The Aftermath...
Surviving Sexual Assault

Healing Processes In Recovering From Sexual Violence

Sexual assault or an attempted assault may disrupt a victim's survivor's power to function in all facets of life. The first thing to remember when you are facing the emotional/physical disruptions that an assault brings is it on NOT YOUR FAULT. No matter what you did, you did NOT deserve to be violated. You are a victim�a victim of a violent crime. You did not cause the crime to be committed. Being able to understand this will help you in the process of healing. If you are experiencing disruptions in life, remembering that these disruptions are not unusual, and you are not alone in these feelings. You are going through a process that leads to the healing of the mind, body, and spirit. However, everyone is unique and reactions vary greatly from person to person.

To start, let's take a look at the areas of disruption:

Emotionally

When a person has a life-threatening occurrence and experiences boundary violations such as an assault, the feelings produced are often those of helplessness. You may feel out of control in your daily like.

Sexually

A victim of a sexual crime may develop an aversion to sex. Sex and even touches by friends and family members may be perceived as unpleasant, frightening, and uncomfortable. Frequency of sexual activity usually returns to normal after three to six months. Again, what you are feeling is not abnormal. You are not unusual in having these feelings.

Socially

After the incident, a victim may also be afraid to go out alone. Interacting with others may be unpleasant as well. It is common to feel "everyone knows" and is looking at you. You may or may not feel this way.

Legally

If you have decided to report the crime and are faced with the possibility of going to court you may go through feelings of confusion. Often a victim wishes the whole thing could be avoided as it often feels demeaning and tends to disrupt your life all over again. On the other hand, many victims report being more "in control" when the court action takes place, and they feel they have done something to prevent this person from continuing to perpetrate the crime.

Physically

You may have been physically hurt during the assault, or you may develop other physical symptoms. Some of these symptoms may include headaches, nausea, skin rashes, and eating problems. Your body is reacting to the stress brought about by the attack. Try to remember that these symptoms are the result of the crisis you experienced, and that they will pass with time.

Again, it is important for you to know that each victim responds to a sexual assault in a unique manner that reflects: (1) the uniqueness of the incident - each incident differs by degree of force used, place of occurrence, relationship, if any, with the assailant, and so on; (2) different developmental stages of the victim at the time of the assault; (3) your past pattern for responding to a crisis, which will likely serve you in responding to this crisis. After understanding these basic disruptions, you may notice predictable and sequential patterns which you will progress through, though not necessarily in this order. We will try to list these phases so you may have an understanding and knowledge of what you may be going through and can expect. Remember, you are unique, and the time and phases can vary.

From the MCASA Training Materials
Posted with permission of Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center