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How you might feel emotionally
Everyone feels differently after experiencing sexual violence. Whatever you feel is a completely valid response to what's happened. Whatever you do or don't feel now or in the future is OK, and talking to Rape Crisis can help.
If you've experienced rape or sexual violence, you might be going through lots of different feelings or emotions.
You might feel:
- unclear about something or unsure what you're feeling
- overwhelmed by feelings
- like it's hard to cope with day-to-day life
- something in your stomach
- an uneasiness in your chest
Common emotions after sexual violence
It can be hard to untangle the range of complicated emotions we feel. It can be helpful to explore your feelings, and identify each one. From here you can start to work through your feelings and begin to heal.
Some common emotions you might experience are:
Anger: you might be feeling angry, irritable or short-tempered with those close to you.
Anxiety: you might feel intense panic, worry or a sense that something is wrong.
Blame: you might feel that you are responsible or to blame for what happened.
Embarrassment: you might feel embarrassed, humiliated and like you don't want anyone to know.
Fear: you might be afraid of people, of places, or of being on your own.
Loneliness: you might feel isolated and alone, like you're the only person who's ever been through this or like you're different from everyone else.
Numbness: you might feel empty or unable to feel anything.
Shame: you might feel 'dirty' or ashamed about what's happened.
Worthlessness: you might feel worthless or even like you hate yourself.
