Every 68 seconds, someone in this country is sexually assaulted, according to the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey; and nine out of 10 survivors of sexual assault are women, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network has said. The mental health consequences of this type of trauma, as the most intimate violation of a person’s physical and emotional boundaries, are often profound and far-reaching.
In the below interview with trauma therapist Dr. Sachi Ananda, we explored avenues for healing from sexual assault. As Director of Shatterproof FHE Health, our specialized program for first responders, Dr. Ananda has worked with many people who have made great strides in recovering from trauma, sexual assault included, thanks to evidence-based therapies, self-care strategies, and coping tools.
Education about trauma and how it affects the brain is another aspect of this recovery process. That is where we began our conversation….
How Trauma Affects the Brain and Body
Q: Can you help readers understand how trauma affects the brain and body?
A: How trauma affects the brain and body is a complex question and can be difficult to understand. One of the important aspects of this understanding is to grasp that when a person is exposed to a perceived or real life-threatening event(s) or is a witness to life-threatening event(s), the trauma overwhelms the brain’s normal functioning and puts itself into self-preservation/protective mode.
This mode includes physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses. Typical automatic responses fall in the categories of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. If the event(s) do(es) not get processed in healthy ways, the trauma reaction can become a habitual pattern of functioning that negatively affects the achieving of life goals, having healthy mental well-being, and healthy relationships.
What Therapies Are Most Effective for Sexual Assault
Q: What kinds of therapy are most effective for recovery from sexual assault?
A: With those who experience sexual assault (a.k.a. survivors), trauma therapies are important: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and DBT-PTSD (Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) are just some of the gold standards for treating this.
How to Manage Symptoms of PTSD After Sexual Assault
Q: What are some techniques for grounding oneself during flashbacks or panic attacks? What are some ways to learn how to feel safe in one’s own body again?
EMDR has many techniques for grounding such as:
- Calm Safe Place – The client is asked to imagine or call to mind a calm, safe place and the sensations and emotions that it elicits, while the therapist uses EMDR techniques to reinforce these feelings of peace and serenity.
- EMDR Container – The client is asked to visualize a secure container where they can lock up any distressing thoughts, feelings, and images.
- 5-4-3-2-1 Technique – This grounding exercise draws the client’s focus to the present moment and its sights, smells, tastes, and other sensations.
- The Butterfly Hug – This self-soothing tool helps to calm the nervous system and reduce feelings of anxiety or distress.
Mindfulness exercises are also wonderful ways for helping with flashbacks and panic attacks. Progressive relaxation techniques can help someone practice focusing on muscle tension to help one feel safe in their bodies again.
Q: Being triggered is another common symptom of trauma-related mental health conditions such as PTSD. (“Triggers” are situations, thoughts, or emotions in someone who has experienced a traumatic event.) What should someone do when they are triggered?
A: Just breathe! When someone who is triggered can notice this, simply pausing and breathing can break through the automatic responses. This gives that person an opportunity to assess what is happening in the moment versus reacting to trauma from the past.
Q: Is it normal to feel guilty, angry, or disconnected in the aftermath? What feelings are common, and how do you work through those feelings?
A: Yes, it’s definitely normal to feel guilty, angry, or disconnected after a sexual assault. Other normal feelings are shame, sadness, despair, and denial. One way to work through these feelings is to sit and allow oneself to express these feelings through words, emotional release, and creative expression. This can be done on your own or with others. Another healthy way to work through the feelings is with a therapist or spiritual advisor.
Other Tools for and Sources of Healing from Sexual Assault
Q: To what degree is it therapeutic to talk about a sexual assault with others? How do you handle questions or comments from others that feel invasive or invalidating?
A: It can be therapeutic to talk about sexual assault with people who are healthy supports. Healthy supports are ones that listen without judgement, provide guidance when asked, and help the survivor get better. It is not healthy to talk about this with those who will be giving critical feedback, condescending statements, and providing unsolicited advice. It is also not therapeutic to talk about sexual assault if it is keeping the survivor stuck in the past and focusing on the negative rather than the potential to grow from the trauma. Learning to set boundaries with questions or comments from others that feel invasive or invalidating is crucial. Direct communication skills are also important.
Q: What role does forgiveness play in healing, and is it necessary?
A: Forgiveness plays a huge role in healing and is absolutely necessary to overcome sexual assault trauma. Forgiveness of the abuser is not the same as excusing the behaviors; it can release resentments that are holding a survivor back from having a healthy life and relationships. Forgiveness includes understanding that the abuser is living in their own hell — of their hurtful behaviors to others — and trusting that karma from the universe will right wrongdoings. More important is the survivor’s forgiveness of the self, which releases irrational thoughts of self-blame and shame.
How to Gauge Progress in Healing from Sexual Assault
Q: How might someone gauge their progress in healing from sexual assault?
A: First and foremost, progress would be gauged by the survivor’s level of self-esteem. After an experience of sexual assault, it is very common to have feelings of low self-worth, self-blame, and poor body image. Secondarily, progress would be measured by an increase in rational versus fear-based thought patterns and decision-making. Other signs of progress include abilities to have close emotional relationships with others and develop a strong support network.
Q: How do sexual trauma survivors learn to trust others again?
A: It takes time for sexual assault survivors to learn to trust others. Over time (with a lot of self-work, therapy, etc.), survivors can have close emotional and physical relationships with others. To begin this journey, survivors can start with self-love, compassion and forgiveness. This step can simultaneously be done with finding support groups specific to their personal and interpersonal challenges. Dating and sexual relationships should proceed slowly, with time spent on building friendships that are respectful of boundaries and healthy communication.
The path to recovery from sexual assault takes time and is rarely linear. Complete healing may not be achievable, depending on the circumstances. However, what’s also evident from speaking with Dr. Ananda is that today’s survivors have more tools and supports than ever to help them heal, find fulfillment in life, and develop happy and healthy relationships.
