Changes to the brain occur both during and after someone is sexually assaulted. When such a traumatic experience happens, the sympathetic nervous system of the body will release stress hormones. These stress hormones prepare the body for fight, flight, or freeze. In other words, the victim is trying to survive the experience rather than process everything that happens.
For sexual assault survivors, the changes in their brains begin after the traumatic experience. These changes are similar to the changes that occur in combat survivors who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sympathetic nervous system continues to release stress hormones even after the traumatic event. This results in fatigue of both the body and mind of the survivor.