On The Path to Recovery

"It was our dream in opening this restaurant that we would be able to support programs that are fighting the systems of the status quo. As a Special Education teacher, I have worked with children who have experienced trauma at a very young age. I am so grateful for the work that Bawar is doing in supporting survivors of sexual violence in the Bay through their healing process.. I hope we are all fighting for change while they are fighting for healing!" -Jennifer

 From its beginnings in 1971, BAWAR has addressed the problem of sexual violence in our communities. We begin by forming a partnership with survivors and work to help them regain a sense of control in their lives; to begin to heal. We offer 24/7 crisis line support, in-person peer counseling, accompaniments, advocacy, and support during the medical and judicial processes while serving diverse populations including sexually exploited minors, LGBTQIA+communities, university populations & all services are offered in spanish as well. Because we know that the person who is dealing with sexual assault has loved ones that are also affected, we provide for their needs as well. All this is done with the support and funds donated by community members like you!  Like us and follow us on facebook! On The Path to Recovery"Trauma is a fact of life, it does not have to be a life sentence" - Peter Levine Here at BAWAR we look towards taking the lead of the survivor's innate capacity to heal from within. BAWAR focuses on engaging the survivor's instinctual methods of healing and allowing for them to tell us how and when they want to move forward. This method has allowed the insidiously roots of  shame, guilt, and loss of control to melt away as humans begin to thaw out of trauma. BAWAR promotes survivors to find their inner wisdom from the practices they intuitively used for years, where it is not necessary to continuously see a counselor or therapist to feel in control of their bodies, minds, and overall healing. We aim to reach out and train as many people as we can; survivors, support persons, police officers, physician assistants, and other criminal justice and social justice professionals to invite collective healing while celebrating each individual's unique adaptive reactions. We hope to one day close our agency from lack of business with this vision.  Food for thought: What are the ways that you instinctively listen to your body and tap into the processes designed to regulate and discharge your systems during times of stress and overwhelm?On The Path to Recovery; How to Start TodayHere are some pathways to healing that you can begin today. As frustratingly simple as these may sound, it can make a world of difference for your capacity to begin to heal yourself and your communities:

• 1. Prioritize sleep: Not getting enough sleep leads to imbalanced emotions and can certainly compound stress.

• 2. Eat breakfast/food: Not eating enough in the day can lead to mood swings which can lead to heightened aggravation towards self and others. An added bonus is if you have the resources for acquiring clean/unprocessed foods, that’s even better! (Tip: Your local food bank always has fresh produce and income is self-reported)

• 3. Talk to your friends: specifically friends who share the same marginal status as you (e.g. person of color, queer, disability, gender, etc) to illicit conversations with felt solidarity and community. You are not alone in this. Look for the internal and external resources that have come from your collective experiences.

• 4. Treat yourself well: this goes back into all the other points I have mentioned. There’s no need to make life harder by beating yourself up for not knowing certain things, or for acting out of emotion. Let your actions go too. Surround yourself with people who you can be real with, who won’t judge you, and will hopefully get you to grow further.

 By Leslie J Razana