Research Paper on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Rape Victims

Introduction

Rape or sexual assault is any kind of sexual activity among two or more individuals and in which one of the individuals is involved against their will. Rape can occur to both male and female and may include sexual intercourse, use of objects for sexual penetration, anal sex, oral sex, grabbing and or touching. An individual can be pressure to having sex by being violently assaulted or physically forced, being threatened, being under the influence of alcohol, bribed and taken advantage of by an individual with more authority. Nevertheless, what is more, concerning about rape is the effects it brings after the actual assault. Rape can lead to physical injury due to its nature of violent nature and it can also lead to a psychological reaction that can change the life of the victim forever. One major reaction to rape is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) pertains a "series of symptoms that some people develop after undergoing a traumatic event" for instance a rape case (Figley, 2013). Most individuals who undergo major trauma do not necessarily develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder but a survivor of rape and sexual assault have significantly higher chances of getting deteriorating symptoms of this disorder. This paper will look at the relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by looking what causes this disorder in rape victims, major symptoms encountered and the recovery process.

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Rape

The after effects of rape are usually a nightmare that most of the victims have to deal with. It is easier sometimes to mend the physical hurts that come with rape but the inner pain is what sometimes takes long to overcome. Emotion scars are capable of staying for a lifetime in the victims. PTSD which in rape cases can be referred to as post traumatic rape syndrome is the "normal human emotion to a situation which is unusual or abnormal" (Leiner et al., 2012). People react to situations differently and it is not a guarantee that every person will develop PTSD. PTSD is a psychological phenomenon and affects thousands of rape victims depending on their emotional strength. However, having PTSD does not prove that one is weak or they cannot recover, rather, this is a normal emotional reaction that needs proper intervention to ensure it does not develop to be a major issue.

During a rape experience, survival skill or defensive body reactions which are necessary at that particular time are developed to react to the current trauma. These reactions, however, fade away with time after the experience. However, when victims of rape are not understood, respected heard or acknowledged, these initial reactions can get stuck in their body posing a major emotional issue. Symptoms of rape can come immediately after the incident or even forty years later hence why the syndrome is referred to as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Additionally, it is also very likely for symptoms of PTSD to come after the rape victim experiences another stressful event or trauma. The occurrence of PTSD depends on how the society and people close to the victim treats him or her. It also shapes how they perceive the world to be from the moment they experience the traumatic event.

Diagnosis of PTSD in Rape Victims

Several guidelines exist that can aid in determining if a victim of rape is experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The first guideline is that the victim must have passed through or confronted an event that threatened their physical or emotional integrity (Ullman et al. 2013). In this case, the case, the victim must have experienced rape and or was almost being raped. Additionally, the victim of rape must show symptoms of horror, helplessness or intense fear. Like other trauma cases, rape victims must have upsetting recollections of the unfortunate event that is having flashbacks for them to be classified as having PTSD (Peter-Hagene & Ullman, 2018). Rape survivors must also constantly avoid things that can remind them of their experience and they must also show significant impairment or distress from the event mostly in their areas of functioning, social and occupation. Moreover, the victims must also show new behaviors such as exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, difficulty in concentrating, outbursts of anger or irritability and difficulty in staying or falling asleep (Peterson, Prout & Schwarz, 2013). However, symptoms must persist for more than one month for one to be categorized as having Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Major PTSD Symptoms among Rape Victims

Flashbacks: Intrusive Symptoms

Intrusive symptoms are very common among rape victims. These symptoms are observed when a traumatic event such rape "intrudes into the day to day life of the victim and is re-experienced" (Peter-Hagene & Ullman, 2018). The horrible events that occurred during the time of the assault keep coming back leading to PTSD and these occurrences are usually termed as flashbacks. During the time of these flashbacks, the event is vivid and so real that the individual feels the rape trauma is happening all over again (McCann & Pearlman, 2015). What is more challenging to them is that they cannot differential if these flashbacks are real or it's just a memory.

Flashbacks can involve both motor re-enactment and sensory perceptions (Walsh et al., 2012). Flashbacks severity can range from brief and mild to strong and long. During these events, the victim can experience noises, strong smells or vivid images. Some advanced state can make the victim act out the disturbing experience he or she had. Additionally, these flashbacks can occur in form of bad dreams or nightmares. These are called traumatic dreams and they may contain symbolic, literal and inaccurate or accurate information. Flashbacks should be treated with seriousness as they usually make the victim out of control, helpless and afraid (Ullman et al. 2013).

Triggers: Avoidance Symptoms

Rape victims tend to show symptoms of avoidance that involve having emotional coldness or numbness towards people who are close to them (Resick et al., 2012). Rape survivors having PTSD tend to push away or shut people most close to them consequently affecting their relationship especially with individuals trying to help them. Having other emotions such as flashbacks, can overwhelm them and make them think they are losing themselves hence they just like staying alone. Additionally, the victims may choose not to involve those close to them from what they went through and just suffer from inside by dissociating.

Avoidance of activities or situations that can remind or trigger memories of the traumatic event is another symptom that rape survivors can have and they are referred as triggers. Triggers can be a combination of things that look like the place of the incidence, time factors, weather conditions, sensations or body positions, the tone of another person speaking, animals, films, tastes, smells, feelings, images, sounds, places and people (Resick, Monson & Rizvi, 2013). Triggers affect rape survivors to the extent that they would do anything to stop or avoid such situations or events

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has other numerous symptoms of rape survivors for instance hyperarousal symptoms that entails rapid emotional changes especially when they see triggers of the traumatic event (McCann & Pearlman, 2015). Other symptoms include feeling depressed and isolated, lack of concentration, lack of trust even to the close ones, feeling being disgusting or dirty and shame or embracement.

PTSD Treatment and Recovery among Rape Survivors

Treatment of PTSD in rape survivors aims at reducing symptoms that come with the disorder. However, the recovery process is not easy since it requires a lot of patience. For victims to fully recover, they must feel they are believed, understood and heard and they must find a way to regain their old self. According to Flannery (2012), the recovery process does not change or erase the trauma like it never occurred but it allows the victim to deal with the process in an easier way. Every victim is different and hence recovery process is different for every individual hence what survivors need more is time to adjust and accept (Peterson, Prout & Schwarz, 2013).

Two forms of therapy exist that help in treating rape victims who acquire PTSD. They are psychodynamic psychotherapy and behavior or cognitive therapy. Behavior or cognitive therapy entails making the survivor focus on ways that can correct their painful experiences through a pattern of thought and behavior (Leiner et al., 2012). This is usually done by examining the mental process of the victims and teaching them relaxation practices. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, on the other hand, aims to resolve the unconscious and conscious conflicts that developed during the time of trauma (Flannery, 2012).

Conclusion

In conclusion, rape victims undergo various emotional changes that can completely reshape their lives. Dealing with physical effects of rape is at times easier than dealing with emotional effects such as posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD among the rape victims has several symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance symptoms among others. To fully recover from PTSD, victims should be given time to adjust during the treatment period. Psychodynamic psychotherapy and behavior or cognitive therapy are the most common treatment methods.

References

Figley, C. R. (Ed.). (2013). Trauma and its wake (Vol. 1). Routledge.

Flannery, R. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder: The victim's guide to healing and recovery. Lantern Books.

Leiner, A. S., Kearns, M. C., Jackson, J. L., Astin, M. C., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2012). Avoidant coping and treatment outcome in rape-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(2), 317.

McCann, L., & Pearlman, L. A. (2015). Psychological trauma and adult survivor theory: Therapy and transformation. Routledge.

Peterson, K. C., Prout, M. F., & Schwarz, R. A. (2013). Post-traumatic stress disorder: A clinician's guide. Springer Science & Business Media.

Peter-Hagene, L. C., & Ullman, S. E. (2018). Longitudinal effects of sexual assault victims' drinking and self-blame on posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of interpersonal violence, 33(1), 83-93.

Resick, P. A., Monson, C. M., & Rizvi, S. L. (2013). Posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychopathology: History, diagnosis, and empirical foundations, 244-284.

Resick, P. A., Williams, L. F., Suvak, M. K., Monson, C. M., & Gradus, J. L. (2012). Long-term outcomes of cognitive-behavioral treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder among female rape survivors. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 80(2), 201.

Ullman, S. E., Relyea, M., Peter-Hagene, L., & Vasquez, A. L. (2013). Trauma histories, substance use coping, PTSD, and problem substance use among sexual assault victims. Addictive Behaviors, 38(6), 2219-2223.

Walsh, K., Danielson, C. K., McCauley, J. L., Saunders, B. E., Kilpatrick, D. G., & Resnick, H. S. (2012). National prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among sexually revictimized adolescent, college, and adult household-residing women. Archives of general psychiatry, 69(9), 935-942.