An Informal Sexual Trauma Test

Get Answers and Trauma Treatment Options at Icarus in NM

it is a startling but true statistic: an American citizen is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, according to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, Incest and National Network. Victims of sexual assault must learn to live despite the traumatizing experience, although all go through the healing process differently.

A few understand that they are a victim of violence and cope with the emotional aftermath (although they may not truly feel safe again.) But most people need professional help to make sense of the uncomfortable, often unfamiliar feelings of shame or guilt.

Our free downloadable sexual trauma test can help you decide if you need help after sexual abuse.

Icarus New Mexico has helped hundreds heal after a violent or unwanted sexual contact. Failing to get the necessary help to heal leaves a sexually abused person and their family members subject to other types of challenges. From thoughts of suicide to ongoing flashback and anxiety, it can impact every aspect of life. You cannot move forward in life until you heal the feelings that develop after a sexual assault.

We invite you to read on to learn more about the trauma and negative emotions that come from sexual abuse. We also urge you to download our informal quiz tool to learn if you need counseling after this traumatizing experience.

Downloadable Quiz: Do You Have Sexual Trauma?

Our informal Sexual Trauma Quiz is not a formal diagnosis

However, it can give you a better idea about whether your depression, fear, or anxiety comes from a past sexual assault. Here are the quiz questions and a brief explanation about why each one can be a key indicator of trauma after a rape or sexual abuse:

1) Do you avoid situations, places, or people that remind you of a past sexual experience?

Staying clear of certain triggers is a form of avoidance. This can happen when you have not processed the trauma associated with your rape or sexual assault.

2) Are you suffering from nightmares or flashbacks related to a past sexual event?

Reliving a rape or other forms of sex without consent can reveal the presence of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). This condition requires professional care to help you learn to cope with the trauma.

3) Do you struggle with shame, guilt, or self-blame without good reason?

Friends may tell you that you’re not to blame for your sexual assault, but you still can’t release the guilt. You might be internalizing your trauma, blaming yourself or your body for the rape. In other words, you are victim-shaming yourself.

4) Are you having difficulty trusting others, especially intimate partners?

Not coping with the traumatic event and healing can have a lasting impact on intimate relationships. You are holding onto fear or other negative emotions that can destroy your ability to connect with others.

5) Do you feel emotionally numb or detached from your feelings?

This quiz question assesses your connection with your emotions. A sense of detachment can be a defense mechanism. It helps you avoid further emotional pain by distancing you from anything that might hurt you.

6) Have you participated in risky behaviors (e.g., substance abuse)?

Your safe space has been disrupted, now you feel tempted to throw caution to the wind. This behavior often means that you still carry significant distress about the forced act.

7) Do you have anxiety or panic attacks, especially in intimate relationships?

After being sexually abused, a person can have long-lasting aversions to intimacy or anyone touching their body. This asexual reaction to trauma is common and does not mean that intimate relationships are impossible to pursue, though more processing and therapy will often be needed.

8) Do you feel easily triggered by physical touch, words, or smells?

This quiz question shows how your sexual assault may still appear in your daily life. Being easily triggered by a flicker of a traumatic event shows that it still has an influence on your interactions with others.

9) Do you often feel like you’re “zoning out” when stressed?

Download Our ‘Do You Have Sexual Trauma Quiz’ PDF
When much of your emotional bandwidth is consumed by the sexually traumatizing experience, it leaves little room for coping with day-to-day stress. Some zone out instead of worrying about what might happen next, leaving them at risk of developing other mental health issues.

10) Have you ever had sudden, unexplainable outbursts of sadness, anger, or fear?

Whether a child or an adult, sudden outbursts can mean a resurfacing of the trauma. You may feel like a kettle of water about to boil over on a hot stove. This situation can be embarrassing and uncomfortable; you may feel forced to self-isolate to avoid triggers. But distancing yourself could make a bad situation grow even worse.

If your quiz indicates you are at a heightened risk, please call us to schedule an assessment. You are not alone, and the entire Icarus Behavioral Health team is here to help.

Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Statistics in the United States

RAINN, which operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, has compiled volumes of data regarding rape and other sexual abuse without consent. We already shared the frequency at which sexually assaulted people call to report the crime.

Here are some other RAINN sexual abuse and rape statistics that can be hard to hear…but are very necessary to understand the scope of the problem:

• 1 in 6 American women and 1 in 33 men have experienced rape or sexual assault (either an attempted or completed sexual act).
• Nationally, Child Protective Services agencies confirm about 63,000 children are sexually abused each year.
• 55% of those sexually assaulted were attacked near the victim’s home.
• Only 25 out of 1,000 of those who commit a sexual assault will serve time in prison.
• Roughly 80% of victims are under the age of 30.

These numbers are probably low, as they only reflect those who report the crime of forced sex acts. Unfortunately, some fear coming forward.

Getting Help at Icarus Helps Heal After Sexual Abuse Trauma

Icarus Behavioral Health specializes in helping clients heal trauma. We acknowledge that trauma is a frequent cause of many mental health disorders: substance use disorder, eating disorders, and PSTD to name a few.

We use the latest evidence-based, trauma-informed techniques to design customized programs to help each client gain the coping tools needed to reclaim their lives after a sexual assault or other trauma. With your therapist, you will attend individual and group therapy to process your feelings about the traumatic event and learn new coping tools to help balance your life.

If you quiz results show that sexual trauma has an impact on how you live, it’s time to get help. Connect with Icarus Behavioral Health today and share your quiz findings with us. We will design a treatment plan and help you move on.

Call us today – we can help as soon as tomorrow. All calls are confidential, so please reach out now.