Guilt and Shame Resulting from Sexual Abuse (angelfire.com)
Sexual abuse can be a very traumatic and painful experience. Shame and guilt are emotions that most commonly result from any form of sexual abuse. Loss of self respect, low self-esteem, intense sense of betrayal, powerlessness, rage and anger at self and abuser, depression and sadness are some of the other emotions that overwhelm victims and survivors of sexual abuse. Some or most of these emotions plague the survivors at different stages in their lives and recovery process. I am a survivor of adolescent sexual abuse and have experienced some or all of these emotions during the immediate aftermath of the abuse as well as on the long journey to heal. This article mainly focuses on my experiences in coping with the guilt, shame and betrayal of trust that I felt in the aftermath of the abuse.