Rape Support Group
If you or someone you know has been the victim of rape, this is the place to find support and get advice. If you want, discuss your experience, share your feelings, and meet others going through a similar situation.
i'm not sure if this will help anyone or not, but i just wanted to recommend support groups to anyone who is struggling....
i was raped 5 1/2 years ago, and went to a therapist about two months after it happened, and i got nothing out of it. i was very depressed and didn't know how to talk about the situation at the time, and my therapist never tried to get me to talk about anything. after that, i was adamant about working through this on my own. but nothing got better. i was often depressed, drank a lot (especially in crowds), held in many, many emotions, and felt like i was all alone. i believed i was the only one who felt the things i was feeling.
i was also upset with my friends and family. no one ever talked about it. the situation was avoided and i sometimes felt like i was going to explode if i wasn't able to talk about it to someone. however, i have to come to realize that i can't blame my friends, it is an awkward conversation, and i wasn't comfortable talking about it either. on the rare opportunity, i could have talked about it, i clammed up, i thought no one would believe me or understand me anyway, so i should just keep my mouth shut.
until i found a sexual abuse support group.
i have been going for about 4 weeks now and it is AMAZING. i wasn't even nervous, because as soon as people start talking about their feelings, you feel such a connection to these strangers. you feel the same things. i can't even begin to tell you how much the support group has helped me. i have become more open about the situation, and more comfortable talking about it. we did not ask for this. we should not have to hide it. and being able to talk about it, not only helps you out emotionally and mentally, but it also takes away the power from the person(s) who did this to you....
i was raped 5 1/2 years ago, and went to a therapist about two months after it happened, and i got nothing out of it. i was very depressed and didn't know how to talk about the situation at the time, and my therapist never tried to get me to talk about anything. after that, i was adamant about working through this on my own. but nothing got better. i was often depressed, drank a lot (especially in crowds), held in many, many emotions, and felt like i was all alone. i believed i was the only one who felt the things i was feeling.
i was also upset with my friends and family. no one ever talked about it. the situation was avoided and i sometimes felt like i was going to explode if i wasn't able to talk about it to someone. however, i have to come to realize that i can't blame my friends, it is an awkward conversation, and i wasn't comfortable talking about it either. on the rare opportunity, i could have talked about it, i clammed up, i thought no one would believe me or understand me anyway, so i should just keep my mouth shut.
until i found a sexual abuse support group.
i have been going for about 4 weeks now and it is AMAZING. i wasn't even nervous, because as soon as people start talking about their feelings, you feel such a connection to these strangers. you feel the same things. i can't even begin to tell you how much the support group has helped me. i have become more open about the situation, and more comfortable talking about it. we did not ask for this. we should not have to hide it. and being able to talk about it, not only helps you out emotionally and mentally, but it also takes away the power from the person(s) who did this to you....
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theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
i'm not sure if it has the information that you need, but i scanned through and it appeared to have some helpful phone numbers.
my support group is through the ywca, and i believe a lot, if not all ywca's, have similar programs, and if they don't, they may have information on where you can find sexual abuse support groups.
as far as not being strong enough to start one, i believe you could do it. a therapist leads our groups, and so it is rather structured as far as topics go, but even if you gathered a group of girls together, it could simply be to hang out, build trust between others, and if someone would like to talk about something, they would have the rest of you there to listen and be understanding of the feelings. it may not even be something that regularly meets - you guys could exchange phone numbers, and call when each other when you need to talk and maybe plan get-togethers every once in awhile. i don't know if that helps, but i was just throwing out a couple suggestions...