennifer and I talk about a recent traumatic event and how we got through it and how we are coping. Here is a follow up where I discuss how going through a trauma with PTSD already is impacting me.

Going through trauma alone has always been a heavy burden. A couple of weeks ago I went through a near-death experience alongside my friends. Today, my friends join me to discuss what we went through and how we coped/are coping with it now.