Impact of Sexual Assault
Link Between Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders
Women who are victims of childhood abuse, especially sexual abuse, are at high risk for developing an eating disorder due to an underlying negative body image.
It has, surprisingly, taken a long time to recognize the association between sexual abuse and eating disorders; when a sample of patients with eating disorders were asked if they had a history of abuse, 80% said yes.
A negative self-image often leads to avoiding relationships and intimacy. The victim’s belief is that someone else may hate them as much as they hate themselves.
Abusive experiences, especially physical and sexual abuse, are major stressors and predisposing factors for the development of mental (psychopathological) illness, including eating disorders.
Eating and mealtimes can be associated with family nurturing. However, if a child is fed then abused, or mealtimes are a time of conflict and abuse, the child learns to associate mealtimes and eating with these negative thoughts of stress and abuse.
Food has lost its primary function of nourishment and is instead used for the regulation of feelings and emotions such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger.
Fluctuations in body weight seem to follow sexually significant life events. This is especially significant in victims of rape and termination of a sexual relationship. The suggestion is that sexually traumatized persons may resist body weight due to the fear surrounding the sexually traumatic events that took place at that weight.
Source: Schwartz, M. and Cohn, L (eds.). Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders . Taylor & Francis, Incorporated.1996
Suggestions for treatment include:
- Form nurturing friendships. Mature love grows out of solid friendship.
- Learn to mourn. The eating disorder becomes the central organizer of your life. Find new ways to describe all feelings, especially sadness.
- Model flexibility and happiness. Take life a little less seriously. Enjoy a good laugh with a friend!
- Sexuality evolves over the life cycle. Even with early difficulties, love has the capacity to transform self.
Start a personal journal or learn to verbalize or symbolize the feelings, especially during an intense feeling state.
- Take advantage of experiential therapies such as relaxation exercises, dance, or massage to increase body awareness and acceptance.
- Above all else, maintain a sense of hopefulness . Although sexuality has been a painful area in the past, it need not be so for a lifetime.
Source: Schwartz, M. and Cohn, L (eds.). Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders . Taylor & Francis, Incorporated.1996
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