Dating woman who was abused

This is the second in a guest post series for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, highlighting the intersection between sexual assault and teen dating violence. For resources on teen dating violence, visit ThatsNotCool. Since then, I was in a very restorative relationship that lasted two years. Sadly, that had to come to an end, and for the past year now I have been trying to figure out how to get myself to care about someone enough for them to care about me. Regardless of my new-ness to dating, I am no stranger to navigating the world as a survivor.

As a sexual abuse survivor, dating terrifies me. Subsequent relationships have been mixed at best, from the partner who got mad when I froze during sex, to the dates when I could barely squeak out what my job title is because I was so petrified. Survivors like me are not rare, especially considering the statistics. This means at some point in your dating life, odds are you will encounter a survivor.

He is wearing casual clothing, a plaid shirt over a t-shirt. People who suffered abuse—either physical or emotional, and either from family or past romantic partners—can still have successful relationships. But abuse changes someone on a fundamental level.

As a survivor of nearly eighteen years of violence and emotional abuse , the pain and anxiety caused by trauma has often felt more to me like getting a haircut — recurring experiences I go through over and over, because the emotional after-effects are ever-lasting. And these symptoms are not unique to me. Speaking with fellow survivors has helped me realize that in some ways, my own trauma and grief is here to stay for good. But I also know that I am enough, and I am not alone, no matter how much it might feel like the opposite is true. To find out exactly what friends and loved ones can do to help, I spoke with fellow survivors, friends and partners of survivors, counselors, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapists to put together this guide.