Dear Laven:

I just received online a document titled “Personal Bill of Rights”, meant for survivors of sexual and other kinds of abuses. It may  help both of us (and anyone who reads this post):

“… I have the right to say ‘no’ to a request for sex, I have the right to keep others out of my personal space, I have needs and can take steps to meet them or try to meet them, I have the right to express my feelings in a nonharmful way, I have the right to make mistakes, I have the right to change my mind (and what I believe), I have the right to ask for help, I have the right to set a boundary, I have the right to be alone if I want to be… I have the right to set goals and prioritize them, I have the right to stop making unrealistic demands on myself, I have the right to stop blaming myself for things for which I am not responsible, I have the right to believe that I can succeed, I have the right to be healthier than those around me, I have the right to forgive myself when I am not perfect”.

anita