8/10 rapes are committed by someone close to the victim, and today Dr. Mimi Amaral comes onto the podcast to share her unique recovery journey after a close friend she had known for years raped and assaulted her. Taking what some may call an unconventional path, Mimi chose not to pursue therapy and instead to guide her recovery intuitively by what she knew of herself and her spirituality. An accomplished author of four books as well as speaker for organizations like RAINN and Verity, Mimi wants any listeners out there to know that we each have our own recovery journeys to go through. Whether through traditional therapy, peer-reviewed therapy methods, speaking with your pastor, going on a spiritual journey, researching different healing methods — each survivor is entitled to heal on their own terms.
Topics/Triggers:
Choosing the healthiest process for you
Being assaulted by someone she had called a friend, having an out-of-body experience during the attack, and dealing with having someone else's dysfunction projected onto/into you
Calling a rape hotline and going to a support group only to realize it wasn't for her
Driving back to the scene of the crime to: Face the Situation, Feel + Allow Her Feelings to Surface, and Acknowledge the Hurt So As To Move On
Taking a year to face each trigger, emotion, and memory as it surfaced
Coming face-to-face with her petiteness, and combating it through self-defense courses, situational awareness, breathing techniques, writing her fears down/burning them, and keeping a gratitude journal
Therapy not being helpful/accessible to everyone
Acknowledging that everything you're doing is a part of recovery
The misconception that one you're healed, you're healed for life
RAINN, which connected Mimi to this podcast
Lurking in the Dark: Reality of the Times (relationship abuse, active shooting, bullying, mental health issues, suicide, responsible sex, substance abuse, human trafficking, etc.)
Emasculated: Men are Abused Too (domestic violence and discrimination towards men)
Website: Mimipsy-D - Mimi, Amaral
Lurking in the Dark, Reality of the times: Amazon.com: Lurking in the Dark: Reality of the Times eBook : Amaral, Mimi: Kindle Store
Emasculated: Men Are Abused Too: Emasculated: Men Are Abused Too - Kindle edition by Amaral, Mimi. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
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If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)
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