Dr. Laura Riss discusses Adult Survivor of Child Abuse. 

Adult Survivor of Child Abuse

Child abuse is any form of emotional/verbal, physical, or sexual abuse perpetrated against a child.  Neglecting the child's emotional and physical needs is another form of child abuse.  Child abuse can be perpetrated by family members or take place outside of the family with stepfamilies, babysitters, friends of family, etc.

Child abuse can be a single abusive event or a continuous perpetration over an extended period of time.  Often, children are manipulated into silence by use of fear tactics and blame of the perpetrator.

Being an adult survivor means that you or someone you care about has endured the pain of child abuse and survived it.  All to often, the survival tactics used to cope with the abuse begin to interfere with creating a productive and satisfying adult life.

Some symptoms may include:

• relationship problems such as fighting, blaming, mistrusting, poor communication skills, and difficulty with intimacy

• low self-esteem, self-doubt, self-blame, shame

• sexual problems including sexual inhibition or promiscuity, flashbacks to abusive experiences during sexual contact, pain or numbing during intimacy

• symptoms of trauma including feelings of fear, panic, agitation, anxiety, nightmares, feelings of being disconnected from body

• physical ailments including stomachaches, eating disorders, skin disorders, headaches and phobias

• social alienation including feeling different from others, not accepted, stigmatized

• difficulty with feelings including trouble in recognizing, managing, and appropriately expressing feelings

Can these symptoms be overcome?

Yes, it is possible for survivors to recover.  The recovery process can take time and can be difficult.  Resolution of an abusive childhood involves deep self-exploration and sometimes painful recollection of past events and people.  However, with the support of a therapist, a survivor can develop new ways of coping and heal from the past.

Other FAQs and Explanations

General FAQ

Symptoms FAQ

Eating Disorders

Coming Out: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual (GLB) Concerns