how do you recover from a false rape accusation?

my ex accused me of rape and of a lot of other things (most I haven't heard about) almost a year and a half ago and I feel like I'll never be able to get back to the same level of happiness in my life since then. I lost a lot of friends when it happened and the few that I have left I barely talk to anymore. My mom asked about my old girlfriend from high school and when I told her she accused me my mom basically said everyone believed her over me because I don't speak up enough. Even though I live in a large city I feel like any time I'm outside I feel people staring at my back, and I wonder if anyone recognizes me or thinks I'm a rapist. The one friend I've made in the past year turned out to be friends with someone whos close friends with my ex , so I never talked to him again since it was only a matter of time. I feel like I've developed severe anxiety after everything (my psych seems to agree) but even if I can get better, I still don't see anything in store for my future. It feels like no matter where I go or what I do this'll catch up with me and I'll lose everyone again. I recognized a former close friend in a restaurant last spring and once we locked eyes and realized who the other was, I walked out immediately. The whole way home I kept muttering "I'm sorry" under my breath and couldn't stop. I don't know why I feel so much guilt over everything when I did nothing wrong (and I know I did nothing wrong.) The few things I've heard that my ex accused me of never happened (apparently she said I grabbed her head and forced it down during oral when I never did that) and when I used to have friends who overheard what she'd say about me, they'd say she'd repeat the story to other people with more and more embellishments to make me seem like even more of a monster (and to get pity point from guys at parties.) I flunked out my first year of college because of everything happening. My gpa's a 0 because my anxiety got so bad I stopped going to class by the time midterms rolled around (both semesters.) I'm seeing multiple psychiatrists and therapists but I don't know what to do anymore. No one around me cares that my life was ruined because my ex decided to lie about me.

Posted Jan 16, 2023, 9:16 PM UTC

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GirlMcGirlface•

You have to reach a point where you to choose to move forward and live in the now. It's not fair what happened to you, and it's obvious that it's had a long lasting impact on you, but it doesn't have to define you as a person. Anyone who gets to know you and like you for you won't listen to rumours from years ago. Perserve, you can overcome this ❤️

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