Effects of sexual assault

The effects of a sexual assault can be devastating on a persons life whether it happened yesterday or years ago. ANY form of sexual assault can have detrimental effects on the quality of the victims life. The effects and response vary from person to person but these are some common things that you may feel.

Immediate Responses:

                                                    Confusion, Extreme fear, Panic, Shakiness, and you may not be     

                                                    able to recall details of the incident.

Longer term Responses:

                                                    Experience the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares. These

                                                    can be very intense but are common following a traumatic incident.

                                        Anxiety and panic attacks, Anger, Self Doubt, Fear especially in dealing

                with personal security or safety, Numbing, Guilt, Shame, Depression, Suicidal thoughts.

                                                Physical Responses:

Headache, stomach upset, Restlessness, nausea, vomiting, general ill feeling

                       Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

               Following a life threatening or scary event it is very common to experience distressing

               symptoms. If these symptoms do not subside and interfere with your life, you may be      

               suffering from PTSD. The disorder is commonly seen in those who have experienced:

Physical or sexual assault

War

Abuse

Natural Disaster

Witnessing a death or violent incident.

Symptoms and treatment of PTSD include:

Reliving the traumatic event, Avoidance of things that trigger memories of incident, Being overly arousal such as being jumpy or "On guard",  Symptoms generally appear within a few weeks of the incident but can occur several years later. A diagnoses of PTSD is made after a month of consistent symptoms. PTSD can be treated with the help of a psychiatrist. Behavior therapy, Cognitive therapy and medication are common forms of treatment

Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS):

RTS is similar to PTSD but is considered an acute stress disorder meaning that the symptoms only persists for a short time. If they continue, it may be upgraded to a diagnoses of PTSD. RTS is divided into 3 phases, though individuals may go back and forth between phases.

The Acute Phase:

                                                Begins during the incident. survivors may react in two different ways:

                                                a controlled manner in which they remain calm and may feel numb, or

                                                in an expressed manner in which they are visibly upset and angry.

                                                The survivor my feel shock, extreme fear, denial, blame, or

                                                depression. Thoughts of the attack are frequent and the survivor

                                                often wonders "what if.." or "If only I had.."

Adjustment Phase:

            survivors may try to avoid any reminders of the incident. They try to preoccupy themselves

            in an attempt to forget about what happened and move on. If the incident is not properly

           dealt with, this avoidance can lead to long term negative effects.

Resolution Phase:

            The survivor begins to process the incident. They want to talk about what happened and

            feelings of safety, trust, and control begin to return to normal. Blame is shifted from the

            survivor to the perpetrator.

            If you have been the victim of a sexual assault it is crucial that you receive crisis

            intervention during the acute stage of RTS. RTS can progress into PTSD if the trauma is not

            effectively dealt with. If you are having problems coping with any sort of trauma please seek

            help from a counselor or trusted adult.