Mental Health & Sexual Abuse
Written by: Allison Van Kessel, Graduate Student, B.A. Practicum Student
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and any other sexual abuse can result in a number of mental health issues spanning across childhood, teenage years, and adulthood as well. Many survivors may struggle with not feeling like themselves, and may feel as if their body is not what they remember previous to the abuse (Good Therapy, 2019). Survivors have been known to develop mental illnesses due to the trauma they experienced such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, personality disorders, and/or dissociative disorders, as well as possible eating disorders (Good Therapy, 2019). This is not to say that every survivor of childhood sexual abuse is going to develop these issues, because that is not the case for everyone, as every individual survivor is unique and tells a different story. The reason it is important to educate survivors on this information is due to the fact that although not all survivors experience a mental illness or struggle, they are at a higher risk of developing such problems (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013).
Some common experiences for survivors may be shame, guilt, loss of autonomy, anxiety, fear, intense memories, loss of memory, personality disruptions and attachment issues among others (Good Therapy, 2019). You are never alone in feeling these things, and there are many other survivors at The Gatehouse who can speak to you about these feelings, and facilitators who are survivors themselves who can relate. You are not broken or weak just because you have developed mental health concerns after the abuse, and you are just coping in any way you know how to and that is okay.
Coping with sexual abuse can result in some addictions concerns as well, and it is important to understand as a survivor that this may be your body’s way of trying to find ways to cope, such as becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol due to their numbing effects (Good Therapy, 2019).
Some other ways that survivors of childhood sexual abuse can be affected is regarding their well-being, such as in the areas of trust, self-esteem, coping with stress, impulsivity, anger, dissociation and self-harm. These are all common reactions to trauma, and learning how to cope with these problems and live your life in a safe way is extremely important in the steps to healing and growing (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013). When it comes to self-esteem, it is important to remember that the abuse was not your fault, and that you can feel good about yourself after an abuse (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013). With anger, some grounding techniques such as clenching your fists, curling your toes or even just practicing deep breathing and mindfulness can help to calm your body before acting impulsively, and these grounding techniques can be applied to other mental illness concerns as well such as anxiety you may feel regarding the abuse. Lastly, there are also concerns that may arise regarding sexual relationships or intimate relationships, as trust issues are common after CSA (Hall & Hall, 2011). It can be difficult to believe that you are safe in another relationship if you trusted your perpetrator or if they were someone you loved, but again it is important to remember that you are not alone in these feelings and there is healing to be done when you are ready.
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse are at a higher risk of developing mental health concerns or other problems after the abuse, but that does not mean that as a survivor you will always develop one of these concerns. There are many grounding techniques and practices you can work through both at The Gatehouse or alone that will help to keep you safe and well while you work through your healing journey.
You are not alone. You are worthy. You can heal.
References
Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. (2013). Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Mental Health Issue. https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/childhood-sexual-abuse-a-mental-health-issue#how
Good Therapy. (2019). Sexual Assault/Abuse. Retreived from: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/sexual-abuse
Hall, M. and Hall, J. (2011). The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Counseling Implications. Retreived from: https://www.counseling.org/docs/disaster-and-trauma_sexual-abuse/long-term-effects-of-childhood-sexual-abuse.pdf?sfvrsn=2