The 'Diddy effect': Next steps for the identified victims
Key Takeaways
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested this September and is being held in a New York City jail. He’s been accused of several crimes including sexual assault, rape, racketeering, and sex trafficking.
Mental health experts say that survivors of abuse experience complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and many other mental health issues.
There are ways to heal, though, for Combs’ survivors and for survivors in general. From eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to talk therapy, there are plenty of things survivors can embrace.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 54, was once a beloved household name, known for his work as a Grammy-award-winning rapper. Now he’s known for other, darker reasons.
Combs has been accused of various crimes spanning some 20 years and is currently facing several lawsuits and a criminal trial. A Texas attorney has said he will represent over 100 people who plan to file civil lawsuits against Combs alleging crimes including sexual assault, rape, sexual abuse.[] Combs has also been accused of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.[] He also allegedly has a history of violence and legal issues, including gun and bribery charges.[]
Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, after federal agents raided his home.[] He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY.[2] Meanwhile, a New York grand jury is reviewing new allegations that Combs sexually assaulted two boys who were 10 and 17 at the time.
Combs allegedly did not act alone. Reports say that he was aided and enabled by staff and people around him.[] His trial is set to begin next May.[]
Insights from mental health experts on sexual assault survivors
One of Combs’ alleged victims, Thalia Graves, says that he raped her on a pool table over 20 years ago.[] “The internal pain after being sexually assaulted has been incredibly deep and hard to put into words,” Graves said during a September 24 press release. “It goes beyond just physical harm caused by and during the assault,” she said, sobbing. “It’s a pain that reaches into the very core of who you are and leaves emotional scars that may never fully heal.”
For Graves and other survivors, there is little doubt that the constant headlines have an impact on them. Shari Botwin, LCSW, an expert trauma witness who has served in high-profile sexual assault and childhood abuse cases, says that instead of thinking of the Combs we know as a celebrity, we have to think about the survivors. “The media tends to focus on the alleged perpetrators in these types of stories, which further silences victims,” she says. “Society gets caught up in the drama around these high-profile figures, therefore causing more myths about what it is like to survive sexual assault and human trafficking.”
Botwin says that people like Combs often take advantage of those who are vulnerable: people looking for work or support. “Perpetrators are experts at luring their prey. They do not care about the implications or fallout that comes from trafficking or sexually assaulting innocent, vulnerable men or women or, in many cases, teenagers,” she says.
This can lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), she says. “Once survivors find safety and get out of these situations, they are left with lifelong mental health concerns, as their symptoms escalate and often lead to devastating consequences,” Botwin notes. “Several of my clients who have survived this type of trauma report having suicide attempts or develop[ing] substance use disorders or eating disorders.”
These patients need extensive psychological intervention, ideally as soon as possible. Botwin suggests ketamine therapy, talk therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and ongoing psychiatric monitoring.
“Because of all the media attention and the fact that people are starting to listen to survivors, I think more men and women will come forward sooner,” Botwin says. “[Combs’] story is just one of several high-profile cases that has gone on for decades. We are learning from these types of perpetrators, and we are holding more of the enablers accountable.”
Brooke Bardin, LCSW, tells MDLinx that recovering from sex trafficking can be a “long and slow journey.” She says that she’s previously worked with survivors of sex trafficking, noting how they often experience complex PTSD and a range of other mental health issues.
“PTSD occurs after a single life-threatening event,” Bardin explains. “Examples include [being in] a car accident, being mugged, [experiencing] a wildfire: type I traumas.”
Understanding victims
Many of Combs’ victims, however, fall into an entirely different category. “When there are repeated traumatic events over a prolonged period of time, individuals are at high risk of developing complex PTSD,” she says. All of this can lead to flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders of the traumatic events, intrusive thoughts, difficulty regulating emotions, excessive shame or guilt, and severe difficulty developing and maintaining relationships, she adds.
Healing, Bardin says, occurs in baby steps. Modalities might include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which she says “has been shown to be extremely effective [at] providing more rapid results in the treatment of PTSD than other models of therapy.” She also recommends trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy, and brain spotting.
“No matter what model of therapy is used, the important thing is doing it and finding someone with whom you are comfortable,” she says. Engaging with “survivor support groups, connecting with spirituality, and exercising can be part of your treatment plan. Since complex PTSD is often comorbid with mood disorders and substance use disorders, working with a psychiatrist to address medication needs for symptoms and cravings is highly recommended.”
The end message? There is hope, and complex PTSD is treatable.
“The resiliency seen in survivors and how much they accomplish is amazing to be a part of. For those still coping with the aftermath of this atrocious abuse, know that there is hope, and let the thousands of people successfully recovering inspire you,” Bardin says.