The Aftermath...
Surviving Sexual Assault

Survivor's Reaction

Recognizing a rape victim's emotional state can help you to be more understanding.

• Emotional shock: I feel so numb. Why am I so calm? Why can't I cry?
• Disbelief: Did it really happen? Why me?
• Embarrassment: What will people think? No. I can't tell my family.
• Shame: I feel so dirty, like there is something wrong with me now. I want to wash my hands all day long.
• Guilt: I feel as if I did something to make this happen. If only I had ...
• Depression: How am I going to go on? I feel so tired and hopeless.
• Powerlessness: Will I ever feel in control again?
• Disorientation: I can't sit still. I'm having trouble getting through the day. I'm just overwhelmed.
• Retriggering: I keep having flashbacks. I wish they would stop.
• Denial: Wasn't it "just" a rape?
• Fear: I'm afraid of so many things. Will I get pregnant or get VD? Am I safe? Can people tell what's happened to me? Will I ever want to be intimate again? Will I ever get over this? I'm afraid I'm going crazy.
• Anxiety: I'm a nervous wreck! I have trouble breathing. (Anxiety is often expressed in physical symptoms, like difficulty breathing or muscle tension, sleep disturbances, change in eating habits, nausea, stomach problems, nightmares, bedwetting.)
• Anger: I want to KILL him!!

From Surviving Sexual Assault, edited by Rochel Grossman.
Posted with permission from Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center