info on rape psychiatry?
i was raped on august 14th by two male strangers. i still have nightmares about it, i get really sad and upset about it at random moments, and ive only told 2 people besides my parents. they want me to go to a psychiatrist and i don’t know what to expect…can anyone tell me what is going to happen in the first couple sessions? or anything else involving rape or thoughts or feeligns about it?
thank you
Posted in Psychiatry
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November 12th, 2009 at 1:04 am
I’m sorry this happened to you. Did you go to a rape crisis center? There are people there who have also gone through this and they understand how difficult it can be to talk about. It’s normal to be upset as this must be a terrifying experience. Maybe your parents could go into your first session with you. I wish you peace.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I second the above, a rape crisis centre can provide counselling for you, and advise you on any other support you might need. http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/ will tell you where your nearest centre is.
As I understand it, Psychiatrists take a medical approach to emotional problems. They would be more likely to treat you with medication than to talk through your feelings with you. I’m not sure this would be appropriate because you’re not ill; you’re having a normal emotional response to a specific event.
A Psychologist or Counsellor would be more able to provide ‘talk therapy.’
Something else you could try is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming). It’s widely used for victims of traumas like the one you’ve been through. It’s used to help the victim ‘process’ what has happened to them, so that they don’t keep having flashbacks or, as you say, getting upset at seemingly random moments. Some Hypnotherapists use EMDR, and a Psychologist might as well.
Again, rape crisis centres can probably give you more information on all of these things. Or, you could contact individual therapists in your area and talk to them directly about what to expect from a session with them.
I wish you all the best in finding the right support for you.