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Rape Trauma Syndrome

© Flora Thomas-Guillory

I awakened from my sleep drenched--the perspiration was causing my wet hair to cling to my face and neck. My pillow and my nightgown felt as if I'd been doused with water. My heart was racing as I sat up straight in my bed and frantically began looking around the room. As my eyes fell on my nightlite, my vision started to adjust to the soft glow which slowly seemed to envelop the room.

I had to take deep, cleansing breaths, 1 2 3 4 inhale 1 2 3 4 exhale 1 2 3 4 inhale 1 2 3 4 exhale. I looked around the bedroom, nothing seemed to be out of place. There was my familiar furniture, the dresser with a couple of the drawers slightly ajar--my collection of cosmetics and fragrances and hair products--my mirror with the fun booth faux magazine cover of my husband and me with the title 'Gorgeous Magazine'--my entertainment center, dark at the moment, except for the tiny red light on the stereo and the green vcr display of 4:52 a.m.--my husband's chest of drawers with his stuff on top--and finally, beside me, the sleeping form of my husband. I felt relieved that I didn't awaken him this time. It was just another nightmare...I wasn't being raped again.

It was another manifestation of Rape Trauma Syndrome .

Rape Trauma Syndrome has been defined as a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the lasting effects can range from months to years to lifelong. However, only a small percentage of counselors and therapists specialize in the field of sexual assault. For this reason, many survivors and "secondary victims" (husband, parent, significant other, etc) are better served by consulting with rape crisis centers or specialized counselors and therapists rather than general counseling resources.

RTS has 2 phases: acute (immediate) and chronic (long term). The acute phase is signified by the sudden disruption of a survivor's lifestyle by an assault and usually culminates within six months; while the chronic phase lasts over six months and is signified by the survivor's attempt to reorganize her previously disrupted lifestyle.

There are acknowledged factors which increase the survivor's likelihood of developing RTS. These include a history of physical or sexual abuse; emotional disorder or anxiety; early parental separation; being a part of a dysfunctional family and a history of self-medication. There are also several factors which will influence the survivor's ability to cope with the symptoms of RTS. These include the length of time which expires between the assault and the survivor's receipt of counseling; the survivor's life experiences, family history and learned coping skills; the pre-assault relationship between the survivor and the rapist; the events leading to the rape; and the survivor's post-assault support system.

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