Beyond Surviving: Sexual Assault, Mental Health, and the Path to Healing

One woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States. For many of these women, the violence of sexual assault perpetuates itself through profound emotional disturbances long after the physical act occurred, often impairing social and occupational functioning and leading to deep psychological pain. Depression and anxiety are common experiences amongst survivors and some become locked in a state of ongoing re-traumatization through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sexual trauma may also act as a trigger for severe psychiatric illnesses like bipolar disorder, and lead some women to develop substance abuse issues, eating disorders, or self-destructive behaviors as they attempt to cope with their pain. One woman described her experience after being gang-raped at 15:

I wouldn’t eat all day, would come home and hide whisky in a cup of coffee. Then I’d go to my room. It would knock me out – I didn’t want to be there. I was promiscuous and held sex-and-drink parties in my room. I was very detached from my body and manipulated others with sex. I loved controlling men. I was more a persona than a person.

It is not known why some women develop mental health disorders as the result of sexual assault while others don’t, but what we do know is that it is not a question of character, weakness, or personal failing. We also know that the link between sexual violence and psychiatric illness is very strong; researchers in Australia recently found that 57% of women who have experienced sexual violation “also had a history of depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, substance use, or anxiety … versus 28% of women who had not experienced [sexual] violence.” In order for recovery to take place, it is critical to address both the trauma and the emotional and behavioral disturbances created by the trauma. However, the shame many women feel after sexual assault may lead to self-isolation that pushes them further into despair and keeps them from disclosing their assaults, even (or especially) to those close to them.

Telling your story and being heard is often painful, frightening, and difficult – the last thing many survivors want is to identify themselves as victims of sexual assault, both for fear of how others will react and because of what they fear it means about themselves. However, telling someone who can accept your experience is the starting point of recovery; it is the moment in which you acknowledge your trauma, and it can be life affirming. As Detective Olivia Benson says on SVU, “Healing begins when someone bears witness.” For some, this means articulating your experience within the criminal justice system. For others, it means telling your story at a Take Back the Night Event, whispering it to a close friend, or posting it on an online forum for survivors. When sexual assault leads to or aggravates a mental health disorder, compassionate mental health clinicians who recognize the unique needs of sexual assault survivors can bear witness to your experience and guide you toward healing with concrete tools designed to support you both as a survivor and a person living with a psychiatric illness. There is tremendous power in establishing a trusting therapeutic relationship with someone who says “I believe you, let me help you.”