Getting past the abuse and moving on

In her book Trauma and Recovery Judith Herman describes how some survivors work through their healing before going on to take up a ‘survivor mission’ (Herman, 1992b). This is when survivors of abuse go on to use their experiences to advocate against abuse. Many survivors take the abusive experience that could have destroyed them, and use it to make themselves strong and protect others. Some of you reading this book will have done this already. There are a range of things you can do for yourself and for others as, and when, you are able.