An experience of sexual abuse It can cause serious physical, mental and emotional damage and, in many cases, these effects can remain for years in the lives of survivors of sexual abuse and even, if this trauma is not faced, it can affect several generations within a nucleus. familiar.
Breaking the silence, seeking help from trusted people and mental health professionals are key factors to start a healing process and be able to continue with a full and happy life.
The trauma of sexual abuse It can manifest itself in a different way in each of the survivors, It depends on the individual characteristics of the person who suffered the attack, the type of abuse and its severity, the time of exposure to it, the level of intimacy existing with the perpetrator, among other factors.
Additionally, the disclosure of abuse It also has a lot to do with its consequences. Since if the survivor feels that They listen to you, they believe you and you can count on support and accompaniment of people in his immediate environment will be able to move more easily towards healing than the one who is ignored, judged and accused of lying when he verbalizes what happened to him.
Find out below some of the physical, sexual and emotional consequences What a survivor of sexual abuse can suffer.
Psychological consequences in survivors of sexual abuse
Beyond the physical consequences, There are many and very severe behavioral or psychological consequences that occur in victims of sexual abuse.. These can take many years to heal and require the person’s willingness and commitment to face a healing process. Find out below some of the most frequent ones.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Irritability.
- Alterations in sleeping habits.
- Changes in eating habits.
- Nightmares / flashback.
- Guilty feeling.
- Low self-esteem.
- Feelings of badness, dirt and shame.
- Belief of being valued only as a sexual object.
- Intellectual deficit.
- Consumption of psychoactive substances.
In many cases the changes in the behaviors and conduct of the survivor of sexual abuse They become warning signs that make it easier for your family and friends to identify the experience they are going through in silence. Pay attention to the children and adolescents in your immediate environment and if you identify these signs, do not hesitate to start a dialogue with the minor, accompany them and provide support.
Physical consequences in survivors of sexual abuse
Between the physical trauma Most common in people who have suffered an experience of sexual abuse are:
- Injuries.
- Irritation in the genital area.
- Infections.
- Pain.
- Pruritus.
- Bleeding.
- Pregnancies.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections.
- Headache.
Despite the silence that many victims of sexual abuse maintain, the body always lets you know that things are not going well. If you identify these types of symptoms in a person in your immediate environment, do not hesitate to accompany them to seek the attention of a health professional.
Sexual consequences in survivors of sexual abuse
While not all experiences of sexual abuse involve physical violence, this traumatic event has several sexual repercussions on victims of abuse. Some of them are:
- Reluctance to talk about this experience.
- Confusion regarding sexual identity.
- Fear of stigmatization.
- Rejection of sexual relations.
- Low sexual desire.
- Increased vulnerability to abuse and exploitation.
Many times, abuse experienced in childhood or adolescence can leave lifelong consequences. In the same way that we must work to heal the physical and emotional wounds left by sexual abuse, we must seek help to overcome the sexual trauma that this type of aggression can generate. Having suffered a sexual assault does not mean giving up sexuality.
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Heal the wounds
Without a doubt one of the most painful experiences that a person can experience is sexual abuse and There are many ruptures that this trauma causes in those who suffer it.. In it # Movement We are aware of this and we are emphatic that, despite the pain, abuse does not define a person.
If you are or have been a victim of sexual abuse, we invite you to break the silence, heal your wounds and rewrite your life story.
We also invite you to access the tools and resources we provide on our website to empower children and adolescents and prevent sexual abuse. and