Warning, this article contains information about sexual assault.

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is when someone has been taken advantage of sexually, through various means including: force, coercion or trickery to perform sexual acts that you don’t want to do. It includes a wide range of unwanted sexual behaviours, that could come from family, friends, someone known to you or strangers. If you have been in this situation you can seek support from various professionals, outlined below is some information on: Where to find help. You can also decide if you want to report the incident to police.

Sexual trauma is a worldwide problem and affects a huge number of people. Specifically for Australia, according to the Australian governments research, The Australian Child Maltreatment Study, it estimates that around 1 in 4 (28.5%) Australians aged 16 years and over have experienced child sexual abuse, with females twice as likely to have experienced child sexual abuse than males (37.3% compared to 18.8%).¹ Source Australian Child Maltreatment And according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 2.2 million women aged 18 years and over (22%) have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, including: have experienced sexual violence. Source: ABS

The impact of sexual assault

For people who have experience sexual abuse can be extensive and enduring and can be difficult to overcome. Effects and common symptoms may include many things: physical pain, bleeding, soreness, headaches, sleep loss, nausea, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, post traumatic distress syndrome (PTSD), trauma, fear, depression, dissociation, chronic fatigue, muscle tension, shaking, helplessness and others. Additionally, people who have been sexually assaulted may have risks associated with substance abuse, self-harm and other risky behaviours.

Pathways to recovery:

Your pathway to recovery is your choice and is in your own ways that work for you.

Initially you may visit a hospital or GP if you have been sexually assaulted recently for a check up and any they may provide you with any contraception and tests on sexually transmitted diseases. Also, DNA samples can be collected too should you wish to pursue taking things further.

Talking support maybe helpful too. Either through counselling, psychotherapy or psychiatry to help you process you experience and seek tools and advice on how to help you recover.

You could try different professional therapies, tapping, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, hydrotherapy or other various therapies to support you.

Personal networks, sometime friends and family members or local people in your network through community and groups can be another great way of finding support and assisting you.

Self Care, through various techniques: mindfulness, meditation, creative outlets and exercise, along with having a balanced diet, may assist you in your recovery. You are welcome to join our Twin Hearts Meditation, for details on this visit: www.phwn.com.au the twin hearts meditation is unlike other meditations as it has a healing quality, as it flushes out negative energies and helps you heal.

Pranic Healing, I have used Pranic Healing with countless number of predominately females to assist them in their recovery of sexual trauma and abuse. One of my clients said, that they didn’t think they would be open to a relationship and love again, can now be open again to relationships and love. Pranic Healing can also be the ideal therapy, as during the process of treatment(s), you don’t need to talk about what happened, you can if you want to, but you don’t need to. You can instead explain what healing you want, and enjoy the relaxing, non-touch energy treatment that pulls out the unwanted negative energy and replaces it with positive energy that allows for your body to heal, physically, mentally and emotionally. You can book an appointment on: www.phwn.com.au. 

Where to find help?

There are various organiations that can provide you with free assistance and to help you process what happened. 

You can contact ReachOut by calling 1800RESPECT (1800737732) to seek support and advice. 

Also Bravehearts is another organisation that is focused on protecting children and prevention of sexual abuse. Free call available on: 1800272831.

This topic has been important to highlight given the high volume of people I’ve supported in this space and furthermore, by promoting pathways to recovery and offering compassionate support, we can help people navigate their journeys toward healing and empowerment. This topic can also be a hidden matter for many reasons which is all the more reason to make space for it, to share something and to bring forward the need to address it and provide care for all of those in need. It is essential that we continue to raise awareness and advocate for resources that address the needs of those affected by sexual trauma. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like to get in touch for a consultation email: info@phwn.com.au