When children or adults suffer at the hands of an abuser or when a person is attacked as part of the commission of some other crime, the typical responses of shock, denial, and long-term emotional distress often follows. The abuse may be physical, sexual, or, in some cases, can even be virtual, as in instances of identity theft, online stalking, or other internet-related scenarios.
If you have suffered physical or sexual abuse, you are not alone. On a given day, more than 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines. According to statistics published by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lifetime. While each instance is different, victims of these and other situations often share the same reactions, which might include:
- Emotional outbursts
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Sadness
- Fatigue
- Poor Concentration
It is no wonder we react this way to victimization. Our personal sense of safety has been rocked to the core and, depending upon the other stresses and circumstances in our lives, we may or may not be prepared to handle or recover from such a disturbing event or events.
Help for the Trauma Victim
There are a variety of therapeutic approaches that help victims overcome its grip on their lives. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) helps patients to process what has happened to them and form a better understanding of their reaction to the abuse. Considering denial of the trauma can occur in some cases, CBT helps the person accept and understand what has happened to them. Somatic Experiencing is another form of therapy that actually focuses more on bodily sensations to deal with the fallout of victimization. Sometimes group therapy is helpful for those who find insight and reassurance in a shared experienced. Our psychologists and counselors have the training and experience to identify the right course of treatment for you.
Working with you to identify an effective approach to therapy is what we do best at LifeLens