I find that the difference between the two is how you feel in relation to a trauma (or other experience). I also know that I can go back and forth between the two identities at any time. When I am feeling like a victim I feel like my control over my future is limited and that I will not be able to move beyond the trauma. When I feel like a survivor I feel like I am able to take my life back and make decisions for myself without letting the trauma and my reactions to it rule my decisions or options that seem possible. It can change from day to day.