Stolen Breath
"All you have on your plate is your reality. You decide whether you look at your reality or live pretending these feelings don't exist."
~ Tori Amos



I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a year or so ago as a result of the rape(s?). I have suffered from PTSD for years, but had not been formally diagnosed . PTSD is something that I live with every second of every day of my life. I have panic attacks on a refular basis, nightmares practically every night, and flashbacks almost as often as panic attacks. I denied that the rape had any affect on me for years. It simply got to the point where I could no longer deny it. My body and mind were letting me know something was severely wrong. I know that a lot of survivors live with PTSD, and I think it is important to understand just what, exactly, PTSD is.



What is PTSD? It is a normal emotional and pyschological reaction to trauma (a painful,shocking,experience such as rape,war,natural disaster.) that is outside of a person's normal life experiences.

Who is likely to suffer from PTSD? Anyone who experiences a traumatic event. PTSD can affect survivors of war, violent attacks, rape, car or plane accidents, natural disasters or can affect people who witness these events.

Symptoms of PTSD Symptoms may include, recurrent memories, or flashbacks of the trauma, nightmares, insomnia, lack of interest in family, friends or hobbies. They may suffer from depression. They may also suffer from survivor guilt, have overwhelming emotions, and be irritable or jumpy.

Recovery Takes Time

Survivors recover in stages. They may start with one stage, go to another, and go back. Each person processes the event his or her own way.

Here are some stages a survivor may go through:

1. Denial that the rape had any effect on thier lives.
2. Fear it will happen again.
3. Feel sad because of a loss of thier ability to trust in people, or places.
4. Anger at what happened.
5. Anxiety over the nightmares or flashbacks that may intrude on the life of the survivor.
6. Feel as if a part of themselves died during the rape attack.

Survivors are not to blame for the crime committed to them by another person. We cannot control the actions of another person.

Survivors need a safe environment to work through their fears. You can help provide that environment by reading all you can on PTSD, and allowing the survivor space and time to recover. If you are someone close to a survivor you also may want to check into counseling or find someone you can talk to.

Rape is a crime that does affect the entire family or support system. By reading as much as you can it will help you recognize when a survivor needs extra help or if you do.

The info above is from a booklet about Post-Traumatic Stress put out by Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville,TN. (and was taken from this website)


For more information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, please visit these sites:

David Baldwin's Trauma Information Pages

Hidden Scars

Trauma Anpnymous

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Anxiety Disorders - The Decade Of The Brain