SEXUAL ABUSE THERAPY

COUNSELING CAN HELP PAVE YOUR WAY TOWARDS HEALING. 

Flashbacks, fear, anger, shock, disbelief, and a whirlwind of other emotions whenever that horrific event crosses your mind. You feel so uneasy when someone stares at you. You don’t trust anybody not even yourself. You’re jumpy and anxious and scared all the time. You start withdrawing from your friends and family. You start questioning if it’s your fault. If only you wore something else, if only you took a different route, if only you didn’t have that one last drink, if only you were strong enough to fight and scream. These are some reactions from a sexual abuse victim. It may seem impossible to treat sex-offenders, but sexual abuse counseling can help sexual abuse survivors heal. 

It’s so easy to say to the survivors to “open-up” but it’s so difficult to utter the words, and recall the traumatic event especially for children and teenagers. They might not tell you that they’ve been sexually abused. Instead you may notice signs such as changes in their physical, behavior, or emotions.

SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE:

Physical Changes:

• Bruises, scars, or bite marks in the genital area
• Bleeding or vaginal discharge
• Rectal or genital bleeding
• Symptoms of a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)

Changes in Emotions: 

• More quiet or distant than the usual
• Cries suddenly for no obvious reason
• Starts to wet on bed or pants
• Aggressive or sudden anger for no apparent reason
• Frequent nightmares
• More clingy than the usual
• Low-self esteem
  

Changes in Behavior

• Spending more time alone
• Avoiding particular people or places
• Doing less at school or work
• Has changed group of friends

WHAT TO DO AFTER THE ABUSE?

Sexual abuse is common especially on women or girls. One in 9 girls under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. Many sexual abuse cases hold similarities, but no two are the same, and thus, treatment for a sexually abuse person varies from person to person.

The first and foremost step for sexual abuse victims are to cut-off ties from the abusers. We know it’s not as easy as counting numbers and if the victim doesn’t completely cut-off ties from the abuser the therapy will be useless. In these cases, it is essential for the victim to seek outside support whether from close friends or family members or a therapist.

As we said, no two sexual abuses are exactly the same. However, treatments are essential to help them cope-up from the traumatic event.

Below are the common treatments for the victims:

1. Psychotherapy – Also known as talk therapy, is one of the most successful treatment for sexual abuse victims. The therapy usually focuses on establishing one on one relationship of the victim and the therapist. 
2. Medication – such as Anti-depressants are often used in accordance with therapy for the victims of sexual abuse/assault. It helps reduce thoughts of suicide or self-harm in most cases.
3. Group therapy – This is usually the next step for the victims of sexual abuse as soon as he/she heals from the physical & mental wounds. Therapists would often suggest this for the victim to be able to put the pieces of their life back together and create new relationships.

SEXUAL ABUSE COUNSELING AT THOUGHTWISE

It is often difficult to get back to the normal life after experiencing such trauma. Although the process is difficult and it may take a long time, you can heal sexual abuse traumas when you seek the right therapist for counseling. 

Our compassionate therapists at ThoughtWise can help you or the victim start to build trust again, create new and healthy relationships and regain the confidence to talk and engage with new people. 

You don’t have to suffer alone and you can get through this even if at the moment it doesn’t seem like you can’t. We are here for you.