You will have many decisions to make but try to stay in control of making those decisions as and when you want. People can be very well meaning and try to push you in one direction or another, may try to make decisions for you, may tell you how you should or shouldn’t behave. Rape is very much about another person having control over you, so try and regain some sense of control in your life in the aftermath of rape.
Trauma can affect people in different ways, some people may become withdrawn, depressed, want to be alone, isolate themselves, others may have panic attacks and be full of fear not wanting to go out, some may carry on with normal everyday life, seemingly as if nothing has happened, others may display anger and aggression, - all this is normal – there is no right way or wrong way to be after rape – you behave how you need to in order to get through – and you need to do what feels right for you. There are so many feelings to deal with which can often seem overwhelming – fear, anger, confusion, numbness, difficulty in making decisions, shock, rage, disbelief, panic. Rape and sexual assault can happen to anybody and can affect victims in so many ways. You cannot allow your life and happiness to be destroyed by someone who has no respect or care for his/her victim.
As every rape victim will know, there will be good and bad days but the abuser is worth nothing if he/she can inflict this ultimate degradation on another human being. However, victims can and do get through this trauma which takes enormous strength and a very positive state of mind, but it is possible to move forward with your life without the rape affecting your every day living. This is such a despicable, horrible crime, which can have lasting consequences for the victim. I hope this section will be of some help and support to anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault and anyone caring for them. SupportLine itself is urgently in need of funds to enable us to keep providing support for victims of abuse. Some areas of the country are well covered with support services while other areas have little or no services and many services have long waiting lists.
More funding needs to be put into services providing help and support for victims of rape.