Psychological effects of assault

People tend to underestimate and extremely belittle and invalidate the trauma that victims go through.

This trauma could lead to the development of fatal mental issues and could change the way the victim lives and acts his/her whole life.

Many victims choose to isolate themselves, avoid talking to—let alone trusting—anyone, and obtained unhealthy coping mechanisms. When faced with a trigger, the victims could face severe pain and be caused to "relive" the incident, which they spend their whole life trying to move on from.

”I think assault (especially sexual assault) causes such long-lasting mental health repercussions because it’s so difficult for our brain and our subconscious to process what’s going on or what happened because assault is so contrary to what’s “supposed” to happen and what the world is “supposed to be like” so because we don’t usually process it properly, the negative effects leak out slowly and that one broken down belief that the world is a safe place tends to spiral and slowly break you down from your core. That’s why I advocate for mental health services for everyone as well as for mental health days being treated the same as sick days (you never ask someone with a cold where they got it, you just believe & respect their symptoms)”

“Physical scars might look painful but psychological scars that are left behind remain with us. It’s the kind of scar that really stays with you.

It fills our hearts with doubt and insecurities. It makes us miserable and life never looks the same.

For anyone that’s gone through it, thank you for going through it and not letting it stop you.

Thank you for not holding onto the pain because sometimes it can be extremely overwhelming and a very big thank you to those that are still fighting and standing up to support others and voice their thoughts. Everyone heals in their own way.”

“If we’re referring to the physical effects sexual assault has on survivors it is perpetuated by both the aggressor and our society. I disagree with the people that believe that sexual assault (which in my definition includes being touched inappropriately, not necessarily exclusively rape) definitely plays with people’s minds. It makes people live in a constant state of fear, and blame themselves for it since that’s what society makes them believe.

Sexual or any type of assault scars people in many different ways including it being the root of people’s mental health disorders and willingness to live.

In my opinion, three of the reasons behind the main problem and that would be assaults/assaulters, victim blaming, and conversations about assault not including the people who did it.

E.g.: “a woman got sexually assaulted today” instead of “a man sexually assaulted a woman today” because it makes it seem like assault magically happens to the victims.”

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Physical effects:

• Physical Trauma

• Skeletal Muscle Tension

• Disordered Eating

• STIs and/or Pregnancy

Emotional effects:

(individual reactions vary widely)

• Flashbacks

• Anxiety

• Powerlessness

• Disorganization

• Withdrawal

• Depression

• Self-blame