The shock phase

05.09.2007 Webmaster

Sometimes there are no visible reactions to the rape initially. A lot of people suppress what’s happened, deny it or trivialise it, because they find it difficult to take in what’s happened. Descriptions such as “it was totally unreal”, “it was like I was standing and looking down on myself” and “it was like a nightmare” aren’t uncommon.

It sometimes takes a while before the victim is able to realise what she’s feeling and then describe what’s happened in more detail.

It’s quite common for victims to experience strong emotional outbursts, with crying and shouting, aggression and rage, agitation and feelings of anxiety and panic. These are normal reactions to an abnormal situation. All reactions are “the right ones”. Victims just have to react, rather than keeping everything locked inside.

Numbness, no contact with feelings
Fear of where it happened
Apathy, an inability to act and feel
Sleep problems, nightmares
Jumpiness when she hears a noise or sees a sudden movement
Unstable feelings that fluctuate wildly, strong emotional outbursts
Feelings of guilt, shame, isolation
Panic and hysteria
Physical tension
Fear of being alone while at the same time not managing to be together with others
Anger, acting out, irritation, frustration
Physical problems, headaches, stomach pains
Problems at school or college, reduced concentration and ability to take things in
Restlessness
Altered perception of time
Narrowed focus of attention
Memory problems
Confused thoughts during the reaction phase

The most common physical reactions are nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea, sweating, palpitations, rapid pulse, dizziness, a numb feeling in the arms and legs, trembling. In addition, the victim will also feel pain from the physical injuries sustained during the rape. The subsequent mental reactions may be so strong that the victim may feel they’ve sustained a serious illness. Of course, this leads to the victim becoming even more fearful, resulting in a vicious circle.

Reactions such as fear, anxiety, despondency and depression aren’t uncommon. Suppressed memories of the rape and dwelling on what happened are also common, while at the same time the victim is full of self reproach, feelings of guilt and shame. Problems:

Fear, anxiety, feelings of powerlessness
Depression, despondency
Self reproach, feelings of guilt
Thoughts of suicide
Irritability, anger, frustration
Unusual tiredness
Headaches, stomach pains, sleep problems, nightmares
Problems with memory and concentration
Social isolation

| Mer++