By Janice Starkman Goldfein - On January 4, 1994, trauma became a lived reality for me. That evening, I was grabbed from behind and heard a low, menacing voice say, "If you cooperate, I won't hurt you." In the days, weeks, and months that followed, I struggled not to allow the attack to defeat me. I had to learn how to control the fear, stop the flashbacks, and handle the anger, while dealing with an overwhelming range and intensity of feelings.

We all know that there are people capable of intentionally brutalizing others, but for most of us, this is an intellectual awareness, not a firsthand experience. When the theoretical becomes actual, the world becomes a different, far more threatening, place. For me, I learned that recovery is made possible by shifting focus from the pain of the attack to what gives life meaning and purpose.