People will ask what is the difference between victim and survivor because to the average person they are the same. I am here to tell you they are not the same. They are two different concepts.
So what is a victim? A victim is such a cold and negative term. A victim is a term used in the criminal justice world. It is a term used in the now and present. It is currently happening. The term victim creates a false empathy or sympathy in some people. It seems like when they call you a “victim” they are feeling sorry for you. I never want anyone to feel sorry for me. I damn sure don’t want or need anyone to feel sorry for me. I don’t want people using false empathy techniques either. I want people to learn from my experiences so they can become survivors. Think about it, would you want to be called a victim? I would think that would be a hell no. I sure as hell don’t and I know others who don’t.
What is the definition of a survivor? A survivor is a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks. Survivors have climbed a mountain of shit. The shit just piles high until its the size of Mount Everest. It takes a strong survivor to climb a mountain of shit that high!! So the next time you want to refer to someone as a victim, think twice. Once they begin the climb up and over that mountain they are now a survivor.
“At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.”
-Christine Mason Miller
Surviving Domestic Violence 