Survivor Healing Map

You may have feelings of shock, fear, panic, anger, shame and guilt, expressed through crying, being upset, being dazed/out of it, or being numb. You may not able to talk about the rape. You may have nightmares, trouble sleeping, eating, travelling and living everyday life.

Interventions to feel safe:

• Being in a safe space
• Crisis counselling
• Immediate medical support
• Reporting the rape – if the survivor chooses to
• Support in reporting rape
• Telling a trusted friend or family member
• Help with dealing with the impact of taking a 28-day course of ARVs to prevent HIV infection post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP) and other medications.

Self Care Check List – how are you?

• Are you feeling safe?
• Are you feeling supported?

You may try to carry on with life as per normal and may push thoughts and feelings away. You might avoid certain people and places that may be associated with the incident. You may adopt certain behaviours to cope that might include isolation or silence around the rape. You might also continue to have problems associated with the acute phase such as trouble sleeping but often you push these aside in order to cope. You are now dealing with the memory of the event and may test your capacity to survive the experience. Often you may not want to talk about it and focus on wanting to put it behind you.

You may not want counselling or any intervention in this phase. You may just want to be left alone to move beyond the experience.

Self Care Check List – how are you?

• What are you feeling?
• Are you feeling safe?
• Are you feeling supported?
• Are you having negative thoughts about yourself?
• Are you feeling more in control of your body and your life?

You may find that intense feelings that you felt after the incident begin to resurface. This could take the form of panic attacks, recurring flashbacks or nightmares. You may feel depressed or anxious as you experience flashbacks or details that come back to you. You may be afraid of being alone. You might feel angry and not want to be touched. You may also experience feelings of carrying on with life and coping. If you haven’t been believed, and not had support and if you continue to feel guilty and responsible and do not get help, sometimes you can continue to stay in this phase with more and less intense periods, finding ways to cope in an on-going way.

Self-management and self-care is key. It is important to have counselling and support in this phase. Being part of a support group can help you share your experience with others who have also been raped. This helps you to work through the experience with the support of others who have had the same experience. Learning that your sense of safety and self-care comes first is key.

Self-care Check List – how are you?

• What are you feeling?
• What are you experiencing?
• What are you doing to get support?
• Are you feeling safe?
• Are you feeling supported?
• Are you having less negative thoughts about yourself?
• Are you feeling more in control of your body and your life?

You may have feelings of shock, fear, panic, anger, shame and guilt, expressed through crying, being upset, being dazed/out of it, or being numb. You may not able to talk about the rape. You may have nightmares, trouble sleeping, eating, travelling and living everyday life.

Interventions to feel safe:

• Being in a safe space
• Crisis counselling
• Immediate medical support
• Reporting the rape – if the survivor chooses to
• Support in reporting rape
• Telling a trusted friend or family member
• Help with dealing with the impact of taking a 28-day course of ARVs to prevent HIV infection post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP) and other medications.

Self Care Check List – how are you?

• Are you feeling safe?
• Are you feeling supported?