1/5/2024 0 Comments Sexual trauma![]() Difficulty calming down, racing heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, inability to sit still.Many victim/survivors experience “hyper-arousal” or feeling constantly on-edge as though something could happen at any moment.It is common to be preoccupied with thoughts about the assault or feel powerless to stop thinking about it.This is normal and common after experiencing trauma Flashbacks can be triggered by a number of things – sounds, smells, words, colors or images, certain people, gestures, bodily sensations, etc.It is common for victim/survivors to have flashbacks (or literally re-live) parts or all of the assault.Both reactions are normal and understandable. Some victim/survivors will engage in activities that either enhance a mind/body connection (conscious breathing, yoga, meditation, therapy), or further divide the two (alcohol/drug use, frequent relationships, self-harm, disordered eating). It is common for victim/survivors to feel that they are no longer in control of their body.It is common for victim/survivors to continue to feel this loss of control over their body and their life Perpetrators take control away from the people they assault. Sexual assault is about power and control.It is often easier to blame oneself than to believe that someone you know and trusted is capable of sexual assault. Most victim/survivors know their perpetrator.We have no scripts or guides for how to have these discussions so feelings of embarrassment and shame can result. We do not talk about healthy sex or sexual assault. Messages such as “why were you doing _?” or “why would you be alone with that person?” promote the idea that survivors could have avoided their victimization. Our society regularly blames victim/survivors for what has happened to them.Dissociation is very common for trauma survivors and is also the body in self-protection mode.Some survivors describe the sensation as though they are watching themselves from the outside.Similar to feeling numb, dissociation is feeling completely outside one’s body.Victim/survivors may tell themselves the assault was all in their head, no big deal, or completely imagined.No one ever expects that they will experience assault. Sexual assault is not a “normal” life experience.Numbness is caused by the release of certain hormones in the body to stop the individual from going into complete panic.It is one way the body tries to protect itself from the impact of trauma. Feeling numb is often the body’s automatic response to a traumatic experience.Trying to make sense of what happened or find a rational explanation.The following are some of the emotional and physical responses victim/survivors have after being assaulted. No matter your response, you did what was best for you in the moment. ![]() There is no one way to react to a sexual assault.
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