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•
Try to isolate yourself at some point from
everything that is going on, and rest from the in-
tensity of emotions and activities that you are li-
ving.
•
Little by little, you will learn to deal with the si-
tuations, places, people and thoughts that re-
mind you of what happened. Do so at your own
pace, but do not abandon the idea of achieving
this goal. It is quite likely that this will generate a
sense of unease at the beginning, but this feeling
will decrease and favor your recovery.
I S I T I M P O R TA N T
TO L E A N O N
O T H E R S ?
Leaning on others is important for many reasons:
•
Support from others is important so that those
affected feel that there are still many people who
can be trusted. It helps compensate for the disa-
ppointment and the loss of confidence in humans
that typically occurs after an attack, thus preven-
ting that the lack of confidence stemming from
an aggression perpetrated by few, applies to all
persons.
•
Support from others can also help facilitate ex-
pressing positive feelings, such as affection,
friendship, and the unconditional presence of
family and friends. It is fundamental that these
positive feelings prevent negative feelings from
monopolizing our emotions.
•
Support from others is key, particularly imme-
diately after the attack, as it can protect us from
hurting ourselves, carrying out absurd actions
that we are unable to properly assess at the time,
and which may create irreversible consequen-
ces (such as aggressions to others or suicide at-
tempts).
•
Leaning on others can also help us achieve many
of the goals that we set for ourselves every day,
as it will be easier for us to go, for instance, to
the place of the attack with someone trusted who
can help us think of something else, or make us
feel safe.
•
Support from others can also help us solve
unpleasant bureaucratic procedures, make di-
fficult decisions, and carry out obligations that
create unnecessary pain, if we or people close to
us have been directly affected.
•
Support from others, their company, even if we
don’t need them around, but just their mere pre-
sence, and eagerness to do whatever we need,
may just be enough for us to feel stronger to ad-
dress difficulties.
For all the above reasons, it is essential to have
the support from others after an attack, and where
possible, to offer support to others, as both op-
tions are compatible: direct victims of an attack
find solace in offering their support.