My longterm girlfriend (11 months) was raped by a friend a week after I met her ~ 1 yr. ago. She never got help, or pressed charges, because she did not want the embarassment of being labelled a "rape victim". I was the only person she ever told.
Three months ago, the effects of the rape started coming up. She became verbally abusive, timid about physical contact, and became extremely depressed. I tried to work it out with her for the past three months, and things have been very rough. She has admitted several times she doesn't want to be with anyone else, that nobody has ever loved her like I have, and that up until her depression, she was sure she'd marry me someday.
Unfortunately a couple weeks ago, she decided she couldn't do it any more and broke up with me. Her reason was, she needs time on her own to deal with the past, and she can't be with anybody while she does it. She said she knew she was making me miserable, and couldn't do that to me. She calls me on a daily basis to talk, says she misses me constantly, and needs me around to be ok. She never asks me if there are any other women around, and has admitted that she refuses to even flirt with a guy because it wouldn't be fair to me.
My question is, what exactly should I do? I mean, from one point of view, I can't abandon my best friend, the girl I love, when she is struggling with rape. The other point of view - doing so would be doing exactly what this forum is here to prevent, and I may be chasing something that will never come.
Any suggestions for me? I've done a search, but I couldn't find a relevant example.
This should also go out to anyone who thinks rape or date-rape is "ok". It's not. It destroys the girl's entire life, and messes it up for anyone who is ever involved in her future.
Three months ago, the effects of the rape started coming up. She became verbally abusive, timid about physical contact, and became extremely depressed. I tried to work it out with her for the past three months, and things have been very rough. She has admitted several times she doesn't want to be with anyone else, that nobody has ever loved her like I have, and that up until her depression, she was sure she'd marry me someday.
Unfortunately a couple weeks ago, she decided she couldn't do it any more and broke up with me. Her reason was, she needs time on her own to deal with the past, and she can't be with anybody while she does it. She said she knew she was making me miserable, and couldn't do that to me. She calls me on a daily basis to talk, says she misses me constantly, and needs me around to be ok. She never asks me if there are any other women around, and has admitted that she refuses to even flirt with a guy because it wouldn't be fair to me.
My question is, what exactly should I do? I mean, from one point of view, I can't abandon my best friend, the girl I love, when she is struggling with rape. The other point of view - doing so would be doing exactly what this forum is here to prevent, and I may be chasing something that will never come.
Any suggestions for me? I've done a search, but I couldn't find a relevant example.
This should also go out to anyone who thinks rape or date-rape is "ok". It's not. It destroys the girl's entire life, and messes it up for anyone who is ever involved in her future.