Sexual-abuse-Signs and Facts

This page is about Sexual-abuse-signs and Facts.

You have made it this far because you believe that you have been sexually abused, possibly as a child, as I was.

The reason I am giving you the facts about sexual abuse and signs of abuse is because for some of you it might be new information. For some, it may be review.

In any case, for me, my Sexual-abuse felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped out my heart and left a black hole in which I spent years trying to fill with anything and everything (sound familiar?)

I hope the definition is helpful to you and it truly is important knowledge for you to move forward in recovery.

In common terms a child, who is basically forced or coerced by an adult or an older child, to perform a sexual act, against his or her will, or to watch a sexual act taking place, is sexually abused! That is a fact.

The child may even have enjoyed the act..but it still WASN'T THEIR FAULT!!

The adult could have been a friend of your family, a member of your family or a complete stranger. Many times, it is someone you know.

If the abuse was incest (a member of your family) and if the force was not physical, which is common, many people feel guilty because they did not do anything to stop the Sexual-abuse.

This is a COMMON feeling and can cause deep seeded guilt.

You must remember that YOU were the child and it was the ADULT'S responsibility to take care of YOU and not take advantage of you!

I don't care how many times I have to say it,

THE ABUSE WAS NOT YOUR FAULT!!! (you say it 10 times out loud)

Sexual abuse applies to you even when you are an adult and another adult abuses or assaults you sexually. If you were older when the abuse occurred, it could have been perpetrated by your boyfriend, your husband or your girlfriend. The signs can still be the same. It is still sexual abuse!

Now, the signs or the emotional reactions to Sexual-abuse are:

Many people feel depressed (sometimes suicidal), have eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia They might have sleep disturbances (can't sleep, sleep too much etc.) Possibly have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) , acquire venereal diseases like AIDS or gonorrhea, Display Self-abusive-behaviors
Have very little to no self esteem, Have nightmares, have sexual issues anger problems, and may even go on to sexually abuse others (as covered under sexual issues.)

You can also have memory loss which goes along with dissociation, and to the extreme, develop multiple personalities or Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), (Where different parts of yourself "split" apart in order for you to dissociate and participate in the abuse act. This condition is rare but possible, especially if you have large amounts of time in your life that is unaccounted for or frequent memory loss.

MPD definitely requires professional help. If you have significant amounts of memory loss or time you can't account for, you should definitely get in touch with a professional therapist, counselor or psychiatrist.

I have only mentioned a few..but the most common.

I hope you have explored the links to the other pages and peeked at the symptoms mentioned above. I know it can be pretty freaky if any or all of them apply to you. Try not to get too freaked, we can all relate to some of them.

I hope I have not scared you away from going any further and you are determined to trudge onward toward recovery (or dance forward..OK, I am being kind of syrupy and optomistic..I DO know that it can be extremely painful..(like a painful sore in your soul that has festered over time).

The good news is that I am still here with you by your side and I am not going anywhere except to the next page along with you.

Note: I will say many times that you should seek professional help.

The reason for this is: If you are sitting at your computer weighing 80lbs, thinking you are fat, crying, holding a knife to your wrist, I can not help you adequately over the internet!

I care way too much about you to let you stay in that state of mind!!

I also do not have that great of an ego to think I can help you physically from where I am!

I can encourage you to make the call for help and I will! You can also email me and I will do whatever I can to assist you in making that call for help!

Open the door and allow someone to care. It's your choice.

Now you know the facts and the signs of sexual abuse, especially with depression and low self esteem, I urge you to open the door and allow someone to care!

Onward to healing!








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