Rape is a degrading, humiliating experience. Here are shared, common reactions to this violent crime. You are not alone!
- SHOCK: I feel so numb. Why am I so calm? Why can’t I cry? Why me?
- DISBELIEF: Did it really happen? It wasn’t really rape.
- SHAME: I feel so dirty, like there is something wrong with me now.
- GUILT: I feel as I did something to make this happen to me. If I had only…
- DEPRESSION: How am I going to go on? I feel so tired and hopeless. 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! I keep having flashbacks.
- FEAR: Will I get pregnant? Will I get AIDS? 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. I have nightmares that terrify me.
- ANXIETY: I’m a nervous wreck! I have trouble breathing. (Anxiety is often expressed in physical symptoms like difficulty breathing, muscle tension, sleep disturbance, change in eating habits, nausea and stomach problems.)
- ANGER: I want to KILL him!
Remember you are not alone!
