Many survivors of sexual assault deal with mental anguish as a result of the trauma. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, the psychological response to trauma is classified as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, PTSD refers to every form of trauma, such as from a natural disaster or war.
There is another classification for psychological trauma after a sexual assault: rape trauma syndrome. While rape trauma syndrome has similar symptoms to PTSD, it is not included in the DSM-IV. Survivors can be diagnosed with rape trauma syndrome by a sexual assault crisis counselor, while a PTSD diagnosis needs to be done by a psychologist. Rape trauma syndrome is broken up into three phases of behavior, though survivors can move back and forth through these phases:
Acute Phase
The acute phase of rape trauma syndrome occurs right after the sexual assault, and can last for several weeks. The emotional response in the acute phases can be different for every survivor. Some survivors may have an “expressed” emotional response, such crying, laughing, shouting and talking—any method of letting out any emotional tension. On the opposite spectrum, other survivors may have a “controlled” emotional response, such as being withdrawn, resistant to talking, silent, distracted, numb and disconnected. The different emotional responses may seem strange to an observer, since crying is thought to be the normal response. However, there is no “normal response”—the survivor needs to express herself in any way. In addition to the emotional responses, survivors will also have noticeable changes in sleeping and eating habits.
Reorganization Phase
The next phase of rape trauma syndrome is the reorganization phase. During this phase, the survivor is beginning to reorganized her life after the sexual assault. However, the survivor may feel guilty or ashamed about what happened. As a result, the survivor may punish herself with unhealthy patterns, or participate in risky behavior. Sex is still are sore subject for the survivor, as she may find it difficult to sexually connect with someone else.
Resolution Phase
The last phase of rape trauma syndrome, resolution phase, occurs when the survivor has come to terms with her experience. The survivor may still be angry, sad or hurt, but is focusing on moving forward. In addition, the survivor also has more control over her life, in comparison to how she felt after the assault. However, the survivor can still have flashbacks or nightmares, even years after the assault. Healing after a rape or sexual assault is a lifelong process, and the survivor is never “over it.”
Source: New Britain Sexual Assault Crisis' Counselor Advocate Training Manual
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