Ep. 48 Sexual Assault Survivors’ Trauma Isn’t a Competition (Cyrena Martin)
- Neil Parekh
- Apr 15
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Everyone is entitled to own their own trauma. We get to own our own stories. One person's experience is no more or less traumatic than someone else's. This will be a a continuation of our conversation around recovery and healing from sexual assault.
(April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.)
Cyrena Martin will join us for Ep. 48 of Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health, “Sexual Assault Survivors’ Trauma Isn’t a Competition” on Thursday, April 16 at 7pm ET / 6pm CT. Dawn Neuburg is my co-host. All three of us are survivors of sexual assault.
Each of our stories are different but one person’s story isn’t better or worse than another person’s story.
For each individual, it’s likely the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. We need to honor that.
Watch the live show or recording here or watch and comment on social media: Facebook* | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
*Facebook will delete the video in about 30 days (approx. May 15th).
Programming Notes
This month, both of our episodes have focused on Sexual Assault. Kenneth Rogers Jr. joined us last week for Ep. 47 “Looking Back, Moving Forward; The Cycles of Healing After Sexual Assault.”
Personally, it was a particularly emotional episode. I shared some things on the show about my own story that I hadn’t told Dawn about until our pre-show planning call. It’s something I’ve kept buried for 40 years. I’m still working through it, but last Thursday was the first step. I was only able to take that step because of Dawn’s years-long support. Kenneth’s wisdom during the call and our show has been incredible.
Thank you for all of your support.
Background
Dawn and I launched this twice a month show (usually the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month) in order to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Thank you for being part of our community.
We are proud to be in Year 3 of the show. If you are interested in being a guest on the show or know someone who might be interested, please let us know. We’re looking for people who would be willing to share their story, advocates and people who work in the field of mental health.
We hope you can watch the show and share your own thoughts in the comments.
Resources / Relevant Links
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline
800-950-6264 Or text "HelpLine" to 6264; nami.org
Mental Health America Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org; mhanational.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE (4673); rainn.org
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