Common Responses to Childhood Sexual Abuse in Adult Survivors

While each individual’s experiences and reactions are unique, there are some common responses to child sexual abuse among survivors.

• Low self-esteem or self-hatred
• Depression: feelings of worthlessness
• Guilt, shame and blame: Many times survivors falsely take responsibility for the abuse. They may feel guilt or shame because they made no direct attempt to stop the abuse or because they experienced physical pleasure.
• Fear and anxiety
• PTSD
• Sleeping Problems or Disorders. 
• Lack of trust for anyone. Many were betrayed by people they were dependent upon (family, teachers etc.) who cared for them, who insisted they loved them even while abusing them; learning to trust can be extremely difficult under these circumstances.
• Flashbacks: Many survivors re-experience the sexual abuse as if it were occurring at that moment, usually accompanied by visual images of the abuse. These flashes of  images are often triggered by an event, action, or even a smell that is reminiscent of the sexual abuse of the abuser
• Disassociation: Many survivors go through a process where the mind distances itself from the experience because it is too much for the psyche to process at the time. This loss of connection with thoughts, memories, feelings, actions or sense of identity.
• Relationship issues and sexual intimacy issues

http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas11/Article_19.pdf

Much of this comes from a wonderful website I wanted to make you aware of.  It is called Rape Abuse and Incest National Network. This is the largest national anti-sexual violence organization     http://www.rainn.org/