Date Rape: Surviving The Night Before

Have you ever woken up confused about where you are, who you are with, and what happened last night? You can't remember anything from a certain point, and you feel like "something is just not right." Have you ever wondered that you might have been drugged?

This is my truth about Date Rape; recovering from the night before.

"I remember having a few drinks and feeling pretty good. I definitely should have known I was feeling too good. Within a half an hour I felt an overwhelming drowsiness, I was hot and my heart was racing. I remember being on the dance floor and every moment that passed by I felt more and more hammered. The lights were racing in my eyes and I could feel my legs giving way beneath me. The last thing I remember is that I made my way to the bathroom and I felt like I was going to faint, I go into a stall and slide down to the floor, the colored strobe lights still racing in my eyes"

"The next thing I remember is waking up in a strange house, next to a strange guy. I was in severe pain, and the worst part about it was I could not remember anything. Immediately fear struck me, I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Is it any wonder why females question every move and word that comes from a male? In a recent poll; "60% of college aged males said they would use force in their sexual relations if they were sure they wouldn't get caught." In another staggering statistic "One in four women are victimized by some form of sexual assault in their lifetimes, with 55% to occur before the age of 18." If that's not bad enough, "rape is committed at a shocking rate of every 2 minutes in North America."

I wasn't quite sure what happened that night. I left the scene as quickly as I could, tears streaming down my face as I drove to my house. I immediately bathed, wrapped myself up in a warm robe and crawled in bed. My mind was spinning with the possibilities of the night before; as I cried myself to sleep.

"It wasn't a peaceful sleep by any means. Quickly it became all too real. As I slept, bits and pieces of the night before haunted me. I remembered candles around me, a strong hand guiding mine. A strong pull slowing me down, restricting my movement, a rag in my mouth to keep from screaming; I remember a short struggle, and my mind goes black for a moment. Now I only hear a quiet echo, growing weaker. It's like I am watching the scene from afar, unable to do anything. "No" she repeats. He stops kissing her; he pulls his body from hers. She is no longer whimpering or struggling. He produces a sick smirk, places a kiss on her lips, and then slaps her in the face. She comes to for a moment; all she can say is "I don't want this." He responds with "yes you do." She fades again into a reluctant submission, a single tear escaping her eye, as he has his way with her."

I awoke to a knock on the door. When I opened it, I was shocked and terrified to find the man that I was so sure had raped me the night before. The worst part about it was that he really didn't think that he had done anything wrong. I was sickened by his presence and slammed the door in his face.

If you are asking yourself "Have I Been Raped?" Chances are pretty good that if you came here looking for an answer, you probably were. If you suspect you were drugged, you need to seek professional help right now. The quicker you call the police and go to the hospital, the easier it will be to recover any evidence. Don't question or blame yourself like I did. Don't let him get away with possibly ruining your life.

It was later found out that I was drugged with Ketamine (AKA: Special K, K, Kit-Kat.) This particular drug was derived from PCP and causes anesthesia without respiratory depression. It is a white powder that is almost always used as an animal tranquilizer. The drug acts rapidly, and includes a dissociative state, floating experiences, hallucinations, confusion, anterograde amnesia and delirium. Flashbacks or visual disturbances can be experienced for years after ingestion." This is only one out of many date rape drugs on the drug market today.

Know what your rights are, and know the laws. This isn't just something that happens to young, pretty girls, it happens to everyone! Educate yourself, and educate those around you. Date rape is rape, whether you are in a relationship with the person or not. If you do not give consent, it is rape. To put it simply, if a person has had too much to drink or is on drugs they cannot consent to sex and having sex with them is legally rape.

"6 years have passed since that night, and I still remember every single detail up until everything went black. Unfortunately I have changed. It's hard for me to trust again, who knows if I will ever fully trust, all I can do is hope. That night, I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life. But I have realized it was not my fault, and I have learned to make different choices in the future. As for him, I understand what he did to me, I'll never know why. But I'll tell you that it was the last mistake he will ever make."

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN RAPED, CALL 911 NOW! THINK ABOUT IT LATER!