Services are Available for Victims / Survivors : Sexual Harassment: Common Feelings and Responses

Some of the worst side effects of sexual harassment are the self-doubt and despair over the perceived lack of control over the situation. This lack of control, coupled with little factual information on how to remedy the situation, can destroy your self-esteem and often leads to depression. Some common characteristics of depression include a lack of hope and a general loss of pleasure in things that once brought you great joy.

It is typical, while undergoing sexual harassment, to cease caring about anything. Sexual harassment causes such an overwhelming energy drain that just dealing with simple tasks like getting up in the morning can pose an enormously difficult challenge. Things as simple as crossing the street or making a phone call can become difficult. You lose confidence in your abilities and question your own judgement in even the simplest situations. As a result, you sink deeper and deeper into yourself, until you are completely isolated from your own life and number to what is happening around you.

Psychological/Emotional Effects

Depression and Anxiety:

overwhelming amorphous sadness
inability to concentrate or focus on tasks at hand
absence of joy in life
panic attacks
Insomnia
cold sweats
trouble catching your breath

Loss of Confidence/Self-Esteem:

question your actions
second-guess yourself for even minor decisions
question your abilities, talents
lose confidence in your own abilities and in the organization
try to downplay your appearance, change your hair, makeup, clothing
Wonder if you are sending subliminal signals or if you are confusing friendliness with flirting
Feeling that you and/or your contributions to the organization are insignificant

Embarrassment/Shame:
- Feel inadequacy over not being in control of situation
- Believe yourself damaged for seeking help
- Perceive yourself at fault for the situation
- Feel as if you somehow brought the situation on yourself
Fear:
- Fear of seeing the harasser
- Dread of going to work
- Apprehension of telling your story
- Fear of what will happen to you, your career, your life
Change in Personality:
- Social relationships falter
- Overwhelming sense of failure
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- No longer enjoy socializing, hobbies, activities
- Lose trustfulness, become suspicious of people
- Insecurity
- Confusion
Withdrawal:
- Withdraw into yourself to escape the pain of the situation
- Belief that if you do not talk about the situation, it will just go away
- Disassociation from reality
- Distancing from work, friends, activities you used to enjoy
- Denial of what is happening

Physical/Somatic Effects

Gastrointestinal
- Stomach pains, diarrhea, constipation
- Lack of appetite, increase appetite
Short-term Professional Outcomes
- Career destroyed; derails you from fast-track career
- Lose confidence in the organization
- Become unproductive; can’t concentrate on tasks at hand
- Feel that if you can’t handle this “silly” situation at work, you definitely can’t handle “larger” projects
- Contributions are deemed worthless and unimportant
- Situation may cause a barrier between you and your peers
- Fear that your situation will be discovered by others in your company or industry
- Anger at putting in years of hard work for nothing

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