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Rape Trauma Syndrome/Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Confused about the difference? Flare-ups many years later? T

#1 Guest__*

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Posted 29 July 2001 - 04:37 AM

Rachel,
I've read this article, and it's a good one.  Thanks for posting the link here.
Take care,
Shaina

#2 Guest__*

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Posted 30 July 2001 - 12:12 AM

I agree, Lizz--just a little knowledge can really aid understanding. Just recently, I experienced feelings again, and I was horrified because I hadn't felt it in so long, that I "should have done more to stop it".
I found this article and understood that it was just a symptom. It was very relieving as it puts into perspective the fear that it might be true.

Take care.

Love

Rachel xxx

#3 User is offline   Louise 

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Posted 16 December 2002 - 01:38 PM

#Moderation Mode

Moved

Moved here

#4 Guest__*

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Posted 29 July 2001 - 04:29 AM

THIS IS LOU WHO WAS RACHEL:
-------I've got a page on my site which, if I do say so myself  is not too bad a rundown of aspects of PTSD  and Rape Trauma Syndrome.

The interested can go here:

http://pages.ivillage.com/boadicea66/aphro...unded/id26.html

YOU MAY WANT TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS UP TOO:

Couple of you honeys have expressed confusion over the differences between the terms PTSD and RTS. Many people, including some therapists, use the terms as if they were mutually inclusive.
While there are some similarities (and most of us have been on the recieving end of these nasties) i.e. nightmares, panic attacks etc, it's recognized that the rape survivor will also have some different issues than say, the earthquake survivor.

for some info on Rape Trauma Syndrome, go here:

http://www.crisiscenterbeaumont.com/images...-Syndrome-5.gif

This gives an easy and quickly readable rundown of RTS. The only thing I would add is the problems it describes as being part of "the Acute Stage" i.e. immediately following the assault, can occur also many years after it. This point is not clearly made, so I'm making it in the hope that it will help some of the many terrified souls I've seen posting here with no idea why their symptoms are so intense many years later.


I also found the following info on RTS on a recent net-trawl. It's more academic and aimed at workers than the link I posted above, but it's also much more comprehensive and treatment-focused. I've seen several posts here where girls and women are asking if they are normal because they feel reasonably calm after a recent rape, and this paper makes some excellent points about this. It states that an equal amount of victims have a "controlled" (i.e. calm)style to those who have an "expressive" (i.e.sobbing, shaking) style, and that the former shouldn't be seen as less traumatized than the latter.
It also speaks of adolescent reactions to rape/sexual assault.
I rate it very, very useful.

If interested, go here: http://www.med.monash.edu.au/secasa/worker...ych_adjust.html

Hope it helps,

Rachel xxxx

PS. I do think a more appropriate name for RTS would be "Sexual Assault Trauma Syndrome", as these symptoms are suffered also by people who were not assaulted in the penetrative sense.

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Posted 29 July 2001 - 06:42 AM

Thank you for posting that Rachel!  I just finished reading it and while I was aware of some the symptoms, I didn't realize that insomnia was one of them.  I haven't slept in days it is nice to know that I am not just a nut case right now and that this is simply how my bod is reacting to stress and some triggering issues.

I've been reading the rest of the site and it's all really good stuff too.

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Posted 25 October 2002 - 02:10 AM

Insomnia has been the WORST for me.. It has lasted YEARS

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