TW Sexual Assault, self harm and therapy

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How can therapy / counselling get me over being raped twenty years ago and the subsequent depression, anxiety and self harm? I on antidepressants and have been for years. I trust the therapist but just can’t see me ever getting over it.

It can't help you 'get over it', but it can help you come to terms with it, and possibly learn to live with it with less anxiety, depression and self -harm. Good luck x

Thanks scrambled. I just don’t know how it’s going to happen. It just feels too heavy and too deep.

Having therapy can be really hard work, but if you have a good therapist who you trust it could be the best thing that you ever do

Hello! Fellow sexual assault victim here - not rape for transparency, but attempted rape. I'm 10 years on from it and honestly some days I still wake up feeling horrible and crying. My SA has resulted in me experiencing debilitating OCD, which is honestly pretty exhausting. However, I will say that every day gets better, and I have faith in the fact that the human will to live and recover is strong.

I think of it as getting over a bereavement of a loved one. That loss will always be with us - but it will get easier every day. It's not so much the trick of 'getting over' it, but learning to live with it.

I've been through the same thing and for a long time I did not see how I could over come it.

The thing for me was finding the right therapy and be willing to put the effort in to helping myself.

Just over a year ago I attempted suicide, and nearly died. I moved to a different area to be closer to family and their county offers the full DBT year long programme (it's 6 months but you do it twice) and it's made a huge huge difference to my life, and my children's.

With regards to my trauma, (CPTSD) I now liken it to having an unwanted visitor at my door. I can let them in for a while and then they leave, I can refuse entry and tell them I'm busy, or I can say oh I'm busy now but how about later. Now this isn't possible always, I still have nightmares, but the associated thoughts and self harm is so much easier to manage. It's been a year since I self harmed, and about 6weeks since I had urges. So I'm still a work in progress, and it's not easy. But I really think finding the right therapy is the most important bit.

I’ve been through the same thing. Therapy helped me work through all my emotions, get a lot of the yuk out in the open, help me find coping mechanisms and strategies, help me move on with life.

The trauma has faded, if that makes any sense. It’s like if a storm rips a limb off a tree, breaking it badly and if left disease will set in. The right tree surgeon will remove it properly - it will hurt, it will take time, but after it will heal over properly, the wound will always be there, it will just have healed enough that you can continue with your life without it ruling you, without it dictating your future. You can still flourish and life a full life, even though that wound will never magically go away.

I have sessions twice a month but I just need to feel better sooner. I’m so tired.

Firstly, I'm not a therapist, and do not have first hand experience. However, working in the legal area I've met many many people over the years going through that experience. One "trend" I've seen in recent times is people reading "The Body Keeps The Score".

I've read the book myself, and it really resonated with me in general for trauma. I've heard very positive comments from many people. Understanding what is happening from a physiological perspective seems very powerful.

Wishing you all the best OP.