Why is mental health support necessary after sexual abuse?
The psychological impact of sexual abuse is far-reaching. 80% of teenage girls who are sexually assaulted will develop a mental health disorder within several months of the trauma. This high statistic is evidence of the severity of the problem.
The Problem:
Sexual abuse can occur among people you know and trust and it is a breach of trust as well. A lack of understanding of the link between sexual abuse and mental health. Or perhaps the lack of understanding as to how to heal or the fear that a survivor may have in coming forward and this can contribute to so many people who experience this form of abuse not receiving the support they need in order to overcome this.
What You’ll Learn
- The Hidden Impact of Sexual Abuse on Mental Health
- Why Survivors Need Both Legal and Psychological Support
- Common Mental Health Disorders After Sexual Abuse
- How Legal Action Can Help Healing
The Hidden Impact of Sexual Abuse on Mental Health
Sexual abuse impacts people not just physically but on the emotional and psychological level as well.
Sexual trauma affects the way a person’s brain functions and responds to external stimuli. It overloads a person’s stress response causing lasting changes in the way emotions, memories, and relationships are processed. Which is why working with an organization like Kayla’s Survivors who is experienced in the mental health impacts of sexual abuse is important. Legal professionals who specialize in this practice understand that healing from sexual abuse involves treating the legal case and the psychological trauma that a survivor will carry with them.
The statistics are shocking. Over 433,000 cases of sexual assault occur every year in the United States alone. Each of those cases means someone who is experiencing some form of mental health consequence.
Here is another thing that may come as a shock to many:
The majority of survivors know their abuser. A significant number of the perpetrators are people who were known and trusted. This violation of trust causes even more damage and contributes to the psychological impact of abuse.
Why Survivors Need Both Legal and Psychological Support
Legal help is not just a means to an end but it is part of the overall healing process for survivors.
Getting legal support and guidance can help survivors regain some control over what happened. Many survivors state that filing a lawsuit or taking another form of legal action helps them regain a sense of power over their situation. This is why it is crucial to have experienced legal representation.
Legal action alone is not the solution and for complete healing to be a possibility it is essential for a survivor to receive comprehensive support.
Professional therapy, support groups, medical care for physical injuries, and legal representation that is trauma-informed.
For example, would you treat a broken leg with a bandage?
Sexual abuse creates complex wounds that will require more than one type of healing.
Common Mental Health Disorders After Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can lead to different mental disorders such as the ones listed below:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Depression and Anxiety
- Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse
- Relationship Difficulties
1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is a disorder that many survivors of sexual abuse experience. It can cause flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety. It is not uncommon for survivors to relive the trauma they have experienced time and time again.
90% of female survivors show symptoms of PTSD within two weeks after their assault. 3 months after the rape 30% of the survivors still experience PTSD.
2. Depression and Anxiety
Depression can manifest itself in a multitude of ways for each individual survivor. The same can be said for anxiety. Symptoms may vary from survivor to survivor. Some may feel numb and disconnected. Others may be unable to shake the overwhelming sense of sadness they experience. Simple tasks and daily activities can become exhausting to complete for some.
These are not just periods of sadness and should be treated as such. These are conditions that need to be addressed and treated.
3. Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse
Sexual abuse survivors are likely to resort to self-destructive coping mechanisms in an effort to either gain a sense of control over their bodies or to numb the pain. In some cases, these coping mechanisms manifest themselves as eating disorders. In other cases, abuse survivors can find themselves misusing drugs or alcohol.
Studies have shown that survivors are 26x more likely to develop severe substance abuse problems.
4. Relationship Difficulties
Sexual abuse damages a person’s ability to form healthy relationships. Survivors may struggle with trust, intimacy, withdrawal from friends and family, have difficulties in maintaining romantic relationships, experience sexual dysfunction, and the list goes on.
Isolation makes healing that much more difficult. Humans are social creatures that require connection in order to heal but when you have trauma in your life it makes connection feel dangerous.
How Legal Action Can Help Healing
Did you know that:
Pursuing legal action can support a survivor psychologically. It is not only about the compensation that a survivor will receive but also a process that can also be healing in and of itself. The legal process will allow survivors to have:
- A Voice: Many survivors feel as though they have been silenced and taking legal action will allow them to share their story and be heard.
- Validation: A court and settlement that validate the survivor’s experience.
- Safety: Sexual abuse cases can result in restraining orders and other measures that will help a survivor to feel safe in knowing that their abuser will not be a part of their life.
- Resources: Settlements and Judgements can provide survivors with the necessary funds that are required to pay for therapy, medical bills, and other forms of treatment.
The most important thing to note is that it is essential for legal professionals to understand trauma.
Not all legal professionals will. It is important for a survivor to find one who knows how to handle a sensitive case without re-traumatizing a survivor.
Getting the Right Support
The longer a person allows their trauma to go untreated the harder it is for them to heal.
Find a specialized sexual abuse lawyer who will take the time to explain the legal process and your options. Many lawyers offer free consultations for potential clients so that they can learn about the case and their legal rights with no pressure. This goes hand in hand with finding the right therapist.
Regular therapy is key when it comes to a survivors healing and psychological support in addition to legal advocacy can make all the difference.
Keep in mind:
Healing is not linear and not every day will be a good day. It is not at all uncommon for some days to be harder than others. The key is to just keep moving forward even on those difficult days.
The Bottom Line
Sexual abuse survivors are at a very high risk of developing some form of mental health disorder. The effects of trauma as a result of sexual abuse can be severe and long-lasting. It is however possible for a survivor to recover and to do so they will need both legal help and psychological treatment.
Legal help without psychological support will leave a gaping hole in a survivor’s healing. Therapy without legal support can also lead to a hole in the healing process.
Sexual abuse survivors deserve justice and healing.
Do not allow fear or shame to stand in your way. Reach out and get the support you need today.
Remember:
Every survivor’s journey is different. Some things will work for some survivors but not for others. It is important to find the combination of support that works for you and to stick with it.
You did not deserve what happened to you but you do deserve healing.
With the right support healing is possible.