![]() “You’re a survivor,” says Cierra Fisher, a licensed professional counselor in Charleston, South Carolina. Praysha Spearman, a licensed marriage and family therapist from Atlanta, says, “I use DBT self-soothe skills with my clients who are trying to cope with traumatic memories and function in everyday life.”ĭialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) self-soothe skills are sensory tasks designed to ground you when MST feels overwhelming. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) self-soothe skills If you’re unsure where to start, you can check out Psych Central’s hub on finding mental health support. It can also offer the opportunity to develop new coping skills and helpful thought processes. Speaking with a healthcare or mental health professional or joining a support group can help you navigate your experience in a safe environment. Help for MST is available and there are ways to help you cope with your experience. ![]() In a 2021 interview with PBS, Lynn Rosenthal, commission chair for President Joe Biden’s recent independent MST investigation, stated that 100% of military sexual assault survivors report suicidal ideation. Other sources suggest the numbers are higher.Ī 2018 review including 69 studies on MST found that nearly 9% of men and 53% of women reported sexual harassment. In sexual harassment reports, the majority of survivors state that someone in their chain of command was responsible.Īpproximately 6.3% of men report sexual harassment, compared to 24.2% of women. Of those, 13,000 are women and 7,500 are men. ![]() Research from 2021 estimates that more than 20,000 military personnel experience unwanted sexual contact annually. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men respond “yes” when asked if they’ve experienced MST. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, fear of retaliation, as well as a sense the justice process would be unfair or dismissive, causes many cases to go unreported. If the effects of MST are causing problems in your daily life or relationships, treatment can help - whether or not you have PTSD.The exact prevalence of military sexual trauma is unknown. Some people may also have physical health problems like headaches, stomachaches, or chronic pain. Veterans who’ve experienced MST are more likely to develop some types of mental health concerns, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This can lead to conflict with family, friends, and coworkers - or just feeling isolated or alone. After experiencing MST, it’s common to have a hard time trusting others and feeling safe in relationships. MST can also make it hard to build and maintain relationships. Some people use alcohol or drugs as a way to deal with these powerful memories and emotions. Disturbing, vivid memories can come up suddenly and repeatedly, and nightmares can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Many Veterans struggle with feelings of anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, or sadness - even years later. While every Veteran’s story is different, there are some common themes that connect many Veterans’ experiences after MST. With treatment, you can heal from the effects of MST. No matter what you experienced, or how long it’s been, MST doesn’t have to control your life. Even years later, MST can show up in your life in different ways, affecting your emotions, your relationships, and your health. And it affects every Veteran who has been through it differently. MST can happen to anyone, of any race, age, gender, or sexual orientation. Someone made repeated comments about your body or sexual activities in a way that made you uncomfortable.Someone touched you in a sexual way when you didn’t want them to, or when you weren’t able to say “no” - for example, when you were asleep, when you had been drinking, or during hazing.Someone pressured or manipulated you into having sex.MST includes any sexual activity that happened against your will or without your consent. Military sexual trauma, or MST, is sexual assault or sexual harassment that Veterans experienced while serving in the military.
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