Cognitive deficits since rape

[EmilyR]

I was raped a year ago and I'm just now starting to be an a semi-stable place. Whats really bothering me right now is that my brain is just not working right. My memory has been total crap since it happened, which i know is part of the defense mechanism, but I still forget entire conversations. Im a grad student and I'm having a lot of trouble keeping up in school because I'm finding that I'm having a lot of trouble learning and my processing speed is so much slower now. I'm trying to be patient with myself, but its hard to do when the rest of the world looks down on people who can't keep up

 

[Freida]

My T says memory issues after trauma are pretty common because you are expending so much energy keeping the "bad" away. Are you in therapy? and have you gotten a diagnosis?

 

[AliciaEff]

Does your university have services for students with disabilities? For the purposes of university accommodations, short-term issues that otherwise would not be considered disabilities are still included so long as they majorly affect your life for the school year.
If you have an official diagnosis of PTSD, having university accommodations could grant you extra time for your assignments and such.
I hope this helped

 

[Sweetleaf]

You're not alone, I was raped repeatedly and I have memory problems now. The last rape was 2 months and 4 days ago. I forget conversations, instructions, pretty much anything. I wish I could just forget the trauma instead.

I make a lot of reminders of things I need to not forget. I'm considering starting a journal/diary to just cover the main events of each day, because I forget most of what happened and what I talked about or did on a given day.

My trauma all happened after I graduated from university, but if I were you I'd definitely try to get accommodations like @AliciaEff said. Make it easier on yourself, it will be good to lower your stress.

 

[EmilyR]

I appreciate you all so much. This is the best support I've found since.

 

[shimmerz]

Whats really bothering me right now is that my brain is just not working right.

Imagine my shock and surprise when I realized that my brain went right back to working well again once the trauma's (most of them) had been processed properly. Your brain is very busy right now trying to keep you safe. You haven't lost your brain forever, certainly. Are you seeing a therapist at all?