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The Aftermath...
Surviving Sexual Assault
Phases In Healing and Recovery
Those who work in the helping professions consider sexual
assault to be one of the most terrifying and devastating things that can happen.
In addition to the shock, terror, and numbness that is felt by survivors of
plane crashes, hostage situations, and other life-threatening experiences,
sexual assault survivors may feel embarrassment, humiliation, shame, guilt,
self-blame, and helplessness, The pattern of response is so unique and universal
that it is known as "Rape Trauma Syndrome."
Rape Trauma Syndrome is the stress response pattern. The
more severe trauma, the longer it is likely to last. Relief from symptoms is
possible as the survivor is able to identify and express intense emotions.
Although everyone is unique, there are predictable phases in recovery:
- PHASE I: Impact
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This is a stage of confusion and disorientation
immediately following the sexual assault. It may last a few hours or a few
days. The victim's initial reaction may include shock, disbelief, anxiety,
and fear. How the victim expresses these emotions will vary. During this
phase, the victim will need to deal with decisions about medical attention,
reporting to the police, notifying family ad friends, and other immediate
practical matters.
- PHASE II: Outward Adjustment
- As the victim deals with practical concerns, he or she will
often deny, repress, or rationalize the sexual assault in attempt to return some
normalcy to their life. This period may last for a few days, a few weeks, or
even years. During this phase, the victim does not want to talk about the sexual
assault or have to deal with it in any way. Although during this phase the
victim outwardly may appear to have adjusted, the sexual assault experience is
unresolved.
- PHASE III: Resolution
- The resolution phase usually begins when the victim is
depresses and feels a need to talk to someone about the sexual assault. It may
be precipitated by a specific incident (e.g. seeing someone who resembles the
assailant). Or the victim may be unable to stop thinking about the sexual
assault. Resolution occurs when the victim is able to experience anger and focus
that anger on the assailant.
- PHASE IV: Integration
- The period of integration is the culmination of al phases.
At this point, the victim has accepted the fact of the sexual assault, has
sorted through feelings of guilt and responsibility -- focusing anger on the
assailant, and has integrated the sexual assault experience into the whole of
his/her life -- neither repressing it nor being dominated by it.
PHASE I -- "Impact" (Shock and disbelief)
One of the main feelings that develops in this phase is
disorganization along with disorientation. It can last from a few hours to a few
days. In this time period, you may ask the question "Why me?" even if you
had previous acknowledged the possibility that rape could happen to you. It is
not uncommon to be shocked and to refuse to even believe that it really
happened. Yet, during this period it is also time to make decisions about
medical attention, reporting to the police, notifying family and friends, and
other immediate concerns such as repairing locks, transportation, child care,
and counseling.
At the same time you are facing practical matters and
holding together, don't be surprised if you have mood swings. After your
immediate reaction of impact, you have emotional responses of shock and the
disbelief discussed earlier. You may express these through various emotional
responses such as crying, laughing, talking constantly, and so on. Your body may
also respond to this shock by various physical reactions such as loss of
appetite, exhaustion, headaches and skin rash. These are some of the ways a body
copes with stress, it may not happen, but if it does, remember that these things
do pass with time. If the symptoms should persist, seeing a physician is
advised. In conclusion, one should expect to experience confusion and
disorientation during this phase. You are not "going crazy."
NOTE:
Phase I and Phase II often intermingle as the feelings of disbelief and denial
felt in Phase I may disappear and later resurface during Phase II.
PHASE II -- "Outward Adjustment" (Confusion, fear,
depression, and anger)
Your initial response served a purpose. It helped protect
you from being totally overwhelmed by the experience. While people around you
may see you as returning to life as before and may comment on your adjustment,
underlying feelings of "being empty" or "unreal" may remain with you.
Again, the time period in this phase varies from individual to individual.
During this period, it is common to avoid any discussion of the assault. Wanting
to return to your previous lifestyle represents security comfort, and a feeling
of being in control. The denial of the assault helps you to do this. However,
unresolved feelings may surface from time to time. These may include:
- Physical
symptoms that were previously mentioned in Phase I
- Feelings
of embarrassment
- Feelings
of fear
- Nightmares
or sleep pattern disturbances or fatigue
- Fear
of physical violence
- Feelings
of humiliation
- Feelings
of revenge
- Fear
of death
- Feelings
of self-blame
- Mood
swings
- A
lower ability to cope with other people
PHASE III -- "Resolution" (Taking back control)
This begins when you feel the need to talk to someone about
the sexual assault. This desire to talk may be started by a specific incident
such as seeing someone who looks like the perpetrator or by experiencing
constant thoughts about the assault again. In this phase, talking to someone who
understands and is a good listener can help you identify these feelings and
really understand where they are coming from. Others may encourage your to keep
quiet because the misinterpret your feelings. They may not know how to respond
to your feelings and urge you to just forget it and to go on. They may even
interpret your feelings as a negative reaction -- as a way of getting attention
or self-pity. They may have assumed you were doing quite well due to the coping
and denial mechanisms you may have used earlier and may misinterpret your need
to talk about the assault as a setback.
This reaction on the part of your friends and family may
cause you to fear that you are going crazy, which further weakens your grasp on
the control that you need over your life. You and your family and close friends
need to understand that this is a normal process of recovery and integration. It
is very important that you be able to vent your feelings and process through
them. This phase is very helpful to your recovery. Resolution will occur when
you are able to express anger and focus that anger on the perpetrator rather
than yourself.
PHASE IV -- "Integration" (Long term adjustment)
This period is the integration of all previous phases. You
have accepted the fact of the sexual assault, sorted out feelings of guilt and
responsibility, begun focusing anger on the assailant, and integrated the sexual
assault experience into the whole of your life, neither repressing it nor being
dominated by it. A number of victims/survivors do make significant changes in
their lives. Job changes or residence changes, changes in relationships, and
taking self-defense classes are just a few of the new directions taken. What is
happening is that you are now in control of you.
It has been noted in a recent study that whether you are a
victim of a rape or an attempted sexual assault, these phases are reported for
both. It doesn't matter whether or not there was actual penetration. Any time
a person is threatened with a possible
assault, many of the symptoms of rape trauma can be experienced.
Rape is never a positive incident, but in reports it has
been stated that 50 percent of all survivors report that there were some
beneficial results of the incident in the sense that they feel that they found
personal strength and resources that they never realizes they had before. Many
survivors at this point volunteer to assist battered women and victims of sexual
assault and incest. Crisis can and does bring people together. It can foster the
growth of individual strength. By reflecting back on what happened, the trauma
your have survived, and the steps you took to survive, it can be noted that you
have gained much confidence in yourself as a "survivor," and you may choose
to assist others in their process of healing and recovery.
From
the MCASA Training Materials
Posted with permission of Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center
 
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