Let’s address why the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade is impacting trauma survivors. This decision is causing re-traumatization to SO many at this time. Not only does it tap into a loss of uncertainty about the future, but most importantly it highlights the rights and losses being taken away for so many.
This decision is bringing up a lot of memories for people who have been assaulted in the past or have witnessed people in their lives losing their rights.
This decision brings up issues around bodily agency.
As you can imagine, this is incredibly challenging to not be able to decide what happens to your body. There are also concerns here about not being able to make decisions about health, sexual wellbeing, and reproductive freedom if people are told that they can’t make decisions based off what is best for them.
There are severe consequences for survivors, including sexual violence, child sexual abuse, sex trafficking and intimate partner violence, for whom being forced to keep a pregnancy may make leaving the violence way more difficult. So many people who have been raped are now, in certain states, forced to keep a pregnancy. This is a serious violation that can leave a survivor with very deep physical and psychological consequences. This will impact the child as well!
Bodily agency is SO important for survivors to feel safety and recover from trauma.
Please let yourself feel whatever it is you need to feel. Your feelings are valid and I am here with you.
If you are in need of extract support at this time, please contact us.
