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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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Didn't know where else to ask this, difficult question, just wanted thoughts I guess... (May be triggering.)

31 replies

theworldisoutthere · 09/07/2012 15:46

This may be triggering, and you may not want to carry on reading this if you're a rape survivor.

I was reading a thread earlier that reminded me of something that happened to me a long time ago, in my late teens. I don't think about it often, I really really try not to.

Basically I was just wondering what you would class this as. I used to meet up with an ex boyfriend a lot in the hope that we'd get back together. He was very manipulative but I couldn't see that at the time and just wanted to be around him in the hope he would 'fall in love with me again' (ah, stupid, stupid teenaged me). But these incidents felt 'not right' and I just want some outside perspective.

Several times we had sex when I didn't want to. I didn't feel able to say no, I basically just froze and let him get on with it. So that you can see what I mean I'm going to have to give a little detail, because it confuses the hell out of me and I was actually there.

One night we were at a house party with mutual friends, mainly from his school (I went to a different one in the same town). After a good few drinks me and one of the guys (not the ex) who liked each other ended up having a snog in the corner. We were sitting on the floor. The ex came into the room (a lot drunker than either of us), kicked my foot (I don't know where he was aiming) and said "Fuck you, fuck both of you." I felt really bad that I had upset him Hmm so when he went to sleep on the other side of the room (a living room come dining room, half set up for sleeping the other half for the party) I went over and crawled under the duvet with him, hoping to reassure him/make sure he wasn't upset, blah. We cuddled then ended up 'spooning'. There were about ten other people being loud and still drinking and stuff on the other side of the room. The next thing I knew he was pulling my skirt up and my pants to one side and I just froze, like literally I couldn't move, I didn't say no, didn't say anything and, for want of a better way of putting it, just let him have sex with me. When he was finished he rolled over and I went to the toilet and had a cry and then went back over and slept (on and off) next to him Hmm The next day I felt really wrong but just tried not to think about it.

Another time he invited me to the park with his friends, then after a while said he needed to talk to me in private and took me off on my own. We started kissing, which I was fine with, but then he started moving to fast and I didn't want to but, again, froze, let him get on with it, didn't say anything but felt terrible during and after. After I just walked to the bus station and went home.

There were a couple of other incidents like this and obviously it's generally abusive but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced something like this? In my heart I do feel like I was raped but then since I didn't speak or say anything, let alone 'no' I feel like I can't call it that IYSWIM? And especially since ti wasn't just once, I feel liek such a fool and so sad for teenaged me :(

Sometimes the memory just hits me out of the blue and knocks me for six but then I think 'Actually, did he even do anything wrong? I didn't tell him not to, he probably thought it was all entirely bloody fine.' I feel like in that sense I'm just being silly and I was just a stupid slutty teenager but at the same time it's always felt so so wrong so I don't know.

As I say I try not to think about it but I've been spending more time on the Relationships and Feminist boards lately and things keep reminding me of it and now I'm wittering on but I just wanted to know if anyone else had had this, where they didn't say anything/froze, or whether it's just me.

Don't know what I'll even do with an answer to be honest but I was just wondering. Sorry.

OP posts:
SandyMumsnet · 11/07/2012 15:13

Hi there,

We've had reports about some of the posts on this thread.

We'd like to draw attention to the We Believe You - rape myths we're challenging.

We hope you find them informative.

Thanks.

festiemum · 11/07/2012 15:30

I just want to send you my love OP. The same thing happened to me as a naive teenager. I got myself into a situation with a boyfriend and alcohol and sexual contact which resulted in me losing my virginity when I didn't want to. It took me many years to work through it and was probably a contributing factor to the demise of my relationship with my dc's father.

I'm glad to say that I am in a good sexual relationship now with my dh and no longer blame myself for the things that happened. I really hope you can talk it through and get yourself to a place where you feel you have sorted it out in your head.

Best wishes to you. xxx

SweetTheSting · 12/07/2012 07:47

Good luck with the CBT, OP xx

theworldisoutthere · 12/07/2012 11:44

Thanks for your thoughts ladies xx

OP posts:
confusedpixie · 15/07/2012 01:34

OP I just wanted to add another "you aren't alone" in what happened to you as a teen, for me it was my boyfriend who repeatedly did similar, though luckily for me never completed the act in front of others, I can't imagine how that would have made you feel :(

FWIW I thought that it was normal. I was 17/18, had never had a proper boyfriend before or had sex before. I thought it was normal even after I broke up with him and it wasn't until a room mate at a job 7/8 months later told me it was rape that I thought that it was anything but normal :( Even though I didn't like it and it didn't feel right.
Though admittedly for me it was less the sex that bothered me and more his actions before it, he'd rant and rage and cry and beg and tell me he'd kill himself if I didn't show my love for him by letting him have sex with me. He'd keep this up for hours until I would give in out of exhaustion or fall asleep (where he would do it anyway). He was very controlling too, I was only allowed home one night a week, and apart from my best friend (who wouldn't take no for an answer) I saw my friends twice in the 18 months I was with him. My best friend then was my rock and one of my main motivations for getting out of the 'relationship' (and is my DP now :) )
Somebody else did the same less than a year later (spent 6 or more hours 'talking' me into it until I was so exhausted I gave in, this was in front of other people though) and it was only then that I realised that it was much worse than I thought :(

I apologise for the rant, it feels good to get that out of my system being honest!
I really feel for you OP, I hope that CBT works for you :) I just felt like I had to post as I really did feel like I could relate to your OP, and seeing other people's stories helped me so much when I first came on here.

LemonDrizzled · 15/07/2012 08:14

Like you OP I have been reading threads and thinking about past experiences which made me uncomfortable. You are brave to address this and I hope it makes you happier as a result.

My niggling memory is of going to bed with someone I fancied aged 21 that all my friends warned me was an arse. I knew better and he was hot! I would have been quite happy to have vaginal sex with him . Without any discussion he anally penetrated me and like you I froze and let him carry on till he had finished. It hurt and I was mortified. He left and never spoke to me again. I was too ashamed ever to say anything to my friends or anyone else.

The older wiser Lemon knows this was non consensual and he knew it. I don't think it caused me much trauma just a loss of self respect and confidence.

MN is great for working these things out isn't it!

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