'The experience was horrible': Mariska Hargitay's resilience shines as she takes measures to survive sexual assault

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mariska Hargitay made an appearance on ‘Today’ show and talked about the sexual assault she suffered in her 30s.

'The Law&Order: SVU' star recently revealed that she had a horrific experience but sharing it with the world has made it easier to process the trauma.

"I think it’s a matter of physics, right?" she told presenter Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, reports People.

She added, "If we hold a weight, it’s very heavy. But if it’s sand and we all hold a piece of it and we carry it for each other in our society, it’s not as heavy. So for me, naming it was really powerful, and I feel lighter. And it was time not to carry that."

Hargitay gives insight into her thought process over assualt

The 59-year-old wrote in her open essay a few days ago, "It wasn't sexual at all. It was dominance and control. Overpowering control."

“I tried all the ways I knew to get out of it. I tried to make jokes, to be charming, to set a boundary, to reason, to say no. He grabbed me by the arms and held me down."

"I was terrified. I didn't want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was already sexual violence, but I was afraid he would become physically violent. I went into freeze mode, a common trauma response when there is no option to escape. I checked out of my body," Hargitay went on to explain in her essay.

Listening to her 'inner voice'

Hargitay tried to fight out her memory of the incident, but after decades of denial, she’s here with her truth.

"I now have so much empathy for the part of me that made that choice because that part got me through it," she said. "It never happened. Now I honor that part: I did what I had to do to survive."

"It took a certain maturity and compassion," Hargitay further said.

"And I was listened to and, most importantly, I listened to myself. And that’s what I urge people to do is honor and listen — really listen — to that little inner voice that we all carry. And she’ll guide you."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.