Being raped is never an easy thing to get over, and often it scars people for years or even for an entire lifetime. This article is a touchy one for me because I have had a lot of close family member and friends who have had to go through this very thing, and watching them struggle was nothing short of heart breaking. While it may be a detrimental point in time, there are things that you can do to get past the pain and see the light again. Here are a few tips to help you get over being raped.
Get angry!
It’s really easy to wallow in self pity after something like this happens. The natural reaction is to feel scared and depressed. What may help the healing a bit better is to turn your emotions into anger. Let your passion come out in rage. Don’t lash out on anyone in particular, but really dig down deep and get angry at the man who did that to you. I’m in no way suggesting that you go out and harm him, but you need to at least yell at him in your mind. Beat the pillows on your bed or something to get out all of that frustration. It’s much easier to release anger than it is to release sadness, so try to get rid of as much emotion as you can early on.
Tell someone about the rape – SOON
Most women try to hide the fact that they were raped for fear of what someone might say. All that leads to is bottled emotions that you cannot get rid of. You have to let someone know what happened. That someone could be a family member, friend, or a counselor. You need to find a confidant that knows what is going on because you won’t be able to tackle these emotions alone – at least not quickly. To speed up the healing process, you have to let it out.
Quit blaming yourself
Similar to any abuse situation, you might feel the need to blame yourself for what happened. You had too much to drink. You weren’t strong enough to fight back. You shouldn’t have been in a certain place at a certain time. There are a million thoughts out there and all of them are wrong. You are not the one at fault here. He did something wrong, and you in no way should be to blame. Once you start to realize that about yourself, you might be able to rebuild some self respect that you probably lost along the way.
Seek group therapy
It may benefit you greatly to talk to other women who have been raped. They will be able to share in your experience and help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Group therapy is probably the best route for this, so see when meetings might be held in your area.
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