Effects of sexual abuse & rape


Whatever sexual abuse you have gone through, it can lead to ripple effects - like dropping a boulder in a lake. Sometimes it feels like these knock on effects can even be worse than the original blow. It is important not to compare the severity of what you went through and how it is affecting you, with others. It is our belief at Lifecentre that each of us is important in our own right.

"Hope is faith holding out it's hand in the dark."

George Iles

This section will give you some guidance on how you might be able to deal more positively with some of the possible effects of rape and sexual abuse. We are all different and may not experience all of the effects this section looks at, but we hope you will find some useful information here to help yourself, or others that you care about.

Lifecentre client

All of the issues we look at are understandable effects of sexual abuse. The aim of counselling is to help you to overcome these effects and rebuild a life free of the destructive and life-robbing ripples caused by sexual abuse. We want to encourage you that it is possible to recover Life, after rape and other sexually abusive experiences. It takes time; it takes courage; but there is a survivor in you who has the capacity to thrive. If we bury or deny what we have suffered, it tends to re-form in more of these damaging effects and haunt us that way. If we can slowly and gently face the hidden nightmares with the support that we need, we can find freedom.

the difference to clients after counselling:-

We hope it will encourage you to know that of all the people who have come to Lifecentre for counselling, these are the differences they fed back to us by the end of their counselling:

• 91% said they improved their emotional stability from 'not coping at all'

• 45% said that by the end of their counselling they have no depression and 75% improved their depression

• 83% improved their self-esteem/confidence from having 'none at all'

• from having problems coping at home 34% by the end of their counselling are now coping fairly well and a further 33% are coping well

• 75% improved from having regular suicidal thoughts

• 72% saw improvement from the abuse severely affecting their relationships

and:-

100% of clients said they benefited from their counselling:

3% benefited a bit

40% mostly benefited

57% benefited a lot

Client at Lifecentre