Reintegration

Now you are able to carry out your day-to-day activities. You have, for the most part, regained your peace of mind. You may feel the need to reflect on your assault in order to gain some kind of insight or understand the emotions that are still troubling you.

The period of reintegration can last several months, as you try to reconcile the thoughts and emotions related to the sexual assault. Feelings like frustration, anger and guilt may resurface whenever you think about it. You may have resolved certain aspects of the assault on a rational level even though you continue to experience it on an emotional level.

This is a period of introspection during which you may feel somewhat distant from others. You may feel the need to be completely alone in order to confront your reality and really think about what happened to you. You may feel anger towards people who failed to understand your situation, were indifferent to you or treated you unfairly. You will probably feel the need to talk to someone who can help shed some light on certain issues.

You may be discouraged by persistent nightmares or fears, such as the fear of being alone or the inability to have sexual relations. During this period, all of the progress you have made may seem very fragile.

It is also during this period that you may find yourself projecting your anger against your attacker onto those close to you. You may have second thoughts about decisions you made when you needed to feel safe. You may have originally decided to move back in with your parents or stay with a friend for protection. This uncertainty is a sign that you are starting to want to feel free again: the reintegration period marks the beginning of your return to independence.

Did you know ?   Some organizations offer self-defence courses, which can help you reduce your fears and regain control of your life. You can find out more about these courses from any of the resources for victims of sexual assault. It doesn't matter if you are woman or a man: you can ask for help. Trained caseworkers and counsellors are available to give you support, and there are specialized resources throughout the province of Quebec.