PTSD Survivors Speak: Helping Others After Trauma, Part 1

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Today begins a two part series by Wagatwe, a woman who took her truama and turned it into a gift for others.

Helping Others After Trauma

Coming to terms with that I do have PTSD took a lot of time. I was raped twice when I was fourteen years old, but never recognized those for what they were until many years later. When I enrolled at Tufts University, I was excited to experience a new world and take on a course load that centers on the subject matters that interested me the most. Unfortunately, my experience there was ruined by an abusive relationship that lasted for over two years.

Despite the fact that the relationship is long over, the aftermath still affects me years afterward. When I reported what had happened to me over the course of the relationship and afterward, the school did not believe me and did not help me. Discouraged, I tried to concentrate on what mattered to me most — getting my degree so I can do what I love. My PTSD made handling the academic load difficult. I did seek help, but the school decided to expel me instead. Shocked, I appealed their decision coming out as a survivor of rape and domestic abuse but to no avail. It was difficult to lose the most important thing to me — the one thing that got me through the hard times – and my PTSD temporarily worsened.

Fortunately during my last semester at Tufts I participated with students organizing to change the sexual assault policy at Tufts so other students will not have to go through what I experienced. I learned so much not only from my personal experience, but through independent research about sexual violence on college campuses and I realized how this problem was not only my own. While it was in part a relief to know that my story was not an isolated experience, I was also infuriated that so many schools further hurt other people who had the bravery to stand up for themselves and report their rape.

Moving back home, I still cared about other students at Tufts and the lack of support and protection that survivors had at the school. Even though I was hurting from the pain of rejection from the school, I created the Tufts University Survivors blog during a particular burst of indignation at my current situation. From there not only did I have a place to express my feelings, frustrations, and my point of view, but also hopefully reach out to others and spread information.

Click here to read part 2: Wagatwe shares how her advocacy work has helped heal her own trauma.

Click here for Tufts centered blog. Follow her on Twitter @rapedattufts and her, personal Twitter: @_waga.

On facebook she can be reached at http://facebook.com/wagatwesara and the Tufts survivors blog page

The ideas contained in this post solely represent the perspective of the author. To contribute to ‘Survivors Speak’ contact Michele.

Tags: abuse, ptsd, rape, survivors, Tufts