Artist: Loretta Gonzalez, Heart ache
When we read about sexual abuse and assault incidents in the news, what is often missing is information about the long-term impact of those experiences, particularly trauma.
A new global study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four women and one in 10 men experienced sexual abuse as a child. It also found that high levels of sexual abuse compounded with low levels of support could cause long-term trauma and negative outcomes. Further, the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) reports that five out of 10 women experience a traumatic event in their lifetime and the most common trauma for women is sexual assault or child sexual abuse.
As a clinical social worker for 14 years, I have regularly witnessed the heaviness and darkness that girls and women who have been sexually molested, abused, and/or assaulted live with every day. While everyone's experience and response to trauma is different, depression, substance use, self-harm, and fear are common.
What I have observed is that at the core, a survivor may feel like their heart has been ripped out of their chest, leaving a gaping hole -- feeling empty inside. I also see people believe the lie that they are their abuse and internalize the negative things the perpetrator(s) said about them. They come to believe that they deserved to be treated with abuse, disrespect, and contempt. Or even believe that the abuse is love.
[For more of this story, written by Tanya Morshed, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...the-m_b_7641982.html]
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