Writing about my sexual assault was 'cathartic'

[Chittychangchang]

When she was writing the second series of Chewing Gum, Michaela Coel took a break from work and went out for a drink with a friend.
The next morning, she woke up and started having flashbacks. Michaela realised her drink had been spiked and she'd been sexually assaulted.
This real-life experience became the basis for her new BBC One show, I May Destroy You, which she wrote, co-directed and stars in.
"It took me two and a half years all in all to write it and I didn't do any other job," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.
"It's been quite hard but cathartic because I'm reflecting on a dark time rather than feeling it is happening to me right now."
According to Rape Crisis, 20% of women and 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16 in England and Wales.
A BBC investigation also found more than 2,600 reports of drink-spiking incidents in England and Wales between 2015 and 2019. 72% of alleged victims were female.
'Blaming ourselves is the most unhelpful thing'

Michaela's character Arabella, goes through a range of emotions, including humour, to process what has happened to her, which she says mirrors the experience she went through.
"We respond to trauma and triggering situations in many different ways, it's not always a pity party," she says.
"Sometimes we're in deep denial and it's not that we're begging people to believe us, but actually people are pleading for us to believe them about what's happened to us."
Arabella, with the help of her friends Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu) work out where she was assaulted and who by.
Image captionTerry (Weruche Opia) helps Arabella figure out what happened to herThese characters have their own issues when it comes to learning to use their voices in sexual situations.
"The whole show deals with that moment where consent was stolen from you and you lost the moment where you had agency to make a decision," Michaela says.
"Pointing to ourselves and blaming ourselves is the most unhelpful thing.
"We need to be kinder to ourselves a bit more and forgive ourselves for the times when we didn't say no loud enough."
She hopes people learn this from the show.
Image captionThe show focuses on experiences of sexual assault and consentArabella is portrayed as a chaotic woman in her early 30s, who rose to fame through Twitter and landed a book deal.
"It's a millennial thing - with social media we have so many opportunities to present ourselves as having our lives together," she says.
"But deep down when you close your phone screen down and sort of sit with yourself, your life might not be like that.
"I think we're all going through the exact same thing and it's not very healthy - I don't think many of us truly think we have our lives together."
I May Destroy You has been praised for not only presenting a different take on what a woman goes through after sexual assault, but also for having a female lead who doesn't conform to a typical stereotype.
Michaela says "there are pros and cons to every lifestyle and the grass isn't greener on either side."
"These people in my show are incredibly brave and they live in their freedom and in their authenticity.
"I don't let fear govern my life and I think that's maybe something that a lot of people in my age bracket can identify with."
Visit BBC Action Line for information and support on this issue.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52992574

[tomcat]

...transphobia is a terrible thing...

[tomcat]

I May Destroy You has been praised for not only presenting a different take on what a woman goes through after sexual assault

...wait...that's a woman?...

[Wally Dorian Raffles]

My little brother and I were sexually assaulted when I was 10, and he 8. We have both lived very troubled and turbulent lives. This shit is real.

[harrybarracuda]

There was a BBC show called Liar from 2017 that relates. Won a Golden Globe.

Wasn't bad. It's on Amazon or link here:

Liar (2017)

[YourDaddy]

'cathartic'

Cy, what does it mean?

[tomcat]

Cy, what does it mean?

...it means laxative...

[YourDaddy]

...it means laxative...

Swoosh

[tomcat]

Swoosh

...the sound of the laxative at work...

[baldrick]

Cy, what does it mean?

Trawling for micro penix on grinder

[MarilynMonroe]

Cy, what does it mean?

Why ask Cy?

It means venting through catharsis. Writing is a good outlet for many people. I know I wrote in journals about my life every since I was a teenager. It made me feel better I guess. It is a good outlet for many people to write letters or write a journal on your feelings etc.

I'd like to see the show, it looks very good.

[MarilynMonroe]

My little brother and I were sexually assaulted when I was 10, and he 8. We have both lived very troubled and turbulent lives. This shit is real.

Yup, not a pleasant experience for young children to go through and then spend a lot of their lives dealing with the aftermath.

[cyrille]

Why ask Cy?

It means venting through catharsis.

Defining a word by explaining it means...err...the word you're defining.

Interesting approach.

What does 'numbskull' mean?

[Cujo]

What a fucking ridiculous OP. Never heard of that thing and don't care at all about it. As I'm sure most posters here don't/haven't.

[armstrong]

What a fucking ridiculous OP. Never heard of that thing and don't care at all about it. As I'm sure most posters here don't/haven't.

Let's just add that to the list of things you inexplicably hate shall we.

- Black people
- GIFs in the funny picture thread
- People opening up about sexual assault

[Cujo]

Let's just add that to the list of things you inexplicably hate shall we.

- Black people
- GIFs in the funny picture thread
- People opening up about sexual assault

I didn't say I hate it. I just don't give a fuck. Have you ever heard about that thing before now?
I doubt it.
Seems to think it's the only one to get roofied and felt up FFS.