What can you do yourself?

What can you do yourself?

If you have experienced an unpleasant sexual experience, you can contact the Center for Sexual Violence for help at 0800-0188. Preferably contact the Center for Sexual Violence within seven days. Within that time they can best help you. Have you been a victim of sex under duress for longer than seven days? Even then you may contact the Center for Sexual Violence.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, it may be difficult to talk about it. For example, because you feel guilty or ashamed. You may also be afraid of what will happen if you tell your story. Still, sharing can help. Center for Sexual Violence gives you some tips on how to do that and how to deal with reactions afterwards.

Consequences

Sexual violence is often a traumatic experience. You can suffer from trauma in a variety of ways. Consider reliving the event during flashbacks and/or nightmares. This can be very unpleasant and cause a lot of anxiety and stress/strain symptoms. In addition, you may start avoiding certain situations and thoughts to deal with your stress and anxiety. Concentration and irritability are also common complaints. Moreover, with multiple trauma, you may also develop an anxiety disorder or a negative self-image.