Coping
One of the most important things to remember when dealing with being raped or sexually assaulted is that no matter where you live or what you do, there are people around you that you can talk to that can share the feelings with you. It is important to realize that many of the emotions you are going through are common in the situation.
Women who have suffered sexual attacks may experience the following symptoms:
- Anxiety and Panic
- Embarrassment
- Feeling powerless
- Numbness
- Guilt
- Anger
- Longing for what seems to be an old “lost” life
- Depression
- Lack of self-confidence
- Lack of concentration
- Difficulty eating or sleeping
Every woman reacts differently and it is not unusual for feelings to change from day to day. It is very difficult to concentrate or focus on anything other than the attack and so university life can become very stressful especially with deadlines or exams looming. Often there can be a long gap between the assault and the emotional reaction. It can be difficult to talk about the attack to friends or family yet it is important to have understanding and support.
IIt is not uncommon, even many years after the event, to experience the whole gamut of emotions over again. These feelings and emotions can be triggered off by any number of events and can very often come as quite a shock. Flashbacks can occur spontaneously or be triggered by a situation, smell, sight or sound. For healing to take place, it will be important to discover your feelings and to start to express them in a healthy, rather than a destructive, way. Overall, understand that you are not alone. Local counseling centers have trained people to help you deal with stress, anger, frustration, pain, and any other emotion you may feel.
|
CCNU Connect
