CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Getting The Basics
2. Substance Abuse
3. Violence Against Women
4. Violent Men
5. Alcohol and Violence
6. Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Assault (Date Rape)
7. Preventing Sexual Assault
8. After a Rape or Sexual Assault
9. Assistance - Women
10. Assistance - Men
11. Legal Options

Supplements
Resources
Glossary
Fact Sheets

It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women for Anyone Concerned About The Issues

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Many victims develop the lasting effects of traumatic stress called posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). First identified in war veterans, PTSD causes:

• Constant numbing of physical and emotional responses,
• Denial of reality,
• Guilt and self-blame,
• Nightmares, and
• Bad memories that seem frighteningly real.

PTSD often lasts for years. Survivors of sexual assault may also be depressed, anxious, and quick to get angry. They may not be able to maintain relationships or cope with everyday problems.⁶ Because people react in different ways to stress, it is not possible to predict exactly how you will feel. It may help, however, for you to know some of the most common responses of sexual assault victims:

• Shock and disbelief
• Remembering what happened and what it felt like
• Intense emotions
• Physical symptoms
• Self-blame and shame⁷