Raisman, a two-time Olympic gymnast, has been open about her experience in therapy dealing with trauma related to the sexual abuse she endured from former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor Larry Nassar. "Some days I feel like I am moving forward and then the next day it feels like 3 steps back," the 26-year-old posted on Instagram back in February. "Sometimes when I feel like I am beginning to heal from one part of my trauma, another memory pops up." However, PTSD, she said, won't last forever.
Speaking out publicly prior to and during the Nassar trial had lasting affects, Raisman told POPSUGAR in a 2019 interview. "I think that going through such a hard time and speaking out publicly about something that was so tough to talk about and dealing with that part of it being so public — but also processing it privately — is really, really hard," she said. Going to therapy, though, helps with the trauma and anxiety she still feels.
It took Raisman time to pinpoint the right mental health professionals. As she told POPSUGAR in a separate interview that same year, "it's very hard to talk to someone about what you're going through, so it's important to find somebody that you really trust and somebody that also makes you feel safe and comfortable."