Mental Health Moment 4/15/2024
“Take this gilded cage of pain and set me free. Take this overcoat of shame, it never did belong to me.”
Content Warning: the following article contains information regarding sexual violence
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM.) In a time like this, it is easy to focus on the grim statistics (and the statistics are grim,) but today I want to talk about healing. Because healing from even the most horrific violence is always possible. In fact, healing is the most likely outcome. No matter a person’s age, gender, orientation, race, healing is possible. No matter how long it has been since a person experienced trauma, it is never too late to talk about it and recover. And there are many great resources available to help. Here are a few:
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) STARS
YWCA Chicago Sexual Assault Counseling
Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Pillars Community Mental Health
During SAAM, many of these agencies have public talks, panels, art exhibits, and demonstrations to raise awareness of sexual violence and to give survivors a voice. Please check their websites to look for events near you. One that I have participated in, in years past, is Resilience’s Standing Silent Witness. Happening on Friday, April 19th, 2024, at Daley Plaza, Standing Silent Witness is, “… a visual demonstration of the silencing of survivors, participants gather silently for one hour wearing t-shirts with stories and messages protesting sexual violence and rape culture.” It is a powerful experience to participate in and to see.
