The Journey to Trusting Your Instincts as a CSE Survivor
Navigating the path to healing and empowerment as a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) involves many layered processes, one of which is relearning to trust your internal compass — your instincts. We understand that as CSE survivors, you may have been taught to suppress these instincts as a means of survival, where your safety and autonomy were unjustly unvalued. Now, it's time to reclaim what was always yours: the power of your intuition.
The Healing Process:
Healing the bond with your intuition is a gentle journey, one that must be approached with self-compassion and patience. It's a process that doesn't happen overnight, as it intertwines with the overall healing from your experiences. It's okay to move at a pace that feels right for you. Remember, your vigilance served as an armor in the past, and as you navigate your healing, learning to discern between a reaction triggered by past trauma and the whisper of your intuition will gradually become clearer.
Tuning in to Your Intuition:
Give yourself permission to take the time you need. Survivors often feel internal pressures — those lingering thoughts that you "should be over it by now" or that you're "overreacting." But your experiences are valid, and your healing should never be rushed. Rather than setting goals that may seem insurmountable, consider shifting your focus to simply acknowledging the emergence of your feelings. Your reflex to protect yourself is not an overreaction but a natural response to what you've endured.
Recognizing and Respecting Your Feelings:
When you sense that your past might be impacting your current feelings, afford yourself the grace to sit with those emotions. Ask reflective questions like "What am I feeling right now?" or "Can I identify what caused this reaction?" These inquiries don't seek immediate answers; they're an invitation to understand yourself better and to honor the messages your body and heart are sending you.
When feelings of being triggered arise, don’t dismiss them as 'irrational.'
Instead, ask yourself:
What am I feeling?
Where did this feeling come from?
Was there something in my surroundings that triggered it?
Where in my body do I feel this feeling?
It takes a lot of time and practice to be able to recognize whether your fear or your intuition is speaking to you.
Intuition generally presents as a calm, clear sense of knowing, often accompanied by a feeling of expansion and trust, while fear is more likely to feel like a constricting, anxious voice that focuses on negative possibilities.
Recognizing this within yourself is a step towards trusting your instincts again.
Strategies for Cultivating Intuition:
As part of your healing toolkit, there are multiple strategies you can incorporate:
Mindfulness and Meditation: Engage in practices that help calm the mind, creating space for you to hear your intuition more clearly.
Body Awareness: Lean into the physical sensations you encounter, as they can offer cues about your inner guidance. . Notice what physical sensations accompany your feelings and where they manifest in your body.
Reflecting on the Past: Boost your confidence in your instincts by recalling times when they've been accurate.
Journaling: Documenting your journey can help you untangle your thoughts and highlight your intuition's voice.
Gradual Implementation: Start with small, low-stakes situations to gently reinforce your trust in your intuition.
Guidance When Needed: Seeking support from a therapist or support groups, can be a powerful step in reinforcing the validity of your instincts.
Your journey to trusting your instincts is more than just a path to making sound decisions — it's a testament to your resilience and an act of self-love. As you journey toward reclaiming this part of yourself, know that you are not alone. The OPS community is with you, every step of the way, celebrating your courage and your unwavering quest for empowerment.