Sexual Abuse in Women

As the primary victims of sexual abuse women tend to have a greater incidence of addiction problems related to this terrible crime. In fact, women have a 5 times greater chance than men to have been sexually abused as a child. An estimated 30 percent of the time, the abuser is a family member, 60 percent of the time it is a friend of the family and the other 10 percent it is a stranger. As children exposed to sexual abuse, women tend to develop emotional problems related to the abuse. These problems can plague women for the rest of their lives if left untreated. There is no doubt that sexual abuse is not only seriously harmful to physical health but it is also psychologically and emotionally destructive. Studies show that this abuse leaves permanent changes in the brain as the blood flow and function in a specific area of the brain changes. This area is called the cerebellar vermis, which is the part of the brain that is connected to emotional behavior. The effects of sexual abuse can result in serious and long-term emotional problems such as depression, self-destructive behavior, animal cruelty, crime in adulthood, suicide, eating disorders, problems with sexual relationships and substance abuse. In many cases, sexually abused women may turn to drugs to take away the pain or to mask the horrible feelings from their past – hoping they will go away. Most affected by the feelings associated with experiences of sexual abuse women are affected by this crime in similar ways as other forms of trauma.

Alcohol, cocaine and other drugs affect the cerebellar vermis powerfully. Since these drugs affect the same part of the brain as the effects of sexual abuse, the drugs offer a sort of therapeutic effect, at least in the short term. However the cerebellar vermis helps regulate dopamine and when this part of the brain is altered, the result can be serious emotional and behavioral dysfunction. The long term consequences of taking drugs to mask the emotional harm are devastating.

It is of utmost importance that sexually abused women seek help and treatment as soon as possible. In many cases women don’t discuss the abuse for fear of nobody believing them. These women keep this information to themselves for months and sometimes years causing their disorders to become progressively more dangerous. They may actually start believing that they somehow may have deserved the abuse or done something to provoke it, blaming themselves.

Counseling, psychotherapy and self-help groups, in a women-centered facility, like Destination Hope’s women’s program, can be very helpful and is a very important part of the healing process. As victims of sexual abuse women who also begin to abuse substances to cope must find a suitable dual-diagnosis treatment center that can treat both the addiction and the underlying psychological issues causing the addiction. Destination Hope is one of those specialized facilities that is ready and willing to help sexually abused women in need.

Please call us today at 1-866-808-7111. We are here to help you starting with a confidential phone call.