People respond to sexual trauma in very different ways. For some survivors:

1. They turn to pornography as a coping mechanism

• To numb or distract themselves
• To try to regain a sense of control over sexual situations
• To “replay” things in a way they control, even though it’s painful
• To try to understand what happened to them

2. It can become a trauma response

Sometimes the brain tries to process trauma through reenacting or exposing itself to similar things — not because they like it, but because trauma gets tangled with sexual arousal pathways.
This is called trauma-linked arousal, and it’s actually documented in trauma psychology.It does not mean they wanted what happened

Using porn or having sexual feelings after rape does NOT mean the rape wasn’t traumatic or that they “enjoyed” anything.
It’s just the nervous system trying to cope.

5. If you’re asking for yourself

You’re not “nasty,” “broken,” or “perverted.”
Your brain is trying to make sense of something that was confusing and overwhelming.
That reaction is common, and it does NOT mean anything is wrong with you.

A lot of survivors start watching porn after rape, and it usually comes from one of these places:

1. Your brain trying to understand what happened

After trauma, the mind searches for answers:

• “What actually happened to me?”
• “Why did my body react that way?”
• “What is sex supposed to look like?”

Porn becomes a place to compare, even if it’s not healthy or realistic.

2. Trying to regain control

Sometimes survivors watch porn because:

• They choose it
• They control when it stops
• Nothing is happening TO them
  It creates a sense of control that the assault took away.

3. Trauma and arousal wires getting crossed

Trauma can confuse the body’s signals.
The brain can mix fear, shock, and sexual arousal responses — NOT because the trauma was pleasurable, but because the nervous system was overwhelmed.

This can lead to wanting to watch porn afterward, even if emotionally it hurts.

4. It’s a coping mechanism

Just like overeating, withdrawing, or overworking — porn can be a way to:

• numb out
• escape
• distract
• self-soothe

It doesn’t mean you’re “dirty” or “nasty.”
It means you survived something that rearranged your nervous system.