Sexual Abuse as a Root Cause for Dependency

Beyond the physical side of chemical dependency, there often lies psychological and emotional reasons that we become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Sexual abuse, with devastating effects on the psyche, emotions and body, can create deep layers of emotional and psychological pain that leads to dependency.

Sexual Abuse as a Root Cause for Dependency

Chemical dependency often becomes an escape from the severe trauma that sexual abuse causes. Additionally, some victims of sexual abuse may have been coerced into addictive alcohol or drug use at a young age by their attackers. In fact, one research study showed that roughly 50 percent of men and nearly two-thirds of women receiving drug treatment in the United States have reported past sexual or physical abuse. Another 2000 national study showed that young people who have been sexually assaulted double their chances of becoming drug or alcohol dependent.

The link between dependency and sexual abuse has been well-documented over the years. Among teenage victims of sexual abuse, research shows the first instance of drug or alcohol use occurs within the first year of the assault. In fact, nearly 54 percent of sexually abused teens tasted alcohol for the first time within a year of an attack, and 48 percent tried marijuana for the first time during that period. Sadly, over 63 percent of teen victims of sexual abuse studied tried harder drugs for the first time within one year of being sexually assaulted. Rape survivors in a 2002 study were nearly 3 1/2 times more likely to use marijuana, six times more likely to use cocaine and 10 times more likely to use harder drugs than their peers.

Self Medicating as a Coping Mechanism for Sexual Abuse Survivors

Sometimes, the devastation sexual abuse causes can lead to emotions and psychological symptoms that can feel unbearable. Survivors can also attempt to self-medicate as a means of regaining a sense of control, seeking temporary reprieve from continually traumatic aftermath, or stuffing feelings of guilt or self-hate. In fact, teenage girls who have been sexually abused tend to use more substances at earlier ages than their peers in order to self-medicate emotional and psychological pain, according to a 1997 study.

Nearly one-third of rape victims experiences the harrowing effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with daily nightmares, flashbacks, and panic attacks. This can lead survivors to numb the pain their feeling emotionally, psychologically or for physical injuries with drugs or alcohol. Emotional and psychological reasons for drug and alcohol use can quickly lead to dependency, as addictive substances begin to alter the body. Sometimes, the abuse experience itself can cause changes within the brain, affecting emotional behavior and neurotransmitter activity, stemming from trauma. Some sexual abuse survivors may be unconsciously self-medicating in order to combat the effects of unresolved trauma within the brain.

Related posts:

1. How Rape and Sexual Assault Affect Survivors
2. Betrayal as a Root Cause of Dependency
3. Strategies for Surviving Sexual Abuse
4. Stages of Healing From Sexual Abuse and Rape
5. Grief as an Emotional Root Cause to Dependency
6. Rejection as a Root of Dependency
7. The Prevalence of Physical Abuse in America
8. Unearthing Dependency Roots Via Hypnotherapy
9. Low Self Esteem as a Root Cause for Dependency
10. The Effectiveness of EMDR in Healing Trauma
11. Shame as a Root Cause for Chemical Dependency
12. The Relationship Between PTSD and Dependency
13. Common Myths About Rape
14. Dependency as an Attempt at Emotional Balance
15. Obscuring Emotional Pain With Dependency
16. Does Genetics Cause Dependency
17. Why Physical Abuse Can Lead to Dependency
18. Common Reactions to Physical Abuse
19. Alcohol Dependency in Seniors
20. Depression and Alcohol Dependency