Thread by @drpenking

STOP RAPING WOMEN

See what sexual assault does to a woman

* Shame

Survivors thinking they are bad, wrong, dirty, or permanently flawed.

* Boundaries

Because sexual violence is such a boundary violation, it impacts the survivor's perception of when or how to set boundaries

Survivors may be unfamiliar with boundaries in general; they may not know that they have a right to create and reinforce them. Many survivors need support developing and practicing boundaries.

* Trust

Sexual assault is a betrayal of trust. Most survivors find it difficult to

trust other people as well as themselves and their own perceptions. On the other hand, they may place an inappropriate level of trust in everyone.

* Safety

Survivors' sense of safety has been altered; they may assess unsafe situations as safe and perceive safe situations as

dangerous. It is important to explore with a survivor what feels safe by asking specific questions about safety.

* Isolation

This is a big issue for adult survivors. Many feel that they do not deserve support, that they are tainted, and that others will not want to be their

friends or lovers. A survivor's culture and (lack of) community connections can, at times, compound feelings of isolation. Survivors may have been shunned or avoided by their families and/or communities because of their disclosure.

Dissociation

A survivor may have dissociated

during the sexual assault incident(s). They may describe "floating up out of their body" or "looking over their own shoulder" during the abuse. Dissociation can happen even when the survivor is not being assaulted/abused; an event or memory can bring up emotions which trigger

dissociation.

Anesthesia

The body is where the sexual abuse took place and many survivors feel betrayed by their bodies in various ways. They may have tried to numb/dissociate from their bodies in order not to experience the feelings brought on by the abuse. Sometimes in

connection with the experience of numbness, survivors may seek out experiences that provide more intense physical sensations like self-injury.

Physical

Survivors may have somatic (body) complaints, eating disturbances, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and physical symptoms

related to areas on their body affected by assault.

Emotional

Survivors may be very expressive (anger, sadness), disoriented (disbelief, denial), or controlled (distant, calm).

Cognitive

Survivors may be unable to block out thoughts of the assault, or alternately, forget

entire parts of it. They may constantly think about things they should have done differently. Nightmares are common. Survivors may also have thoughts or fantasies of being in a similar situation and "mastering" the traumatic event.

continuing anxiety
poor health

sense of helplessness
persistent fear
depression
mood swings
sleep disturbances
flashbacks
dissociation
panic attacks
phobias
relationship difficulties
withdrawal/isolation
paranoia
localized pain

STOP RAPING WOMEN

Dr Penking