Rape and the Confusion that can follow it.

Good day everyone 🥰.

Sometimes, after rape or sexual assault, a person doesn't immediately know what to call what happened to them.

You might be in shock. You might keep replaying it in your head and wondering, Was that really rape? You might know something was deeply wrong but not be ready to accept what happened. And sometimes, the realization doesn't come until a lot later.

Then there's another question: Who do you tell? Where do you report it? Who will believe you? Who can you talk to without being judged, blamed or questioned about what you did, wore, said or didn't say? Not knowing what to do next doesn't make what happened to you any less real.

If you've experienced rape or sexual assault, whether recently or a long time ago, you deserve support. There are organisations and resources that can help with medical care, emotional support, understanding your options and, if you choose, reporting what happened.

And within this community, I want you to know that I stand with survivors. I'm here to listen and not to judge you, interrogate you or tell you how you should feel.

If there's a story or experience you would like to share, you're welcome to share as much or as little as you're comfortable with under this thread. You don't owe anyone every detail of what happened to you.

You deserve to be heard. You deserve to be taken seriously. And you deserve support.