Life after child sex abuse

Life after child sex abuse

In this post, we are going to discuss the treatment options for children who've suffered from child sex abuse.

What sort of therapy is needed for a child who suffers from this? Can a child who suffers it go back to having a normal life?

There are two main goals in sexual abuse treatment – dealing with the effects of sexual abuse, and decreasing risk for future sexual abuse. The treatment plan should explain to the child and the family about what is sexual abuse and its possible causes. It largely caters to reducing the effects of CSA for the child and the family.

Methods that psychologists usually use are individual counselling, group therapy, and family therapy. The child need not undergo all forms of therapy. They are modified according to the needs of the child.

According to researchers, the factors that seem to affect the amount of harm done to the victim include

the age of the child;the duration of the abuse,frequency, and intrusiveness of the abuse;the degree of force used;and the relationship of the abuser to the child.

A child's understanding of the abuse, and timing of disclosure affects the short- and long-term effects. When a child has a trusted adult he/she can confide in and the child's account of abuse is believed, the child experiences less trauma. Also immediacy of the disclosure lessens the trauma for the child. Family support, additional support from non-family members, peers, counselling, child's self-esteem and spirituality have also shown to be beneficial for the victims in their recovery from abuse.

Dealing with the emotional effect of sexual abuse is an important component of the treatment. As stated earlier, children tend to have feelings of guilt due to the abuse and resolution of these feelings; are detrimental to help the child learn to live a normal life. Victims have reported that reading about child sexual abuse, attending workshops on sexual abuse and undergoing counselling have helped them cope with the abuse.

We should not forget the family of the abused child; they also need help to deal with the after effects of the abuse. They require counselling and other support services to have a strong sense of functioning which in turn helps the child's recovery from abuse.

What are the ramifications – physical, psychological or otherwise? 

The child can suffer from psychological and behavioural problems from mild to intense; short-term effects to harmful long-term effects or, those that carry into adulthood. These problems broadly include depression, anxiety, guilt, fear, sexual dysfunction, withdrawal, acting out behaviours, identity confusion, loss of self-esteem and other serious emotional problems. It can also lead to disharmony in relationships in future.

Depending on the circumstance and the child's developmental stage at which the abuse occurs, effects include reverting to earlier developmental behaviour (thumb-sucking, bedwetting), sleep disturbances, eating disorders, behaviour and/or performance problems at school, and disinterest in school and social activities. Some children even report little or no psychological distress from the abuse, which could be due to fear/anxiety or guilt about the abuse or using denial of their emotions and feelings as a coping mechanism.

Severe effects have been reported in cases where perpetrators have been family members or abuse has been extensive and brutal. Depending on the severity of the incident, victims of sexual abuse may also develop fear and anxiety regarding the opposite sex or sexual issues and may display inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Research shows that severe and long term effects of CSA could result in psychiatric disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Sexual Dysfunction disorders. Personality disorders, eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders and behaviours, and anti-social or criminal behaviours also tend to be major effects of CSA.

Children exposed to exhibitionism, pornographic material or sexual intercourse tend to get addicted to substance abuse, pornography and sexually deviant behaviour. Research has shown that many child sexual abuse victims in adulthood tend to become sexual offenders or perpetrators themselves or become victims of rape or involved in abusive relationships. Female child victims in adulthood tend to get into relationships where their partner is abusive. In adulthood, CSA victims have shown problems in establishing and maintaining boundaries in relationships and issues of trust in their relationships. It's true that CSA leads to problems, but they can often be overcome with proper

Also read: 

Is it a safe way to lose weight post pregnancy?

Kim Kardashian's Atkins diet: Is it a safe way to lose weight post pregnancy?
by Nirmalya Dutta
My inches.

Yummy mummy Kim Kardashian has brought the Atkins diet back in the spotlight after revealing she lost about 25 pounds (11.33 kg) of post pregnancy weight thanks to the new Atkins Diet plan. The reality TV star has been eating her vegetables especially broccoli and spinach and is also gorging on lean proteins like chicken and fish and taking in healthy fats from avocado and nuts and even enjoying her fruits.

She tweeted to her followers, 'I've actually been doing the Atkins diet & luv it (sic)'. There was of course some controversy whether she was paid for the endorsement. Colette Heimowitz, the vice president of nutrition for Atkins Nutritionals told the Times, 'Very bright. Very compliant… She was a real pleasure. It was part of her motivation to show people she's capable of getting back to where she was [weight-wise],' Heimowitz told The Times. 'She wanted to show the world she can do it that was her motivation.' (Read: Post-pregnancy health tips by celeb food writer and chef Anjum Anand)

According to reports Heimowitz, a typical breakfast would be an omelette or Greek yoghurt with berries and almonds. Snacks would consist of an ounce (28g) or two of nuts or fresh veggies with a healthy dip. 'Lunch and dinner were similar,' Heimowitz said. 'Lots of vegetables, all sorts of color and varieties, because there's fibre in there to fill you up. And an olive oil dressing.' She also had poultry or fish. 'Our goal was to pace her weight loss,' Heimowitz said.

She was on 1800-2000 calories a day and she made sure to have 50-60 grams of carbs each day. Heimowitz stressed. 'It's a balanced and effective way to lose weight.' The Atkins Diet has come under attack from those who say it puts a dangerous emphasis on meat and fat, but Heimowitz said that is a debunked myth that discourages people from trying a solution that could help them lose the weight for good. 

What is the Atkins diet? Is it for you?

Popularised by Dr Robert Atkins, the Atkins diet is arguably the most popular weight loss diet of all time. It recommends low carbohydrate and high protein intake. It comprises of four phases – Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance, all with a carefully controlled level of carbohydrate intake. Fat and protein foods like meat, cheese and egg are recommended while carbs like pasta, bread and sugar are restricted in Atkins Diet. According to nutritionists Dr Richa Shrivastava, the diet is bad because of the abstinence of carbs. She said, 'Carbohydrates are needed by the body to regulate protein and fat and to maintain adequate functioning of the brain. Lack of carbohydrate put the body in a state of ketosis (accumulation of excessive amounts of ketone bodies in body tissues and fluids due to incomplete metabolism of fat). Much of the weight loss while following this diet comes from fluid loss which puts additional load on the kidney. (Read: Post pregnancy weight loss)

Dietician Neha Chandna adds, 'The side-effect of this diet is, it recommends more than 30% fat intake which is above the recommended allowance and can lead to extreme ketosis which can cause damage to the organs in the long run.'  Also we have to keep in mind the fact that WHO recommends that a mother breastfeed her baby for the first two years. You need a good mix of all healthy nutrients including carbs. Closer home, our own desi yummy mummy Karishma Kapoor had made the case for carbs for a new mother. She wrote in her book My Yummy Mummy Guide, 'Everything has carbs—rice, bread, biscuits, cakes, sugar, dry fruit, crackers, low-fat munchies, jams, pickles, potatoes, lentils, pasta . . . There is no point in giving up carbs, because carbs give us energy. They are lighter on the kidneys than proteins. Good non-fatty sources of carbs are vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain breads, and lentils. If you want to have white rice and pasta, have small bowlfuls rather than giving them up altogether.'

So while the diet may have worked for Kim Kardashian and helped her lose weight, we'd recommend our readers to stick to a regular healthy diet and exercise to lose weight because this period is vital both for the new mum and her baby's development. (Read: 17 post pregnancy diet myths busted by Yummy Mummy Karisma Kapoor)

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