Psychiatrist for a rape victim

KJuno · Feb 26, 2009

Suppose a girl reports a rape she isn't sure happened - she doesn't know if it was a really vivid dream or an actual, real thing. She's behaving like a normal rape victim would, and she wasn't a virgin beforehand, but she honestly doesn't remember being awake for it. She doesn't have a history with hallucinations, and she's not really having any others.

What would a shrink tell her? How would her treatment go?

ideagirl · Feb 26, 2009

KJuno said:
Suppose a girl reports a rape she isn't sure happened - she doesn't know if it was a really vivid dream or an actual, real thing. She's behaving like a normal rape victim would, and she wasn't a virgin beforehand, but she honestly doesn't remember being awake for it. She doesn't have a history with hallucinations, and she's not really having any others.

What would a shrink tell her? How would her treatment go?

Back up a second--how long afterwards is she reporting it? If it's the next day or something, the cops will, or should, send her to the hospital and have a rape kit done, looking for physical evidence (which includes not just sperm but also, e.g., bruising, cuts...). I think the first thing that would be done, if it's soon enough after for there to still be a chance of evidence remaining, would be to figure out whether it happened or not.

KJuno · Feb 26, 2009

(I know this is a sort of crazy storyline but bear with me.)

She doesn't report it until a significant time afterward, so any evidence of the rape would be gone. It's imperative to the plot for there to be a sort of doubt about whether it happened or not.

Does anyone know if the date-rape drug (forgot its name) can result in flashbacks, or does the person black out completely and has total amnesia? (This isn't what happens, btw, but I'm just covering my bases.)

But anyhow, the bottom line is, she doesn't know if it happened or not and as far as I know, there isn't really a way to prove it. The reason I ask about the date rape drug is because a psychiatrist might think that's a possible explanation, if indeed it is possible.

I don't know. I'm deferring to y'all for a reason

Horseshoes · Feb 26, 2009

How old is this girl? 17? 7? Huge age dependent diff here on what can be done.

KJuno · Feb 26, 2009

16 almost 17.

Rarri · Feb 27, 2009

Psychiatrists can do work with bringing back 'supressed' memories but this is somewhat contraversial because they may bring back false memories. These links may be useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repressed_memory
http://www.fmsfonline.org/

RJK · Feb 27, 2009

Ketamine, or similar date-rate drugs will cause unconsciousness and memory loss. It is used for painful surgeries so that the patient has no memory of the pain. I don't believe the victim would have ANY memory of the event after the drug took affect. She would have some memory of events leading up to and as the drug wore off, memory would return.
If she didn't get a strong enough dose to make her unconscious, then there MAY be some foggy memories of the event. An MD or nurse could explain better.

veinglory · Feb 27, 2009

A psychiatrist isn't interested in whether it happened or not, but in what kind of distress the person is experiencing. If she needs to talk it through she will be referred to a counsellor or psychologist. If she needs help with anxiety or depression she might be prescribed something for that. After time is passed the veracity of the memory is impossible to determine and so moot.

Shail · Feb 27, 2009

There are several types of 'date rape drugs', the one most common in the US is . . . GHB I believe. You might want to try wiki for this one. If your setting is another country or your 'rapist' or supposed rapist has access to exotic substances you may need to know what's available for the purpose of realism with law enforcement procedures. Without knowing where you want to go with this my suggestions are limited, but research is never useless.

50 Foot Ant · Feb 27, 2009

KJuno said:
Does anyone know if the date-rape drug (forgot its name) can result in flashbacks, or does the person black out completely and has total amnesia? (This isn't what happens, btw, but I'm just covering my bases.)

Two beers and a roofie can result in flashbacks.

Some GHB and a whiskey usually results in total memory loss, but occasionally people can have flashbacks.

Psychiatrist for a rape victim

KJuno

ideagirl

KJuno

Horseshoes

lisapreston.com

KJuno

Rarri

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Shail

mostly normal

50 Foot Ant