Surviving Childhood Abuse by Alberta Parish
August 10, 2008
Many adults that have experienced childhood abuse can sometimes lead normal lives, especially if they’ve learned how to cope with the traumas that accompany childhood abuse. However, there are those who still deal with the pain, humiliation, neglect, sexual abuse or physical abuse they’ve experienced as children. And these issues often manifest themselves in every facet of their adult lives, whether private, professional or social. Have you ever known someone who is always angry or withdrawn? Have you ever known someone who is afraid to commit? Have you ever known someone who has a fear of intimacy? Have you ever known someone who is verbally abusive? These are often signs of much bigger issues. Many times, it’s not about you. It is the about the turmoil, confusion, anger, regret, or unforgiveness that this individual carries around as his or her emotional baggage. It is about what this person’s been feeling on the inside for years.
Depending on the severity of psychological, sexual or physical abuse that a child experiences, some of these individuals may never lead normal lives as adults. Serial killers have even been created from the severity of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse they endured as children. It is a known fact that when you starve a child of tenderness, affection, and unconditional love for years and you hurl insults at him on a regular basis, as an adult he may be mentally withdrawn or verbally abusive with the people that care the most about him. He may even be a sociopath. Not all sociopaths are serial killers. Some sociopaths seem like normal people in public. However, if you hang out with a sociopath behind closed doors, you may see more than what you wanted to see. These people are often your coworkers, family members, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or your next-door neighborhood.
What is a sociopath? A sociopath has antisocial behaviorism, and displays no remorse in his/her antisocial behavior toward others. This individual lacks empathy for someone’s pain or loss. For example, if you had a close friend that slept with your husband and didn’t show an ounce of remorse for what he or she did, this person could be defined as a sociopath. If a family member sexually abused you as a child and is walking around today like nothing ever happened, this person could be defined as a sociopath.
A person who has experienced childhood abuse doesn’t always possess the will power to forgive and move on with their lives, which is why many of them seek the professional services of counselors, life coaches, or therapists. Any help is better than no help at all.