Recovering from Rape : Practical Advice on Overcoming the Trauma and Coping with Police, Hospitals, and the Courts - for the Survivors of Sexual Assault and Their Families, Lovers and Friends

From clinical psychologist Linda E. Ledray, Recovering from Rape is a comprehensive handbook offering emotional support and practical guidance to survivors and their loved ones in coping and overcoming the trauma of rape.

If you have been sexually assaulted, you are probably experiencing a mix of fear, anger, and depression. If you are a relative, friend, or lover of someone who has been assaulted, you too may be deeply affected by the incident and by the survivor’s reaction to it. However, working together, survivors and their loved ones can recover and may even be able to turn the recovery into an opportunity for positive change and growth.

The experiences of survivors recounted throughout this book reassure readers that others have pulled through. Dr. Ledray helps survivors realize that no matter what they did―wore a low-cut blouse, accepted a ride from a stranger, invited an acquaintance home―they did not deserve to be raped. She guides them from guilt or disbelief through bitterness and despair to the decision to take back control of their lives.

In addition, this comprehensive handbook explains what to expect at the police station, at the hospital, and, if necessary, in court. It covers such health issues as incest, STD treatments, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and legal information on prosecution and bail, DNA testing, and rape law.

An essential resource, Recovering from Rape helps readers learn the most effective ways of dealing with their feelings immediately following an assault, during the subsequent few months, and beyond.

Linda E. Ledray holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and personality research and is a registered nurse. A licensed psychologist and fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she is the founder and director of the Minneapolis Sexual Assault Resource Service and has been working with rape survivors for twenty years. She lives in Mound, Minnesota.