Rape: Feelings & Stages Following a Sexual Assault

Rape or a sexual assault, for many, can be a shameful and embarrassing experience. There seems to be an ongoing battle to stop the misuse of force and sexual assault on another person. The truth is that anyone can be raped or suffer a sexual attack at the hands of someone they know or by a stranger. The face of a rape victim is never easily recognized and can be any gender and any age. No one class of people or gender is raped more than any others.

The emotional state that a rape victim has to cope with on a daily basis—while still living and functioning in their day-to-day life as if nothing ever happened—is something that’s truly difficult to understand unless it has happened to you. Unless you have been raped, you may never understand how thousands of lives are altered each year.

Dealing with trauma is never easy, especially when it stems from a rape or sexual assault. You should never blame yourself, but you do. The hardest part of getting over a rape is self-blame, hurt, fear, and the silent and deafening screams you can never get out of your head. For many victims of sexual assault or rape, the pain can be deep, and the trauma may remain a secret for many years. The worst part of overcoming such an event is worrying about what others will think about you. Long after a rape or sexual assault has taken place, the suffering continues for its victims.

If I can overcome the trauma of rape, so can you. My intention is to teach you how to overcome and deal with date rape and other forms of sexual assault, so that you can come out the other side stronger and more victorious than ever before.