🇰🇼

Even though I've been assaulted more by women, I've developed anxiety about men instead. I don't understand why and I feel like its unjustified.

Answer written by a PhD Prepared Mental Health Nurse

I'm so sorry to hear about the assaults you've experienced. Your feelings and reactions are valid, even if they seem confusing or counterintuitive to you. There could be several reasons why you've developed anxiety about men despite experiencing more assaults from women. Let me run through some potential ideas. 

To start, societal messaging and cultural norms often emphasize male-perpetrated violence, which might influence your perceptions and fears, even subconsciously. This doesn't invalidate your experiences with women, but it can shape how we process and react to trauma.

In addition, men may be perceived as physically stronger on average compared to women, potentially leading to a greater sense of vulnerability or fear, regardless of your actual experiences. 

One other idea is that if any of your experiences with men were particularly traumatic or occurred earlier in life, they might have a more significant psychological impact, even if they were fewer in number. Your anxiety could also be related to specific characteristics or situations associated with men in your experiences, rather than men as a whole.

These are just ideas I have. Trauma responses aren't always logical or directly correlated to the source of trauma. Your brain might be trying to protect you based on a complex mix of experiences, perceptions, and subconscious factors.

Above all, your feelings aren't unjustified – they're a real response to your experiences. However, if this anxiety is impacting your daily life, it might be helpful to work with a trauma-informed therapist. They can help you process your experiences and develop coping strategies for managing your anxiety.

Remember, healing from trauma is a journey, and it's okay to have complex or seemingly contradictory feelings along the way. Your experiences and reactions are valid, and you deserve support in working through them. Thank you so much for asking this question. You are not alone.

  • Share to WhatsApp
  • Share to Facebook
  • Copy Link
  • Share to Twitter
  • Share to LinkedIn
  • Share to Reddit
  • Share to Pinterest
  • Share to Email

Just Checking...

Discard Message?

You have a comment in progress, are you sure you want to discard it?

Similar community content

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate

0

Members

0

Views

0

Reactions

0

Stories read

For immediate help, visit {{resource}}

Made with in Raleigh, NC

|

Read our Community Guidelines, Privacy Policy, and Terms

Post a Message

Share a message of support with the community.

We will send you an email as soon as your message is posted, as well as send helpful resources and support.

Please adhere to our Community Guidelines to help us keep Our Wave a safe space. All messages will be reviewed and identifying information removed before they are posted.

Ask a Question

Ask a question about survivorship or supporting survivors.

We will send you an email as soon as your question is answered, as well as send helpful resources and support.

How can we help?

Tell us why you are reporting this content. Our moderation team will review your report shortly.

Violence, hate, or exploitation

Threats, hateful language, or sexual coercion

Bullying or unwanted contact

Harassment, intimidation, or persistent unwanted messages

Scam, fraud, or impersonation

Deceptive requests or claiming to be someone else

False information

Misleading claims or deliberate disinformation

Log in

Enter the email you used to submit to Our Wave and we'll send you a magic link to access your profile.