Transcript for Hear Our Stories

Female 1:  My best friend didn’t believe that I had been sexually assaulted.  It was the most hurtful thing any of my friends had ever done to me- almost more hurtful than what he had done.  I have recovered from the assault, but our friendship was destroyed.  .   

Male 1:  I didn’t deal with it for a long time- I didn’t want to. I wanted everything out of my head.

Female 2:  I was afraid.  I was afraid of not being believed.  I was afraid of how my friend’s would react.  I was afraid of running into him or his friends.  I was afraid to go anywhere alone.  

                                                                                      

Male 2:   After my experience, I couldn’t be in the same room with people talking about rape.  So many people make jokes about it or trivialize the issue.  I did not want to have to explain to everyone that it had happened to me.

Female 1:  One of his fraternity brothers said that because I had gone up to his room and that I was at the party that I had wanted it to happen.  I was angry because I knew it wasn’t true, but I had no way of making anyone else believe it. 

Male 1:   I couldn’t deal with physical touch.  The experience has made intimate relationships really difficult.  I didn’t have sex with anyone for over 2 years after it happened. 

Female 2:  I didn’t leave the house for a very long time.  I moved to another dorm so I could live by myself and get away from everyone.  I was worried about bringing other people down or not having an answer that would satisfy them when they asked me how I was doing.  I escaped into my own world.

Male 2:  I became really depressed and needed to talk about what happened.  It was a lot easier to talk to people who had similar experiences.

Female 1:  One day, I woke up and looked in the mirror.  I didn’t recognize myself.  I felt like my life was ruined.  I would never be the same person again.  In the end, I was able to get past it and although I am a different person, I know I am stronger than I ever thought I could be.

Male 1:  My experience came very close to killing me.  I have survived by slowly opening up to people and receiving support.  I also actively seek ways to fix myself.  I have had to relearn how to do everything.

Female 2:  Most of the people I told believed me.  Knowing that made me more comfortable talking about my experiences and seeking help.  Talking about it increased my ability to heal.  It was the first step to making things better.

Male 2:   If you want to help a survivor- Be patient- it doesn’t just go away.  Make allowances for things that are difficult in their lives like trusting people or talking about the assault.