When you have been sexually assaulted, it can haunt you for years, physically and mentally. Many women wrestle with shame after being sexually assaulted. They do not want to tell their friends or family what happened. It is common for women to struggle with intimacy after an assault because they are scared, they experience flashbacks, and they cannot relax or let go. Being in a vulnerable position is highly anxiety-producing. 

It is hard to know where to turn for help, especially when women know that when it comes to being a victim of sexual assault, it is a well-known fact that there is less than an adequate support system for survivors, especially for those who wish to seek justice for being wronged. Women are all too often left alone while experiencing the terrible effects of trauma from rape. After a rape, women are left to navigate the terrifying impact of panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, depression, and fear on their own. Worst of all, many women have to figure out how to get help alone and are faced with the decision of whether or not they can afford to get medical support. Many times, women cannot afford a private therapist. In that case, these women are subjected to enduring waitlists for community mental health centers which may or may not have a counselor who specializes in rape or trauma. 

Many rape victims do not want to relive their traumatizing experience or risk the stigmatization that might come with admitting to others that they were raped. Even well-meaning questions by people who care can feel accusatory to someone who has been raped and often leaves the woman wondering what she should have done differently to prevent this from happening to her. Women who experience rape are often flooded with feelings of shame and guilt. They falsely believe that, somehow, this is their fault. If they had done x,y, or Z, this would not have happened to them. This makes rape one of the most underreported crimes. Women often fear seeking justice because they see that in the court system, women can easily become humiliated when they seek justice. As a nation, this is something that we desperately need to change.

Ignoring the physical effects of trauma in your body can have detrimental consequences on your overall health. When trauma is suppressed, it becomes trapped in your body, contributing to a range of issues such as a weakened immune system, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems, and persistent headaches. Eventually, the results of unresolved trauma can manifest in debilitating symptoms, making it essential to address and process these experiences to restore balance and promote healing.

Ignoring mental symptoms of trauma can severely impact emotional well-being. When traumatic experiences are suppressed, it leads to numbing and avoidance, creating distance from feelings and loved ones. This disconnect robs you of joy and fosters anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. Unresolved trauma can manifest as insomnia, irritability, and hopelessness, making it harder to engage in life and maintain relationships. When you suppress trauma, you build an emotional wall around yourself in an attempt to keep yourself safe. This disconnects you from those you love and care about, which can eventually damage the relationships you cherish most.

I completely understand the desire to shut out negative emotions. The problem is that you cannot pick and choose which emotions you do and do not experience. They all get shut out. This leads you to feel less joy, peace, and love. You stop feeling, period. And you miss out on life. With unprocessed trauma, you may lose hours of sleep and be haunted and tormented by your thoughts and memories, tearing yourself apart for not being strong enough just to put this one moment behind you. 

It does not have to be like this. There is help. You can learn to tolerate emotions again if you have been numbing out. With therapy, you can learn to trust people again. You can learn to connect with others, decrease depression, and overcome flashbacks and unwanted memories. Southern Pine Counseling wants to be your therapist in Sugar Land, TX. I would love to help you. At Southern Pine Counseling we use a combination of EMDR, CBT, and DBT interventions to help you get back on track. We work on building your confidence and helping you to reconnect with yourself again. You find hope and peace. With the right support, healing and recovery are possible. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me today to get help; do not put your recovery off one more day.