Trigger warning: sexual assault, suicide, and substance abuse.
The rate of sexual assault in our country is alarmingly high. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Although women are statistically more vulnerable to sexual assault, many men and boys suffer sexual trauma as well.
Regardless of age or gender, the impacts of sexual violence go far beyond physical injury. After sexual assault many experience feelings of shame, guilt, and isolation. Many survivors feel that their body is not their own or blame themselves for the assault. A study on the mental health impact of rape found that rape victims are more than twice as likely to develop depression, anxiety, PTSD, and begin abusing substances. The study also found that over one-third of sexual assault victims contemplate suicide. It is important to recognize that healing from sexual assault is a difficult process that will take time and effort. Even if you have never been sexually assaulted, it’s more than likely that you already know someone who has or will in the future. Because of this unfortunate truth, it’s important for everyone to be aware of the resources available and methods to support a healthy recovery process.
If you need to talk to someone confidentially for free, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (1-800-656-4673)
Following a sexual assault, many survivors start trying to numb themselves as a coping mechanism for avoiding memories of the trauma. Feelings of your body not being your own may contribute to this detachment from oneself. To combat this it’s important to sit with your emotions and not suppress them. Journaling about your experience and feelings might be a helpful way to cope and accept what has happened. Making an effort to treat your body with kindness is also a good way to reconnect with your body. Fueling yourself with healthy, fulfilling foods and making an effort to take part in activities you enjoy can help survivors feel like themselves again.
Cope with your feelings of guilt and shame. Even if you know you were not to blame for the sexual assault, you may still struggle with underlying feelings of guilt or shame. It’s important not to judge yourself or other survivors for their reaction to the assault. Everyone reacts to fear differently. Journaling or communicating these feelings to others is a good way to process them and rationalize what is true. Prepare for triggers and communicate them to others. “Flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts or memories” are very common in the first few months following an assault. Trying to anticipate and prepare for triggers is a helpful way to lessen them. Take note of things that may trigger a negative reaction such as intrusive thoughts and prepare to take steps to calm down. One technique that may help lessen feels of stress or panic caused by a flashback or upsetting memory is box breathing. This is a breathing technique where you imagine you are breathing in and out to draw the lines of a box. Grounding yourself by touching something in your environment is also a helpful way to deal with a troubling flashback.
