Q: There are a number of both emotional and physical symptoms that a rape victim may encounter after this traumatic experience. These can include:  Rape trauma syndrome/PTSD: These include feelings of anxiety, stress, helplessness, guilt, anger, inability to focus, shame, substance abuse, or becoming suicidal. Fear and growing suspicious about people and their behaviors and intentions. Relationship problems: These might arise as a result of becoming emotionally less responsive, detached from loved ones, or doubting the actions and intentions of friends and family. Insomnia, an inability to have sound sleep, or having nightmares. Denial: You might experience an unwillingness to acknowledge the fact that you were raped and expressing inability to remember what happened Flashbacks: You may have repeated recollections of the assault to such an extent that it becomes difficult for you to distinguish between what happened in the past and what is happening in the present. Hyper-arousal: You might feel the need to be on constant alert to ensure you are safe. Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia or bingeing. Sexual dysfunction. Physiological symptoms: These might include as diarrhea, constipation, rapid heart rate and breathing, dizziness, unexplained headaches and stomach pains. Rape trauma syndrome (RTS) is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that affects survivors of sexual assault. Most treatments intended for rape survivors focus on alleviating the symptoms of PTSD. This is what most victims of sexual assault suffer from as an after effect of rape.  Some symptoms of PTSD include: flashbacks, avoidance, sleep problems, fear, mood and anxiety related problems, and hyper-arousal.  Survivors can be plagued by constant thoughts of fear and of being attacked. The feelings and thoughts can take such an extreme turn that normal everyday functioning becomes a challenge. They tend to develop distrust towards society in general but men or women in particular. Some may stop mingling or socializing with people out of fear of being assaulted again. They may try to make some major changes in life, such as moving houses, changing school/work, or moving to a different city. It is not unusual for rape survivors to be haunted by memories of the traumatic incident. Sounds, smells, images or even certain thoughts and feelings can trigger unpleasant memories that can manifest as physiological and psychological symptoms. Survivors may resort to avoidance behavior to suppress these memories.  You might avoid the road you took that day or avoid the area where it happened. You might also avoid the people who remind you of that day. Avoiding discomfort and fear is normal and is in fact seen as helpful. But the positive effects can be felt only in the short term. It's not useful in the long run. In fact, this avoidance behavior can lead the memories and symptoms to manifest in a different manner that could be worse.,
A: Understand possible effects after a rape. Understand the main symptoms of rape trauma syndrome. Pay attention to your avoidance behaviors.

Q: While holding auditions may lead to a more skilled choir, some choir directors choose to give all those interested an opportunity to participate. If you decide to have auditions, be sure to do the following steps. If you do not plan to hold auditions, you can skip ahead to the next part.  Secure a time and place for your auditions. For consistency It may be best to hold auditions in the room you in which you will be rehearsing or performing. Advertise your auditions. Think about the types of singers you wish to recruit and plan your advertising accordingly. You may want to start advertising several weeks to a month before the auditions will take place. Decide whether to have singers prepare their own piece of music for the audition or sight-read on the spot. This information should be included in the advertisement. Listening to each vocalist sing and taking thorough notes about their performance will help you in your selection process.  Evaluate the vocal ability of each singer by noting the range and quality of each voice. You may want to develop a short questionnaire for singers to disclose experience, describe vocal range, ability to read music, etc. Maintain a neutral facial expression during each singer's tryout and be sure to remain professional and polite. Someone's feelings may be hurt by a frown or other reaction to a poor performance, or you may get up someone’s hope by seeming excessively pleased. Determine the number of singers you need, as well as the voice mix you desire then select those singers required.  If you have very experienced, strong singers, you can form a small group, whereas less skilled singers do better in a large group. Ensure that you have the appropriate balance in vocal parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. You may make other balance considerations as well. Be sure to consider other aspects such as gender, age, and race to maintain diversity. You will need to notify those who auditioned whether or not they were chosen for the choir by writing a letter or posting a list or  phoning. Be sure to write a short note of thanks to those who were not selected.
A: Decide whether or not to hold auditions. Plan the auditions. Hold the auditions. Select your choir members. Notify those chosen of your decision.

Q: Mint does not germinate from seed too easily, so only the most experienced gardeners should start from seed. Plant directly into potting soil or compost after you bring it home. A garden store will have more varieties of mint; however, you may be able to find mint seedlings and plants at your local farmer’s market and supermarket. Ask a friend if you can harvest from an existing mint plant or find one in a local garden. Cut approximately 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) above a stem junction with sharp scissors. Make sure the cutting is at least 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) long and remove most of the leaves. It is not guaranteed that you will be able to grow a plant from each cutting, but it is a good way to use leftover mint if you are willing to experiment. Place freshly cut sprigs in the glass to grow new roots. Keep it in a warm, sunny place and wait for white roots to grow out of the cut stem. Add water as needed to keep the glass full. They can even extend to the bottom of your pot depth.
A: Go to your garden supply store to buy a mint seedling. Take a cutting from a mature mint plant. Opt to use a mint that is purchased from the fresh food section in your supermarket. Fill a clean glass with water. Wait until the white roots grow several inches long before planting.

Q: If your cushions have removable fabric, throw them in the wash. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully, and allow them to air dry completely before inserting the cushion back inside. If your cushions have a non-removable cover, you'll have to use another method if you want to clean them. For cushions with non-removable fabric, consider purchasing slip covers for protection. Make sure the upholstery or cushions have been thoroughly spot-cleaned with  dish soap or laundry detergent and warm water using a soft brush, but avoid using harsh chemicals. Scrub the fabric in every area, and let the soap sink in to the cushion. You can also try tossing your cushions into a power washer if possible. It's best to rinse the cushions with a hose to dilute the chemicals. If you can't use a hose, soak a towel in water and use the damp towel to rinse the fabric. After washing, make sure that the upholstery dries completely. Wet or damp upholstery may interfere and reduce the effectiveness of protection. Furthermore, if the upholstery does not dry completely, there is a good chance that it will develop mildew. When the upholstery is dry, spray a fabric protector all over the entire surface to protect from discoloration. You can find fabric protectors at most stores that sell cleaning supplies. Check the can or bottle to make sure that the fabric protector will not damage or discolor your furniture. Reapply the fabric protector at the start of every season to minimize upholstery damage. If you must leave the furniture outside, make sure the wind doesn't blow your cushions away. An easy way to keep your cushions in place is to strap them to the furniture with Velcro. Make sure your cushions are dry before placing them into non-plastic storage bags, to ensure no mildew builds up over time. Store your cushions in a cool, dry place such as the basement, away from humid areas.
A:
Remove fabric. Clean the upholstery. Rinse the upholstery. Let the upholstery dry. Apply a fabric protector. Ground your cushions. Store your cushions.