6 Mental Health Tips for Survivors with Post-Election Anxiety

January 14, 2017 / Uplift Rebellion

(Content Warning: suicide, sexual assault)

It’s a tough time to be a survivor of sexual assault or abuse in the US – we have a new president-elect who has bragged about sexual assault and gaslighted the public about it.

So if you’re feeling reminded of your trauma right now, you’re not alone. Here are some suggestions from Uplift Rebellion’s Tasha Carey, an intimate partner violence and sexual assault survivor who lives with PTSD.

We hope these ideas help you show yourself the gentle care you deserve right now.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Hi, I’m Tasha. I’m a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor who lives with PTSD, and I made this video for fellow survivors of rape, sexual assault, and abuse who are reminded of their trauma right now because the new president-elect is an accused rapist who has bragged about sexually assaulting women on tape and often exhibits abusive behavior.

So, I made this video with six ideas for how to find relief and strength right now and help us process this current environment.

Number one is to recognize that however you’re feeling, it’s valid. Not everyone will understand why this is such a hard time for us, but someone else’s truth is not your truth, and the most important person to validate your experience is you.

Idea number two is to keep self-care consistent. It’s going to be a lot easier to cope with the world around us if we commit to making sure we’re eating enough food, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep. If you Google search “self-care tips,” you’ll be given a ton of ideas, and my guiding principle for knowing how to take care of myself is usually whatever feels good to my spirit: Do that. And this isn’t about avoiding reality. It’s about making space for yourself to be able to process and decompress so you can continue to go forward.

I love the quote from Audre Lorde. She says, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. Self-preservation is an act of political warfare.” So please take care of yourself.

The third idea is to practice self-compassion. Being kickass starts with being supportive and understanding of ourselves, and if you’re like me, things that were easy for you before trauma can be really difficult now – and it’s usually things that are no big deal for other people. So if you find yourself struggling, just remember to treat yourself as you would treat your best friend.

I’m excited to share idea number four with you, which is a reminder that we can unplug from social media at any time. As trauma survivors, our priority is our mental health and well-being, and the thing is, you’re the expert in your experiences, so only you will know what amount of participation is right for you in the current environment.

I like these two quotes:

“Do no harm, but take no crap.”
“Protect your spirit. Not everybody deserves access to you.”

Idea number five to help us stay strong right now is to remember that we have the right to seek professional help. Please remember that there are resources out there, and you have options, and you deserve support.

So idea number six. If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, please get help. Four years into living with PTSD, I started struggling with suicidal thoughts.

And here’s a quote that’s helped me wrap my head around what was happening:

“Suicide happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain.” That’s all it’s about. You’re not a bad person, or “crazy,” or weak, or flawed because you feel suicidal.

So for me, I saw a psychiatrist and said I was having suicidal thoughts and needed help. I was afraid that she would think that I was a freak or ungrateful, but I needed the help, so I went anyway.

And she just said, “Okay, you can either try medication or therapy.”

I said, “Therapy.”

She referred me to a psychologist who specialized in trauma and abuse, which I didn’t even know existed, and now I’m doing immensely better.

I’m sharing this with you so you can hear just one story of just one person who had suicidal thoughts and got help for them, and is doing much better now.

So struggling with suicidal thoughts is serious and it’s awful, but it’s not shameful and there is help out there and you really deserve it, so I would invite you to please seek help.

If you need help immediately, 24/7, you can call the national suicide call line. Their number is in this video description as well as in the “about me” section of the channel. These are challenging times, but I hope these six ideas can be a starting point for you to find relief and strength along the way.

Subscribe for more weekly supportive videos, and if you want to message me directly, you can find my contact info on the “about me” on my channel.

Alright, I’ll see you next week. Remember, we are one human family, and we are not alone. Bye.

To learn more about this topic, check out:

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Tasha Carey of Uplift Rebellion is a domestic violence survivor who lives with PTSD. She makes uplifting videos to help us remember that we’re incredible and one human family. She puts out new videos mostly-ish on Tuesdays providing uplift, positivity, and perspective. Follow her work on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.