This means hiring survivors as creative directors, marketing strategists, and evaluation leads. It means paying survivors for their labor (not just an "honorarium"). It means allowing survivors to veto a campaign they believe is harmful.

The next time you launch an awareness campaign, ask yourself: Am I talking about survivors, or am I creating a space for survivors to speak for themselves? The answer will determine whether your campaign is merely heard—or whether it truly changes the world. If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out. In the US, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. Your story matters, and your survival is already a victory.

But psychology tells a different story. Fear-based messaging often triggers a "defensive avoidance" response. When faced with overwhelming horror or guilt, the human brain often shuts down or rationalizes the threat away. We see this in domestic violence campaigns that focused solely on bruises, or addiction PSAs that only showed overdose scenes. They captured attention but rarely sustained empathy.