For Survivors Facing Retaliation, Threats, or Fear After Speaking Out
🔐 1. Secure Your Digital Life
- Change all passwords (email, social media, banking, cloud storage).
- Enable 2-factor authentication on all accounts.
- Turn off location sharing on phones and social apps.
- Check for unknown devices on your Apple or Google account.
- Do a spyware scan or have your device reviewed by a tech professional.
🏠 2. Protect Your Physical Safety
- Keep doors and windows locked — consider installing a camera or motion light.
- Inform a trusted friend or neighbor of your concerns.
- Avoid predictable routines (routes, times, places).
- Pack a small emergency bag with essentials (ID, charger, meds, cash).
- Know where you could go if you needed to leave quickly (friend, shelter, hotel).
💬 3. Document Everything
- Record dates, times, and details of:
- Harassment
- Threats
- Drive-bys or messages from unknown numbers
- Take screenshots and save voicemails or texts in a secure folder.
- Keep a log (physical or cloud-based) that is safe from tampering.
⚖️ 4. Loop in Professionals
- Tell your psychologist or therapist what you’ve uncovered and how it’s affecting your nervous system.
- Inform your lawyer of any escalation or retaliation; it may affect legal strategy.
- Consider contacting:
- A domestic abuse organization
- A victim support unit
- Law enforcement (if threats escalate)
🤝 5. Build a Safe Circle
- Choose 2–3 people who get it — who you can message or call if you feel unsafe.
- Let them know what’s going on and what to do if they don’t hear from you.
- You do not have to carry this alone.
🧠 6. Regulate Your Nervous System
When the body is in survival mode, small actions can bring you back to center:
- Place your hand on your heart and breathe deeply for 60 seconds.
- Sit against a wall or lie on the floor to ground yourself.
- Sip cold water slowly and say out loud: “I am here. I am safe in this moment.”
- Repeat affirmations (see below).
💬 Trauma-Informed Affirmations
For When You Feel Unsafe, Unseen, or Alone
🛡️ “I am not imagining this. My body knows the truth, and I will honor its wisdom.”
🪷 “Even when I am afraid, I can still make powerful choices to protect myself.”
🔥 “I survived the worst part — I am surviving me now.”
🧠 “Fear is not weakness. It is my nervous system doing its job. And I am learning to work with it.”
💔 “I did not create the danger — I am just brave enough to no longer stay silent about it.”
🌱 “Every time I choose myself, I rebuild my safety from the inside out.”
💎 “I am allowed to want peace. I am allowed to want safety. I am allowed to want truth.”
