I recently had a member of the Survivorhood community reach out for assistance. Krissy Botscharow LaPorte is a survivor of sexual assault and found that wearing a face mask, as required by her state government to protect against the Coronavirus, is quite triggering. Krissy is the inspiration behind this post. Her courage in coming forward to ask for guidance brought to light a challenge many survivors are facing during these difficult times. Face masks are a requirement not only to protect ourselves but also to protect those most vulnerable in our communities. But what do you do when this intended safety precaution actually intrudes on your sense of safety?
To answer this question, I reached out to my friend Rhonda Sundermann, who is also a clinical social worker, for help. In the video below, she provides some human resource and clinical options available to survivors who find that wearing a face mask is traumatic. If, after watching the video you have questions, need further support, or would like a different topic addressed, please reach out to Survivorhood via my Contact Us page or send me an email at iamsurvivorhood@gmail.com. Rhonda has agreed to provide further support as needed. I also have the contact information of Embrace, a domestic abuse and sexual assault organization here in Wisconsin, or I would be more than willing to help you find an organization near you if you would prefer.
I hope you are staying safe and healthy during these challenging times.
Photo: Flickr – Olgierd Rudak