Sexual Assault: Coping Mechanisms

Survivors of sexual assault, childhood sexual assault, and domestic violence often will incorporate any number of coping mechanisms to deal with the pain, anger, sadness, and confusion. Coping mechanisms serve to protect the individual from the overwhelming emotions, which naturally occur after being hurt in this way. Here is a list of some of these coping mechanisms:

• Minimizing
• Rationalizing
• Denying
• Forgetting
• Splitting
• Dissociation (leaving the body)
• Chaos
• Spacing out
• Hyper-vigilance
• Humor
• Busyness
• Self-destructive behaviors
• Addiction
• Isolation
• Eating disorders
• Lying
• Stealing
• Gambling
• Avoiding intimacy
• Sexual compulsion or avoidance

Related Articles

• Fear: Responses vs. Coping Mechanisms from Exchange of Realities (exchangeofrealities.com)