Rape: The Aftermath

"Rape is loss. Like death, it is best treated with a period of mourning and grief. We should develop social ceremonies for rape, rituals, that, like funerals and wakes, would all the mourners to recover the spirits that the rapist, like death, steals. The social community is the appropriate center for the restoration of spirit, but the rape victim is usually shamed into silence or self-imposed isolation." (Metzger, D. (1976).

The actual definition of rape, as found in the Webster's New World Dictionary is: "the crime of having sexual intercourse with a person forcibly and without consent." There are many physical and psychological effects that rape has on its victims, most of which are invisible. Physical effects are not uncommon; psychological are the most common, along with social and sexual effects as well. These effects can occur right after the abuse, several years later, or in many cases, both. What can make matters worse is that rape is the easiest charge to make and the most difficult to prove. This can be very frustrating for victims because the only way to be able to provide the evidence to prove rape, the victim needs to go to a hospital as soon as they can after the sexual assault happens so the doctors can obtain a DNA sample if at all possible. Once the victim showers, all the evidence literally goes down the drain.

Physical effects include headaches, stomach aches, vaginal pain, cramping, sleeping problems, loss of appetite or overeating. Many victims develop eating disorders after being involved in a sexual assault and they do it in order to have some control of themselves. Internal effects revolve mainly around depression, and everything that goes with it. Victims may feel depressed, become unsatisfied with their life, develop a low self-esteem, have a lack of motivation, experience a loss of childhood memories, have feelings of guilt or shame, have an unrealistic body image of themselves and may even have flashbacks of the abuse.

There are also relational issues that can become apparent and these include fear of commitment, poor choice in partners, being involved in violent relationships and having difficulty trusting others, especially men. The probability of sexual effects is fairly high considering the nature of the crime talked about. Sexual effects range from orgasmic disorders to masochistic practices, to having a lack of interest in sex, or being promiscuous in hopes of controlling their own sexuality. Victims may also experience guilt, fear, disgust or anger while being touched or while having intercourse. Some victims may not even be able to have sex for the rest of their lives just because it brings too many bad memories along with it.

A number of disorders can stem from being raped or sexually assaulted. A few of the common ones are Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Rape Trauma Syndrome is actually no longer a diagnosis since most of the victims will experience the symptoms. They include: re-experiencing the trauma, social withdrawal, avoidance behaviors and actions, and increased physiological arousal characteristics. In order to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, patients must have depressive symptoms that interfere with the person's ability to function daily. MDD can be characterized by a long-lasting depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in all or most activities. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined as having a severe, ongoing emotional reaction that results from exposure to extreme stress and/or trauma. PTSD is very common when victims have been involved in a life-threatening situation, serious physical injury or having your physical or psychological integrity threatened to the point where your psychological defenses are unable to cope.

If any symptoms of any of the above disorders become apparent in your life, it would be best to talk to a trusted family member, the police or a therapist about it right away. Rape victims have a hard time coming forward with their stories, in fear of angering the rapist or feeling ashamed of themselves. It's important to tell somebody right away, don't keep it a secret; that will only do more harm than good. The sooner you consult a therapist after a horrible incident such as rape, the higher chance you have of healing more completely. If you don't deal with your psychological pain, you could end up hurting your overall health, or even killing yourself.

There are many helpful resources available to help you as much as you need. The RAINN organization is a great resource. They have a toll-free hotline that you can call at any time of day or night so that you may seek help in a confidential way. Rape has a number of physical and psychological effects on its victims. It's extremely important to get help right away, or your physical and mental health could be in great danger.

References

Effects of Sexual Assault/Rape. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/women/support/sexualAssault/effects.asp

Rape-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.rainn.org/statistics/effects-of-rape.html

What is Rape? Retrieved July 25, 2007 from http://www.en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sexual_Health/Rape

Rape Crisis Online Encyclopedia / Quotes. Retrieved July 24, 2007 from http://rapesurvivor.pbwiki.com/Quotes