Recognise, Respond, Recover (Recover)

Recover: What can I do to feel better after supporting someone through sexual violence?

Self-care is important, especially when engaging in something traumatic. It is essential you are kind to yourself when supporting someone through sexual violence. To help yourself recover you can:  

• do something you enjoy or that relaxes you such as playing with a pet, going for a walk, cooking, reading, or watching a good movie 
• look after your body through meditation, exercise, massage and making sure you get enough sleep 
• connect with your loved ones, spend time chatting and doing fun activities with the people you care for the most  
• make sure you are being kind and gentle with yourself 
• set healthy boundaries and take time out to look after yourself. It’s ok to set limits to what you can and can’t do to help your friend and to stick to those limits 
• debrief and talk about it with a therapist, friend, or family member (keeping it anonymous) 
• access a support service if you need to- many phone lines like 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and the Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline (1800 497 212), (both available 24/7) are also there to provide support to you 
• request academic consideration if you are struggling with university or TAFE work 
• check in on the person you have been supporting to talk about how each of you is practicing self-care or accessing support 
• taking any medications, you are prescribed as directed by your medical practitioner 
• seek involvement in community, through social activities or in a voluntary capacity 
• learn about the attitudes and drivers of sexual violence to better understand how we can all help prevent sexual violence from happening.  
• Think about people and places who make you feel safe and ‘at home’, and visit them when you can 

You can find more information on how you can take care of yourself, some of the challenges you might experience in your relationship with your friend and more in our Friends and Family toolkit.   

If reading this content has caused you distress, or made you think you may need support, you can find an LGBTQ+ affirming service here. 

Click here to go back to the home page of this toolkit.