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Each year, millions of young people are being abused by an adult family member or family friend. Abuse—whether it is physical, verbal or sexual—leaves plenty of scars on a young person’s life. In fact, it could have a tremendous negative impact on their adulthood and health history. Let’s examine further the effects of child abuse on an adult’s mental and physical health.
The Impact on Adult Relationships
The scars of child abuse could stay with an adult for a long time. For instance, it could affect their ability to maintain normal, functional relationships. Many adults who have been abused are unable to maintain a successful romantic relationship. Research shows that the lifetime onset of psychiatric disorders is attributed to these adverse childhood experiences. People are likely to develop mental health disorders such as anxiety and borderline personality disorder inhibiting their relationships. This inability to maintain relationships could lead to significant consequences for abuse survivors.
Health Issues Related to Child Abuse
Another aspect of their life that is affected is their health conditions. A National Institutes of Health study shows that a variety of somatic symptoms are common in abuse victims. There are many symptoms that are significantly related to women with a history of childhood physical or sexual abuse. For example:
- Nightmares
- Back pain
- Eating binges
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Severe headaches
In addition, women who have experienced these traumatic events are also likely to develop reproductive health problems such as pain in the pelvic or genital area and vaginal discharge. The study even shared that the collection of these somatic symptoms experienced could sometimes develop into specific diagnoses such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. That means a myriad of potential health problems is associated with child abuse survivors.
Trust Issues with Other People
Attachment disruption is another behavioral problem among people who have had a traumatic childhood. As human beings, it’s natural for us to feel securely attached to someone we can trust. We are emotional beings who want to feel safe and secure, especially in times of distress. A secure attachment to someone affects your confidence and ability to engage with the world around you.
When someone does something extremely hurtful to you like abuse, that secure attachment you once experienced with them has now withered away. This attachment is compromised, causing you to start exhibiting trust issues. This is especially damaging when the abusers are your parents, people you are supposed to put your trust in. As a result, you start to develop feelings of paranoia because of your past childhood trauma.
Where Abuse Survivors Can Get Help
If you’re an adult who has experienced any sort of childhood abuse, you can be assured that you are not alone. You can’t change what happened to you in the past; however, you can find help in dealing with it. Finding some sort of healing from this past trauma could be difficult. Many abuse survivors find it extremely hard to recount these memories. But therapeutic care has helped many survivors to recover from childhood trauma and improve their social skills.
For an abuse survivor to be successful in therapeutic care, they must find a therapist they can trust. This therapist must help the person feel safe, supportive and heard. The abuse survivor has to be able to confide in his therapist like they are a caring friend. Otherwise, they will continue to hold their issues in and never seek help from a trusted professional.
Meanwhile, another good source of therapy for most people is the Bible. Many people have found comfort and counsel from the holy scriptures. It contains plenty of inspiring verses to help them cope with abuse. One that comes to mind is the scripture found at Psalms 34:18, where they learn of the reassurance that God is near to those who have experienced this pain.
Millions of adults have experienced abuse as children in the hands of a family member or family friend. If you are one of those adults, you should seek help immediately. You should also encourage others who have experienced abuse to seek help as well. By doing this, you will be doing the right thing in saving your life.
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