Health, Healing, and Relationships: You are not alone

You deserve kindness

Do your partner(s) support you:

by respecting your choices?
in spending time with friends or family?
in staying healthy and taking care of yourself?

Do you:

give your partner(s) the same respect and space?
feel safe talking about sex and protection with your partner(s)

Supportive, caring relationships are good for your health. You deserve to be treated with kindness.

Are there times...

Do your partner(s) ever:

Keep you from seeing friends or family?
Threaten to out your health issues, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status?
Make you feel bad about yourself, say you’re dirty, or tell you that no one else will want you?
Use jealousy or guilt to control you?
Keep you from taking medication or going to the doctor or support groups?
Control/restrict your access to money?
Threaten your housing, job, child custody, or access to health care?
Pressure you to do something sexual you don’t want to do or get you pregnant?

If things like this are happening, it is not okay and you do not deserve this. How we treat our partner(s) affects our health too. Ask yourself: am I doing things like this to people I care about?

Helplines on this website are 24/7.

Using to cope

Are you drinking or using drugs more in order to cope?
Has your partner(s) used your drug/alcohol use to control, manipulate, or shame you?
Has your partner(s) ever pressured to use or share needles or works?

Talk to your provider or a trusted friend about what you have been experiencing, ways to stay safer while using, and treatment options if that is something you are interested in.

You are not alone

Do you often feel depressed or anxious?
Has taking your medication and staying healthy been more difficult than usual?
Do you ever think about hurting yourself?

Reactions like these are common for folks who have experienced physical/ emotional abuse, sexual violence, or discrimination.

Dealing with what happened to you can feel isolating, but you are not alone.

It can be helpful to:

Talk to a trusted health care provider, friend, or domestic violence advocate (see info on the back of this card) about what is going on.
Work with someone you trust to develop a self-care plan to take your medications as prescribed, connect with others, get a good night’s sleep, and more.
Share this card with your friends and others in your community who might need help.

National hotlines can provide support 24/7 via phone or online chat:

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE has anonymous 24/7 help --for both people who are being hurt --and for those who cause hurt.

www.Thehotline.org | 1-800-799-SAFE

Text “Start” to 88788 TTY 1-800-787-3224

2-1-1 is a 24/7 confidential referral system to get connected to–food banks, substance use, mental health, parenting supports, childcare and help with relationships.

NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSUAL HOTLINE

rainn.org | 1-800-656-4673

SAMHSA NATIONAL HELPLINE provides drug use and mental health support

1-800-662-4357