How to get past childhood rape trauma?

Question

My friend was raped many times during her childhood especially by her father. She is 20 years old now. She has a hard time sleeping at night because every time she tries to sleep, she would see his face. Is there anyway for her to get past this trauma and move on? What method would be useful to help her move on?

Answer 1

Your friend should see a therapist. They can help her work through and process her experiences in a safe environment. If she is ready, she might also want to read The Courage to Heal, by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis. She needs the help of someone who has dealt with this issue countless times before--a good therapist! She may have to go through a few to find a good one, but they are out there.

Answer 2

I hate to say this...but i think the best thing to do is to face the abuser, by telling him how he ruined her life and what he did to her and that he is a digusting pig andf or him to acknowledge what he did to her would be the best antidote...but i have a sad feeling that he won't. Abusers are usually to ashamed to admit what they've done and they'll deny or blame the victim...What a pig

Answer 3

Please take her to the psycologist.. she needs professional help.

All you can do is be there for her and let her know that you will always support her.

I want to kill that sorry excuse for a father. d**n that f*****.

Answer 4

first thing i said was aw... that is a shame....but what she has to do is say that it is over and when she decides that he cannot do it to her again and she is safe now that he is gone it will go away

another thing do something nice for her or get her in touch with her father and tell him how you(her) feels but not face to face because that may be risky.....if neither of these work consult a cunselor

Answer 5

she needs to get over it

Answer 6

When you say the father, do you mean the step father or biological father?

Answer 7

This one really hits close to home. I had a similar childhood, although my abusers were NOT related to me.

She needs counselling, at the very least, someone she can talk to completely openly and honestly. I was in therapy for several years just to get to the point of being able to sleep through the night, and that doesn't happen every night even now. I still have nightmares.

Is her father still involved in her life? I think the biggest thing would be to make sure she is safe and away from him. Forget confronting him, that's not something she's ready for yet, and it could be VERY detrimental to her recovery.

She needs help. I'm glad she has a friend like you that knows and cares, but it's important she find a counsellor or therapist she can trust to open up to. She had a miserable childhood.... the rest of her life can be as good as she wants it to be. It takes time, and I'm not saying it's easy, because it's definitely not. I've been working on my issues since I was 19, and I'm about to turn 30, and like I said, it still affects my life every single day. It's never going to go completely away, but with the right help and support, your friend can live normally and even happily.

oh... in particular, i say therapy is needed because what you're describing is post traumatic stress. she needs someone trained to help her get through it.

Answer 8

I'm sorry but I don't think there's a simple answer for something like this. Counseling would be her best bet.