How do I stop blaming myself?
Original Story
Hello, this is my first time talking about this online. In real life, I have only told my boyfriend what happened to me. It's hard to tell this story but I just want to get it off my chest, maybe I can finally let go after writing it down. It is a really long story though. Last summer I was raped by my ex boyfriend, but I don't want the story to start there, I'll start when we met for the first time. We went on a double date with my friend and her boyfriend. I didn't know him at all. The date was alright, we even made out and I agreed to a second date even though I didn't feel like there was a spark but unfortunately I'm a people pleaser and my anxiety is very bad so I just went with it instead of rejecting him like I should have. The second date was weird. We went to a bar, he kept buying me drinks. I don't think I was drunk but definitely tipsy. When we left the bar, it was already like 1am and we sat down on a bench somewhere. There was no one around and so we started to kiss which eventually led to him putting his fingers in my pants. I was a virgin back then, barely even kissed someone so even though I was uncomfortable I kept going because I thought that by now (I was 18) I HAD to experience something like that. I wanted it to stop there but he layed me down and started to perform oral on me. I told him I didn't want to do this because we were in public but he said ut would be fine, to just relax and that it would feel good. When it was over, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I found some courage and said no, that I would go to uni in two months anyways. But he insisted saying that we could just break up then. So I stupidly agreed. We met another time, same bar. Again he kept buying me drinks. After that I went home with him where we had sex. It was consensual this time but I felt weird after because he kept asking me how much I enjoyed it and how many times I orgasmed (I didn't, but I felt pressured to lie). We then went to sleep. I left the next morning not knowing how to feel. On one hand, I was happy I finally lost my virginity like everyone else but I knew that I didn't love him. Texting him gave me the worst anxiety, I hated it. The next day I went on a weeklong trip with around 12 other people for our graduation. On that trip, I abused a lot of drugs, manly sleeping pills, tabacco and alcohol and one night, I drunkenly kissed my best friend. I am not proud of that, cheating sucks and I know that this was not right but I admit that ut wasn't just the alcohol, I had feelings for him, I just didn't realize it, unlike my ex, he made me feel so loved and appreciated, I wish I admitted my feelings for him sooner. When I came back from the trip, I told my boyfriend what happened. I wanted to tell him in person but he insisted I text him immediately. He seemed calm over text, saying that he "knew" it would happen and that he "forgives" me but he wanted to talk to me. Ge told me to meet him at 12am at night at the train station in his city, about 45min by train from where I live. I got there and he started grilling me with questions. About what happened and about personal questions about my best friend. He wanted to set some "rules" for me, like that I couldn't drink without him or be around my best friend. He then started to talk about how much he hated my best friend (he didn't even know who he is) and that he wanted to beat him up and stab him with a knife. At that point I told him to stop, that I would not let him talk about my best friend like that and finally I said that I wanted to break up. He didn't, he said that he was sorry, I didn't care, he said we could have an open relationship, I didn't care, I just wanted to break up. So we did but he said I couldn't tell anyone that I was the one who ended it, whatever. We just sat there for a bit talking and I laid my head on his shoulder, I know that was stupid thinking back I hate myself for doing it but I did and we kissed again. He said I should come home with him to have "breakup sex because every couple does that" but I didn't. I got up to take my train home but just when I wanted to walk up the stairs, the train left. So I went back, my ex was still there, I thought maybe he'd stay for a little so I wouldn't have to wait an hour alone at night for my next train. He didn't want to and I was fine with that, told him I'd be fine waiting alone but he insisted I go home with him because it would be too dangerous. I said no and then he said, verbatim, that we didn't have to have sex, I said that I would come home with him only under that condition amd he agreed. Again, I was a fool, I hate myself for going back with him, I'm crying writing this. When we got back (it was like 4am) he went outside to smoke. I went to bed and tried to sleep. He came back, layed next to me and that's when it started. He touched me, kissed me and I said I just wanted to sleep. He didn't stop so I shoved his hands away. He tried again and again with me pushing him back everytime and telling him to just let me sleep. At one point he said "ok if you puah me back one more time, I'll stop" and I DID but he STILL kept going. I was tired, exhausted and realized he wouldn't stop. I didn't know what to do because everyone was asleep and I didn't even know his family, honestly I didn't even know him, we met a total of four times. So I let it happen, thought maybe he was satisfied with just touching me but no. When I knew that he was going to "have sex" with me I just said "can you at least put on a condom?" He did and then he raped me. I kept hoping it would end soon. It was terrible, I hated how he took advantage of me and I hated myself once again for not standing up for myself more. The next morning I left as soon as possible but I was weirdly happy, as in I couldn't wait to leave and never see him again. I didn't even know that it was rape because I felt like me "letting it happen" didn't count as rape. It was only months after I learned what "coercion" means and I realized that what happened to me was infact rape. I only told my boyfriend who is amazingly supportive, he's the love of my life (also my former best friend, yes the one I cheated on my ex with). I know the police wouldn't believe me and I'm scared to tell anyone else in fear that they would not see it as rape, tell me I'm just overdramatic or that I just regret it but "consented". Even I feel like that sometimes. There were so many occasions where I should have stood up for myself but I didn't. I feel like it's my fault partially because of that even though I know that it's not. I don't know what to do. I want to talk about it with a therapist but I'm so scared that they wouldn't believe me or belittle my experience. Thank you all for reading my story, this helps me so much. I know that sexual assault can never be undone but we can still be strong. We can recover, I believe in you and me.