How I’ve Succeeded in Having a Healthy Relationship as a Survivor

My body and my mind are constantly at war.

Liv Pasquarelli
Fearless She Wrote

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Photo by Francesca Woodman, “Providence, Rhode Island”, 1975, found on Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Trigger Warning: this article contains descriptions of sexual assault, trauma, and addicition that may not be suitable for all readers. Fearless community, please read with care.

As a survivor of multiple sexual assaults, recovering from trauma will always be a part of my life. This has never been more apparent to me than right now, three years sober from substance abuse and in the first long-term relationship of my life.

Before this, every romantic experience I’ve had was volatile, unpredictable, and short-lived. Oftentimes, my drug and alcohol abuse was intertwined with the people I dated. Many of these experiences were a way for me to further bury my sexual trauma or even make it worse by setting no boundaries with the person I was with.

When I got sober, I spent my time and energy healing myself, which was what I had needed for years. This resulted in me being single for 3 years until I met my current partner.

How I’ve Navigated a Relationship as a Sexual Assault Survivor

I experienced a sexual assault at the age of 7 that permanently damaged the way I see myself, the world, and others. It…

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Liv Pasquarelli
Fearless She Wrote

I write about the intersection of culture and emerging technology... and, most successfully on Medium, personal tales of love and farts.