It's bad enough that women have to constantly be on guard and at any time can be targeted for such an assault, but then that they should be blamed for not being cautious enough. Some people actually worry more that a man should be falsely accused, though his chances of being raped by another man are greater. The lack of logic behind these attitudes is ridiculous, I cannot defend anyone's position nor can I offer any real advice for how to deal with the stress and struggles you face. All I can offer is to listen, reinforce safety in my town and in my circle and attempt to combat this type of toxicity

So very sorry.

I'm sorry you have to go through that. I've been seexaully abused when I was young. I have "PTSD", but it's more like "Shell Shock", or "Battle Fatigue".

I'm glad you reached out here. Your parents are wrong and it's absolutely horrible the way they treated you. Please see if you can find a survivors group and/or a good counselor for healing and support. You deserve it.

ugg, I'm sorry - that sounds horrible, and your parents sound horrible. Don't know if it will have the same effect for you, but just talking about it helped me. For example, tell your parents that no matter the situation a girlfinds herself in, she doesn't get raped if there aren't rapists there. Then tell them to fuck off.

You did nothing wrong! Your parents and your brother are the ones who did wrong. Please contact a survivors group. It will help. Surround yourself with a new family. And reach out any time you need to talk.

No, you're not the only one. While I have not gone through anything like you and other survivors have gone through, I do have empathy. I do know the difference between right and wrong. What the Republicans are doing is disgusting, disgraceful, and dishonest. My anxiety and depression has gone through the roof. I cannot understand why people think this is acceptable behavior. I can't deal with this anymore. I can't deal with the injustice, racism, bigotry, misogyny, and out right ignorance. This is not the United States that I know.

File a report on your brother with the police.

That's what I did 25 years after I was sexually assaulted by a relative doctor who was supposed to be giving me my routine, mission required physical when I was 15 years old. I told my mom at the time, who ignored me, since the doctor was wealthy and doing my family a "favor" with free physicals.

Then tell people. I told people how my father molested my daughter and was villified and called names by the family for "betraying" the family name, but I only defriended/blocked them and cut off all contact with them.

I'm not the one who should be ashamed..THEY are. Pack of lying, betraying misogynists..I want nothing further to do with any of them.

I can have no concept of your pain, and what must be a feeling of betrayal....from women I've talked with, they have expressed mixed emotion caused by guilt feelings..guilt from listening to people that influenced them into thinking it was their fault "put themselves in that situation", "you actually wanted it to happen" things like that, that can actually intimadate a young person into thinking it might be true. As one woman explained, even the one that attacked her made her feel she had seduced him, and until she stopped and realized that it WAS NOT HER FAULT, then she was able to move on, that though she loved that person, she did not like him or what he had done. I hope you can learn to live and laugh again, and be free of depression, PTSD. When I'm feeling low, I work on pretending that I feel great. Try to invision how I'm going to feel when its over, and practice acting that way. Most often works for me.keep telling me that feeling good is a choice good luck with the rest of your life. You deserve to love life.

I wish I knew what to say other than Im sorry. I have a good bit of PTSD and survivors guilt for indirect reasons, someone I love was abused and it all keeps me so angry and depressed too. I can't imagine how hard it is for the brave ladies directly affected. Im aghast at what "Americans" are defending, the right wing women who excuse this are as insane as right wing atheists are. Do your best not to sit around watching or reading much news and spend that time being as hedonistic as you like and indulge your pleasures at every chance. Weve gotta simultaneously be more politically proactive and avoid most news sources to stay sane I think. I hope it gets easier for all of us but even if it doesn't and you feel defeated, just don't feel alone.