Here is part of an interview Oprah had with Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth is an amazing example of a woman who experienced horrible things, but has not let the sexual abuse and mistreatment that she experienced for several months affect her life. Her mother wisely told her something along the lines of “They have already taken nine months of your life. Don’t let them take any more.” Elizabeth is living proof that women can recover from terrible abuse, and by so doing, not give abusers any more power.

She also wrote a 75-page guide with other abduction victims entitled, “You Are Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.” You can read that here.