Healing and Justice After Crime: Finding Support through Online Trauma Therapy

How to cope with the effects of crime, reclaim your life and overcome the trauma.

When a crime happened to me, it forever changed the way I saw myself within the world. I no longer felt in control over my life, my body.

I am no stranger to the consequences of crime and I’ve gone through the police and legal system to fight crime multiple times in my life.

I was recently mugged at knife point and as I walked away from the crime scene, I noticed a young woman walking toward the location where I was mugged.

“Hey, I wouldn’t go there if I were you, I was just mugged and they had a knife.”

“Oh my!” She exclaimed in horror, “Are you okay?! Why are you so calm?”

To be honest, I was calm because I had already been sexually assaulted in the past and I was weirdly grateful that I hadn’t been assaulted during the mugging. The sad upside of going through so much trauma is often greater resiliency once you heal enough from the effects of the crime, or ‘post-traumatic growth’. It seemed like my body had learned how to bounce back to myself better than I used to.

Here’s what I learned about surviving the effects of crime and how to reclaim your life after crime.

Crime has unfortunately been a huge part of my life, and as these incidents occurred, I began studying crime and the motivations behind them, as well as delving into ways to heal from such experiences.

Here’s what I learned about surviving the effects of crime and how to reclaim your life after crime.

The Impact of Crime on Victims

Crime can leave an indelible mark on its victims, causing profound emotional and psychological distress. From home invasions to burglaries, muggings, assaults, pickpocketing, shoplifting, armed robbery, sexual assault, and rape, the impact varies. However, the aftermath and effects of crime are often similar, disrupting their lives, as they knew it.

Victims face immense challenges in coping with trauma, seeking justice, and regaining their sense of safety.

Importantly, people rarely discuss the financial impact that crimes have on their victims. It’s expensive to take off work when you’re suffering from trauma symptoms, to pay any medical bills to help you heal. It costs money to replace the things that were stolen from you, to go to the police station, to speak with lawyers, to buy anti-anxiety or antidepressants if you need them. It’s sadly expensive to recover from the consequences of crime.

Victims of crime often experience a range of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and feelings of guilt or shame.

Importantly, trauma and the psychological effects of crime can also alter our stress and hormone levels.

Hormones like serotonin, cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, among others, impact our ability to sleep properly, digest food, and maintain a robust immune system to fight infections

These symptoms can persist long after the crime has occurred, affecting the individual’s daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

You Are Not Alone:

Statistics reveal that 15% of U.S. adults have been victimized by crime in the past year, and the negative effects of crime can linger for years (source).

Shockingly, 1% of the population is accountable for 63% of all violent crime convictions (source). Recognizing that you are not alone in your victimhood is a crucial step toward understanding the pervasive nature of crime.

There is Hope:

Amidst the profound psychological effects of crime, my healing journey became transformative.

Recognizing that many therapists aren’t adequately equipped to handle trauma and PTSD symptoms, I collaborated with 60+ trauma experts to establish Rewire Trauma Therapy.

Drawing inspiration from renowned trauma treatment experts like Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk and Dr. Bruce Perry, our programs go beyond traditional talk therapy to incorporate therapeutic movement, somatic therapy and vagal toning.

How Online Therapy Can Help Victims of Crime:

Somatic therapy exercises, specifically designed to address the effects of trauma on the nervous system, play a pivotal role in our trauma therapy programs.

Rewire Trauma Therapy offers a comprehensive program, featuring 13 trauma therapy programs encompassing over 11 modalities such as somatic therapy, vagal toning, dance therapy, yoga therapy, art therapy, martial arts, and qigong.

Particularly relevant to those living with the aftermath of crime, our Healing Chronic Fear Program provides a structured approach to cope with chronic fear through self-paced, online trauma therapy.

Especially living with the aftermath of crime, we find many people choose the Healing Chronic Fear Program to help them cope with the chronic fear that they suffer from.

If you’re interested in exploring body-based therapies to heal the nervous system you can see if this Healing Chronic Fear Program is the right fit for you.

Alternatively, for those who have financial constraints, Rewire Trauma Therapy also offers a free trauma therapy exercise that many find to be supportive to their healing process which you can access HERE.

Conclusion:

Whether you explore our Healing Chronic Fear Program or engage with our free resources, Rewire Trauma Therapy is committed to being a one-stop solution for trauma survivors.

These trauma therapy programs empower individuals to reclaim their lives after the devastating impacts of crime.

If you are ready to embark on a journey of healing, regain empowerment over your life, and find justice within yourself or through the legal system, consider exploring our supportive offerings.

If you feel called to do so, you may visit Rewire Trauma Therapy to discover how online therapy can be a beacon of gentle re-empowerment on your path to deeper healing and recovery.