



This year I have the immeasurable pleasure of speaking at the 2014 Body Love Conference . As I prepare for my presentations, I find myself wondering what Body Love means to me. It’s an emotional topic for me, one that brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it. Simply put, I NEED BODY LOVE BECAUSE SURVIVING RAPE SHOULD MAKE ME PROUD OF MY BODY, NOT ASHAMED OF IT!





I’m speaking on “Learning to Love Your Body After Sexual Assault” because so many women feel ashamed of their bodies and seem surprised that I’ve learned to love my body after the rape. My goal is to equip survivors and co-survivors (those who love someone who’s survived rape) with the tools necessary to love their bodies. My wish is to inspire those who can’t imagine loving their bodies again (or even for the first time) to take the first steps.





My high school boyfriend raped me in June of 1991, a time when date rape hadn’t been defined by the law leaving me with little recourse. He held me down by the throat and raped me because I had ended our relationship, making him angry. The hours that followed were critical as I curled up on my best friend’s davenport and cried. She held me and cried with me letting me know I wasn’t alone in this. I’m not sure what possessed her to make me say out loud that I’d be raped but in doing so she set me on my survivor’s journey. She saved my life.





My journey began with admitting I’d been raped. In saying the words for the first time, I began to realize this was something that someone else did to me, not something I had done to myself. It didn’t make it better instantly. If anything, it was the opposite. Saying it out loud made it real, made it something I couldn’t deny and in the hours, days, and even years to follow there were several times I wanted to deny it had ever happened. I wondered if it would go away if I just ignored it or if it would be something I would forget. Denial lets the pain, fear, self-loathing, and sadness build until it can no longer be denied. For me, admitting it and speaking out about it was the best thing I could have ever done.





The journey to loving my body came one day at a time; it’s been a journey with more setbacks than I can count. It’s had really good days and really bad ones. It’s been the most frustrating and most rewarding experience I could ever imagine. I look at women who haven’t been raped and wonder what it would be like not to bare the survivor cross. Then I remind myself that everyone’s surviving something. Make no mistake, learning to love your body after sexual assault is not for the faint of heart and the work never ends.





Being open about the assault has made the journey easier but there are other things I do to keep myself healthy and loving my body. Here are a couple of the topics we’re going to talk about in April.





Be nice to yourself!

It’s so easy to hate your body and yourself after sexual assault and yet we should really be proud of ourselves for surviving. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t in fear for her/his life during rape, so be nice to your body and yourself. You did exactly what you were supposed to in your situation, YOU SURVIVED. Celebrate that victory. It’s bigger than you think.





Control the message!

Often it’s the little things that trigger negativity. For me, it’s hearing the song, “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. My rapist was a huge fan of that song and so when I hear it, I automatically associate it with being assaulted. So I change the channel when it comes on. It’s simple but it seems to make a world of difference.





Stop comparing!

Remember when I said I look at women who haven’t been raped and wonder what life would be like? I began to love myself when I stopped doing that. When I stopped assuming these women had perfect lives and instead started focusing on what my body does for me and what it’s capable of, I began to really love my body.





HAVE SEX!

Having sex after assault can be one of the most terrifying experiences a survivor faces but a healthy sex life is important in showing yourself love and respect. Be uber selective about your partner and make sure (s)he is understands what’s happened and will respect whatever boundaries you set. Also, learning to pleasure yourself in a way that’s kind, loving, and safe can be one of the best ways to love your body again. Explore it within the boundaries of what is safe for you.





Loving your body is an ongoing journey for all women (and a lot of men) even those who haven’t been raped. Sadly, body love isn’t a path well traveled but is certainly a trip worth taking. Just remember to be kind and patient on your journey. The best is yet to come.





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Writer, Career Coach, advocate for women, and speaker Michelle Merritt is the Chick-in-Charge of Merrfeld Resumes and Coaching, a firm dedicated to helping people find the careers of their dreams. In a past life, she was a Fortune 500 Headhunter, Corporate Culture Executive, and Vice President of one of the largest metro Chambers of Commerce in the Country. All of this has led her to create Merrfeld. Merrfeld, www.merrfeld.com , was created to serve and give to the world in a way that encourages, promotes, and enables people to be total rock stars.



