TW mentions of SA
I'm 22F, and was sexually assaulted by a classmate at 12. This experience made me think that guys would only like my body, that maybe that's what was interesting about me. For the entirety of my teenage years and until a few months ago that made it impossible for me to go further than dates in public with guys.
Context : Then, last September I moved to a new city for my master's degree and explored myself differently, actively trying to dissociate myself from this constant anxiety that my body was unsafe (it was saying 1st time living alone and away from everything and everyone I've ever known) But it's something I can't seem to really cope with, despite therapy etc. Only sports help me bc they make me feel capable and strong (but I injured myself last summer so it's been hard to go back).
Anyways, in January I met a guy and we started talking, it was good, fun and I enjoyed myself. We had a few dates and I got pretty infatuated (in retrospect, because we're had good chemistry). So as time went by I wanted to go further with him (for the first time I actually commited to my desire). We had intimate moments a few times, but I already carried shame into it and was scared : I didn't want him to know I was a virgin and I didn't tell him I had been SA'd in the past. I also didn't want to be associated to these things.
The last time I saw him (we were not officially dating but acted like a couple) we started kissing but I didn't want to go further, I just felt like he wanted it and it was so much so Quick that I fawned (I remember the transition into this state bc I dissociated) my whole body was saying no. And he picked up something was different than other times but no wouldn't come out of my mouth as he asked me another time if i was okay and if he was supposed to keep going, I mumbled yes. But the whole time I was dissociating.
I didn't rationalize what had happened until the day after where I told myself "this is too much to handle I can't go through another traumatic thing" I was also really confused as to why I couldn't phrase it since I had worked in myself, my ground, my issues, my needs etc (but ultimately was always scared to be seen and heard, because when I was SA'd saying no was associated with more violent aggressions).
Now it's been months, my body is aching everywhere, I've been ill since this relationship (mono) and my pelvic floor and lower belly hurt (i wonder if my body could have tensed up so much that it damaged the area). I've spent the past few months in freeze response trying to get out of this state. And talk therapy doesn't help me right now. I know the things I just can't feel it all anymore it's too much.
If you've faced something similar (is it a trauma flare ?) did you try hypnotherapy, EMDR, or other things ? I just want to feel like me again but I think she's gone and I have another layer of stuff to process six months later. I tried to let it be thinking if I let myself feel the things it would go away but that's just not how it works and I'm coming to terms with that instead of repeating a pattern of resistance.
This whole thing has made me question everything, my sense of self is gone, I feel so strange and distant from my life because I'm no longer the same. I feel like I can't trust myself anymore since I couldn't say no like that when I had sworn to myself I would never let anything happen to me again (ik that's impossible but it was my way to cope with the world and made me really anxious bc it is an everyday mission). But it's so hard to understand that idk how to feel about it, so I feel alienated, lost and self-betrayed.
Thank you for reading up to the end. I hope you're doing great and healing and healthy 🩷