As I have shared before, WordPress has a feature that enables me to track how people find my blog. I was floored to discover that over 100 searches for the topic of animal rape led to my blog. I never fully appreciated how great a need there was to discuss this topic. If you suffered from animal rape, you are not alone.
Animal rape is a particularly degrading form of sexual abuse. When a person rapes a child, the rapist supposedly gets some form of physical pleasure out of the act. However, when a rapist stands by and watches an animal rape a child, he is clearly experiencing no physical pleasure. Watching the rape is all about degrading the child. The child’s reaction to this is often feeling very deep shame.
It is difficult for a child to put into words what he has experienced. While no child abuse makes sense, having an animal rape a child makes even less. When you cannot even label what you experience, the event seems to take on a life of its own. By calling the act “animal rape,” a person can begin to wrap her mind around what happened and heal.
Many people do not realize that flashbacks do not have to be visual. You can experience a flashback with any of your senses. Some people who have experienced animal rape struggle with having flashbacks in which they feel the rape happening to their bodies again. They can become frightened by the flashback and not know how to make it stop.
If you are struggling with this form of flashback, reassure yourself that this is a normal reaction to severe trauma. Our brains are not the only part of our bodies that hold memories of trauma: Our bodies hold the memories as well. When you experience a body flashback, your body is trying to heal by releasing the memory.
If you have this form of flashback, do not fight it. Instead, allow your body to release the memory. Keep telling yourself that you are now in an adult body and that your abusers can no longer hurt you. After you allow your body to release the flashback, you will stop feeling the need to relive that experience.
You might also find yourself getting triggered whenever you see an animal like the one that raped you, or you might react when you see a particular breed of the animal, such as the same breed of dog used in the animal rape. This is a normal aftereffect of animal rape. Use the tools that you use to manage your triggers when this happens.
You might feel as if you are the only person on the planet who has endured an animal rape, but you definitely are not alone. Truddi Chase discusses her animal rapes by a dog in the book, When Rabbit Howls. I have met people on-line who have found the courage to share that they have endured this, too. You are not alone.
Related Topics:
- Animal Sexual Abuse Survivors Website
- How to Heal From Animal Rape
- Recovering from Childhood Animal Rape
- The Shame of Animal Rape
- Talking with Abused Adopted Child about Severe Abuse
- Trauma Tuesday: Believing Your Traumatized Adopted Child
Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt
thank you. this is the hardest thing ever. and yes my dad got pleasure from watching it is amazing you said that. this is horrible and you are expressing the things in my heart. the things that are unspoken. the things i am going through right now.
yes thank you so much just to hear someone else talking about what I am going through is such a huge relief.
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I feel deep sadness at reading some of the accounts of your childhood on your blog… I don’t even know what to say other than you are absolutely right about the diamond–one can try to cover it up with the most putrid things ever, but that vileness will never penetrate its brilliance. May you find all the peace and love the Universe has to offer you.
Thank you, Lisa. That was very sweet of you to say. :0)
– Faith
Faith:
I contacted you some time back, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you about it. We spoke about religion and you posted a passage for me. Been in therapy for some time now and I’ve gotten to a place where I think that I am ready to talk to you now. I don’t want to trigger you. I’m just trying to heal. If you are available to talk, you can reach me via email and I’ll give you my number. If this is too personal I can completely understand. You are just so much further along in your recovery than I am.
I hope to hear from you very soon.
d
Yes, I would be happy to talk with you. We just had a death in the family, so I might need until after Christmas to focus. Please click on “About Faith Allen” in the upper right corner to get my email address.
Take care,
– Faith
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