advice about rape?

Question

what other useful help is there for rape victims apart from sharing what happend with someone? i cant seem to get over it or talk about it, and even though it happened 5 years ago im still not the same person i was before, could i have PTSD?
please only awnser if you know

Answer 1

Yes, you could have PTSD. I do. My rapist went free when my family decided not to have him arrested since it was the 60's and even though I was a child, the general attitude of the day was to blame the female.

I was raped by a family friend at a very very young age and I am 45 and have never gotten over it completely. My life was filled with self doubt, low self esteem, self abuse, self hate. He still rents space in my head for free and I hate him for it.

Almost every aspect of my life was affected by this selfish and monstrous man.

You should address the issues this has caused you as a round about way of dealing with it. For instance, the man who raped me stalked me too so I am very cautious about my surroundings. I had to learn self defence to feel safe again.

Another thing I had to do was to get over feeling guilty. It was interfering with my adult pleasure once I was married. I did this by sharing the triggers with my hubby so he didn't remind me of the rapist.

Sometimes it pops up when I least expect it, seeing someone who looks like him, hearing about rape in the news or on a movie. Actually, I thought about getting involved with censoring the porn industry against rape scenes.

Recently, I was confronted with the knowledge that my neighbor drug raped his wife and drugged his 4 year old daughter so he could watch porn undisturbed and he had relations with his two sisters. I have to see this person often, not by choice though. It gave me a nervous break down that took two years to recover from.

This short lived act of violence against a persons body, mind and soul leave damage that is lifelong.

I went into drinking to kill the pain, don't go there. I went into bad relationships because I didn't feel worthy, never again! I pick my fights for whats right and wrong and dang it...I see way too much wrong so I have a reputation for being a **** disturber.

There are many things you need to get a handle on but do it slowly and one at a time.

Good Luck and Goddess Bless. I hope the creep is rotting in jail and someones Lil Betty!

Answer 2

You could have ptsd very easily. I was diagnosed with it also after all that i have been through. I have been raped periodically from 4 years old till just a few years ago and i am 26 now. It started with my moms bf's and ended with my bf's and a few friends. It can be very hard and disturbing to talk about. You probably feel that no one understands the pain that u feel. God knows that i still have a problem talking about it. It is a very hard thing to deal with but u need to know that it is not ur fault and that u are never gonna be the same after that has been done to you. You will always wanna shut that part of ur life out. It is scary to deal with and very painful. The best way to deal is find urself a good therapist that truly understands and sometimes family and friends can be the best therapy there is.

Answer 3

the best thing that you can do is to talk to a school counselor, teacher, principal, or one of your friends parents. You need to decide if you feel safe at home. If you do not feel safe at home i would pick up the phone and call someone...police, teachers, etc. Rape is something that is very hard to get over. Some people never do. I would ask your school counselor if she can help you with getting involved with a rape crisis group. They are not as lame as they sound. It is just a place where you can go and be around other individuals that have been in the same situation as you. Also if you look on the internet or local phone book you can find rape hotlines for people to talk to. If you have not informed the police you need to go straight to an adult and tell them the truth. Hang in there. You can be strong and get through this :)

Answer 4

This is something that you will never get over. It is a part of you and you will learn to cope with it as you grow. I think you might be right on PTSD. If you have not talked to a rape advocate I would highly recommend that because you will see that you are very normal for feeling these feelings. You can become what you want to be with some inner work.

Answer 5

I am sorry that you are in pain. Rape Crisis, Victim Support and the Samaritans are good place to be able to talk and for you to get some support and be able to talk in a safe environment. But it seems you have done a lot of talking. How aware is your GP about your suffering.?. He could arrange for you to see a specialist to moniter you. Don't suffer in silence. What do you think you need that would help you? Rather than maybe trying to forget about it maybe you could look at strategies in learning to live with it. I wish you good luck.

Answer 6

Rape isn't something you can talk about a few times and get over. It's a traumatic experience whose repercussions can last for years, and yes, you could have PTSD.

Seek out a group for survivors of rape; RAINN is a good one. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. They could help you with referrals.

Answer 7

You should get counseling. As much as sharing with just anyone helps, rape is the sort of thing that leaves a mark on a person forever. It takes a trained proffesional to help someone heal spiritually from such a traumatic experience. If you can't afford counseling, there are programs which arrange for them. I can't remember any of them, but google it.

Good luck, and hugs.

Answer 8

People who are sexually abused or raped can experience feelings of
violation that goes beyond physical injury. The person may become distrustful of men (or women, depending
on who abused them) and encounter feelings of shame, humiliation, embarrassment.

Some victims may suffer from Rape Trauma Syndrome which is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is
a psychological reaction to rape involving feelings of shock and shame. Victims who experience this syndrome
are often reluctant to report a rape. Some victims encounter physical symptoms such as headaches, sleep
disturbances, and fatigue. They may also develop psychological disturbances related to the circumstances of
the rape, such as intense fears. These intense fears may prevent them from socializing or traveling as they
would otherwise do normally.

A person who causes sexual abuse is wrong, weather it is a family member who does this frequently or
periodically they are wrong. A person who rapes is wrong, despite what the person may tell the victim; no
person deserves abuse and the person or people involved need to be stopped. Rape is not anyone’s fault but
the perpetrators! If you are a victim of sexual abuse of any kind, please tell someone immediately.

Be silent NO MORE!

Answer 9

You could definitely have PTSD. I have had the same problems in my life, and I have it. It's so hard to get past. You have to talk about it. You can't keep it all bottled up inside. It will eventually eat you alive. Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone you don't really know that well. I'll be glad to listen, and tell you my own experiences. Good luck to you.

Answer 10

I know its hard but talking really helps. I got severely depressed after it happened to me but seeing a counsellor has helped me and will help you too. Just remember that although you feel low right now you are a survivor, you are strong and you are worth infinitely more than the scum that did this to you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I think that yes you may have PTSD, talk to your doctor, this will help you, or if you cant, call the Samaritans. you will get through this. i did.