Rape

Rape is forced, unwanted sexual intercourse. It is a crime of power, control and violence, rather than sex or passion. Rape can happen to anyone: women, men, and children, whether gay or straight.

Being the victim of rape is emotionally devastating and traumatic. Rape is a crime that robs a person of feeling safe and in control. The victim is violated in an intimate and personal way.

A victim of rape or sexual assault may experience all or some of the following:

Shock: feeling numb, detached, a dream-like feeling in which things feel unreal or unfamiliar
Fear: feeling unsafe and unable to protect oneself
Powerlessness
Anger and rage
PTSD symptoms
Flashbacks: reliving the trauma
Depression
Hopelessness and the belief that life will never be the same again
Difficulty sleeping, nightmares
Physical symptoms
Feeling isolated and alone
Shame, feeling dirty and worthless
Guilt and self-blame: engaging in “what if” thinking: what if I’d fought or fought harder? What if I hadn’t worn that outfit or gone to that party?
Panic attacks: fear of being out in public
Issues with relationships and intimacy: difficulty trusting

Welcome to In Real Life, a place of growth and hope for survivors of sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence. We are a community of people who have suffered just as you have; people who know what it’s like to feel alone, silenced, and betrayed. This is a place of acceptance; wherever you are in your life right now, whatever you are going through, you will find support, understanding and real help. Many of us have never had a place where we can feel safe to be our real selves, a place to explore and express our honest thoughts and feelings. This is such a place, and it is no small coincidence that you are here, reading this right now.

Communicate in our Public and Private forums with other members and staff. We have forums for many topics including Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, Rape and more.

In Real Life offers real time chat to all of its members. You are free to use this chat to communicate with other members as well as to communicate with our staff. Sign up today to start using this great feature and communicating online through our social network.

* Images displayed in the content herein are used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in such content is a model. The display of a model's image does not suggest or imply that the model has suffered physical or mental abuse or any ailments associated therewith.