We know young people and their families often worry about whether anyone might find out about what’s happened and how they might react. The police and social services will do everything they can to keep your information private. If this is something you’re worried about, remember, there are lots of people you can talk to, to get support. We know it can feel really scary, but it’s important that you talk about what has happened and your feelings, to avoid bottling things up.
Below, you can read Deana’s reflections on how this affected her and how she was able to cope:
“Worries started to flood my mind. Are people going to treat us differently? What will people think of us? I started living in fear. Managing these feelings was difficult. The situation is unusual from any other experience I had.
Knowing all of the supports and services that were in place to help me made a massive difference. School counselor, school guidance teacher, Shore, Mum. Understanding that I wasn’t alone in this and having many different ways to get support I needed helped a lot.
Sometimes, talking to people is tough. A technique that helped me through this was journaling. Being able to express my feelings, emotions and worries without the pressure of other people or the fear of being judged made a huge difference. Everyone’s healing journey looks different – obstacles will come but they will also pass.”
If you’d like to learn more about the techniques Deana used to cope, check out our workbook.