Sexual Assault Trauma Symptoms And How To Deal With Them
After sexual assault, it’s expected to feel like something shifted inside—physically, emotionally, and in how you relate to the world around you. Its impact can echo in complex, lasting ways and it is not uncommon to find that months or years later, you’re still experiencing symptoms: trouble sleeping, anxiety in certain environments, chronic tension, or a sense that the body doesn’t feel quite like home.
This is actually a normal trauma response. When something overwhelming happens and your body doesn’t get a chance to process it, that unresolved energy can stay stored in the system. It can shape how you relate to your body, your emotions, and even your sense of safety in the world.
In this post, we’ll explore common sexual assault symptoms, how PTSD sexual assault symptoms can show up, and how to begin working with these experiences in a way that’s compassionate, body-based, and empowering.
Common Sexual Assault Symptoms
Sexually assaulted symptoms often show up in both obvious and subtle ways. Some of the most common include:
Hypervigilance or a constant feeling of being “on edge”, scanning and always aware of what’s around you.
Sleep disturbances or nightmares
Avoidance of certain places, people, or situations
Difficulty with trust or intimacy
Emotional numbness or detachment
Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Unexplained body pain or tension
Shame, guilt, or self-blame
These are natural survival responses that your nervous system adopts in the wake of trauma. Many survivors also experience PTSD sexual assault symptoms, which can feel destabilizing, confusing, or overwhelming.
Sexual Assault PTSD Symptoms: What to Look For
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) after sexual assault may include any of the above symptoms along with:
Intense emotional reactions to reminders of the trauma
Dissociation (feeling disconnected from your body or surroundings)
Startle responses or panic attacks
Feeling chronically unsafe, even in safe environments
Trouble concentrating or feeling foggy
These PTSD sexual assault symptoms are not signs that something is wrong with you—they are signs that your body has not yet completed the trauma response cycle.
Symptoms of Sexual Assault Trauma Held in the Body
The body often carries what the mind hasn’t been able to fully process. Trauma lives not just in memory, but in muscle, breath, organs, and even posture. After sexual assault, the nervous system may stay stuck in survival mode — constantly scanning for danger or shutting down in an effort to protect you. This can impact your entire physiology: tension may collect in the jaw or pelvic floor, digestion can slow or become erratic, and the breath may become shallow or restricted. Emotionally, you might feel flat, anxious, or disconnected from your sense of self. Spiritually, many survivors describe feeling fragmented or no longer “at home” in their bodies.
These responses aren’t a sign that something is wrong with you — in fact, this is from your system's inherent wisdom protecting you during the trauma, and your body and being just wasn’t able to process, release and return back to balance. These lingering symptoms are your body’s way of saying, “I haven’t felt safe enough to let this go yet.”
Healing from Sexual Assault Trauma
Healing from sexual assault trauma isn’t about forcing yourself to “get over it.” It’s not a mindset shift or a matter of willpower. True healing begins when the body feels safe enough to start letting go of what it’s been holding. That safety doesn’t come through pressure or pushing — it comes through slowness, consistency, and deep attunement to what your system needs in each moment.
Creating the conditions for healing means inviting in a sense of support, choice, and connection. It means learning to listen to your body’s signals without judgment, building trust with yourself, and gently unwinding survival patterns that once kept you safe. It may look like moments of stillness, breathwork, crying, shaking, movement, or simply noticing — I’m here, and I’m okay right now.
Healing is a return to your body, your boundaries, your power — and it happens in layers, over time, at the pace your system is ready for. This kind of healing honors your whole being: nervous system, emotions, body, and spirit. It may unfold through professional support, self-guided practices, or a combination of both. Below are some gentle, grounded ways to begin or deepen your healing journey.
Working with Professionals
Healing with the right support can be life-changing. When you work with trauma trained practitioners (not trauma-informed) who understand the unique impact of sexual trauma, you’re not just talking about what happened — you’re helping your body and nervous system complete what was never allowed to finish.
Some professional approaches that support deep healing include:
Somatic Experiencing
A body-based trauma healing method that helps your nervous system complete the stress response and move toward regulation.Biodynamic Breathwork and Trauma Release
Not all forms of Breathwork are helpful. In fact some styles are too aggressive. However biodynamic Breathwork and trauma release practitioners are trained specifically in how to use conscious breathing techniques to calm the nervous system, help process stuck energy, and reconnect you to your body safely.Trauma Trained Therapists (not trauma-informed)
Especially with therapists who are trained in sexual trauma and body-based approaches. They can help you process the emotional and cognitive layers while honoring your pace and boundaries.Body-Based Practices
Modalities like Yamuna body rolling, mindful movement, or therapeutic touch can restore a sense of agency and presence in your physical body.Creative Therapies
Art, music, or expressive writing can provide powerful, non-verbal pathways for releasing what’s stored internally.
Ways to Heal on Your Own
While professional support is powerful, there are also gentle ways to support yourself in daily life — especially when you’re not in a space to work with others yet. These practices aren’t about pushing through; they’re about building safety, trust, and resilience within your own system.
Some self-guided coping and healing strategies include:
Grounding Techniques
Engage your senses through touch, smell, sound, or sight to help anchor you in the present moment.Journaling
Writing your thoughts, feelings, or body sensations can help you track your healing and make sense of your internal world.Nervous System Awareness
Begin to notice when you’re in states like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn — and experiment with ways to gently support your return to safety.Consent and Boundary Practices
Rebuilding a sense of choice and agency over your body is a core part of healing. Even simple boundary check-ins with yourself can be powerful.Community and Connection
Whether it’s a support group, a trusted friend, or a safe online space, connection is medicine. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Healing doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some days might feel expansive, others quiet or tender. Your body knows the pace that’s right for you — and that pace is enough.
A Gentle Path Forward
If you’re experiencing symptoms of sexual assault trauma, know that your responses are valid. There’s nothing broken about you. You’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate this alone.
Healing is possible, even if the trauma happened long ago. With the right support, your body can learn to feel safe again. You can feel at home in yourself.
If you’d like to explore somatic trauma resolution or want support working through PTSD sexual assault symptoms, you can learn more about working together here.
Brianna Anderson, SEP
I’m here to help you heal so you can begin to live the life of your dreams
My private practice specializes in helping people who have endured trauma, resolve the symptoms out of their body, mind & spirit so they can feel comfortable in their skin, find inner peace and live the desires of their heart.
I am based out of South Orange County, Ca and offer online therapy sessions. Whether you are just starting your healing journey or ready to try something new, I am here to help.
is trauma holding you back?
Perhaps you experienced a specific event that left you feeling different, disconnected, or stuck. Or maybe you carry a sense of unease in your body, struggling with anxiety or a feeling that something isn’t quite right.
As a somatic experiencing practitioner I specialize in helping people process and release stored trauma through gentle yet effective methods.
Download my FREE guide “Get Unstuck! The Truth About Body Trauma and How to Break Free’ and learn how to create the future you deserve.