Depression is a very common reaction to sexual assault. People may feel badly about themselves or about those around them. Some cry all the time and some are not able to cry at all. Some feel tired all of the time, lose their appetites, or overeat. Some feel as though things are hopeless and will never improve.
Shame is an almost universal reaction to sexual assault.
People often blame themselves, feeling that if they hadn't gotten themselves into the situations, the assault wouldn1t have happened. It is important to remember that errors of judgment, not sizing someone up, etc. are never the same as being responsible for being sexually assaulted. We can all learn to protect ourselves better. But the ugly fact is that sometimes this prevents assaults and sometimes it doesn't. Often what eventually eases the feelings of shame and self-blame is support and acceptance by others who have been sexually assaulted.