Triggering (Abuse): Boyfriend was raped.

[_LoveLife_]

So just today my boyfriend shared he was raped when he was 8. He is (15). He said he hadn't known what was happening at the time so didn't tell. He still hasn't told anyone. I want to know if there are ways I can help him not worry about it and possibly forget it?

[Kara396]

Hi sweetie, to start off with, rape isn't something you can just forget about. He needs to talk to somebody about it and possible get therapy. Going through that is really hard, I would know. I'm a survivor as well. Let him know you're there and you love him and do whatever it takes to help make this better, you can get better, but rape and abuse victims can never fully heal.


Good luck sweetheart, and best wishes for your boyfriend,

Kara

[Tigerlily.]

Hey there, Kara is right. Rape is not something you can just forget and move on from, and honestly I agree that rape and abuse victims can never fully "heal", they will always know what happened to them, and it may get to be too much on some days even if it usually doesn't affect them. You need to suggest to him possibly talking to a professional like a therapist or counselor. They are trained professionals on how to help people through these things and to learn to cope with what happened. He needs to talk about it to someone, and as I said, it'd be best if they were a professional, but even just a friend to listen can make a difference.