6 Signs You’ve Been Abused, NOT Your Fault

While many abuse survivors move towards healing their trauma to become whole and healthy individuals, others may have to endure lingering effects of these experiences throughout their life. Repressed memories of abuse trauma, especially when experienced early, may also cause detrimental symptoms to arise, even when the experiencer of these symptoms is unaware of the root cause.

Identification, awareness, external support, and a willingness to heal are the starting pillars to making a difference between moving forward and remaining stuck in negative coping patterns. If you’ve experienced abuse of any form, check-in with yourself to see if you can relate to any of the following signs of lingering effects due to your trauma.

DISCLAIMER: This is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. If you can relate to any of these signs, please know this feedback is not meant to discredit anyone. It is meant to be a self-improvement guide for those of you who have been feeling a little stuck. We advise you to always listen to your intuition and always do what is right for you

We also made a video on the Signs Of People Who Have Been Abused:

Writer: Cindy Nguyen
Script Editor: Rida Batool
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera (www.youtube.com/amandasilvera)
Animator: Grace Cárdenas Cano
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

References
Cuncic, Arlin. “What Is Dysregulation?” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 2 May 2021, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-dysregulation-5073868.

“Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect for Adult Survivors.” Child Family Community Australia, 21 Jan. 2014,
www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/effects-child-abuse-and-neglect-adult-survivors.

Gil, Teresa. The Long-Term Impact of Child Abuse: – Psychology Today. 8 Aug. 2018,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/breaking-the-silence/201808/the-long-term-impact-child-abuse.

Jones, Brandi. “Signs of Repressed Childhood Trauma in Adulthood.” Verywell Health,
www.verywellhealth.com/signs-of-repressed-childhood-trauma-in-adults-5211845.

Leonard Holmes, PhD. “Childhood Abuse and Neglect Actually Change Brain Structure.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 15 Nov. 2021,
www.verywellmind.com/childhood-abuse-changes-the-brain-2330401.

Loggins, Brittany. “Childhood Trauma in Adults: How to Recognize and Heal from It.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 23 Nov. 2021, www.verywellmind.com/signs-of-childhood-trauma-in-adults-5207979.

“Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and … – Child Welfare.” Child Welfare , Apr. 2019, www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/long_term_consequences.pdf.

“Safeguarding Adults: Types and Indicators of Abuse.” Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), 1 Dec. 2020, www.scie.org.uk/safeguarding/adults/introduction/types-and-indicators-of-abuse.

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Stressed Out? Give These Tips A Try!

Stress is a part of everyday life. You can’t escape stress, so what you must do is to learn how to deal with it. The way you deal with stress will affect how you feel and how you go through life. Here are some great ways to handle stress in your life.

Do little preparations today for tomorrow so that you can instantly reduce your stress when you wake. Each thing that you do during the course of a day increases your stress level, so doing something simple, like preparing your lunch for work a day in advance, will get you started on the right foot in the morning.

A great way to reduce stress is not to sweat the small stuff. You have probably heard that before many times, because it is true. People with high stress levels tend to get upset about trivial things more often than people with low stress levels. Sometimes it is best to step away from a situation and think about whether it is worth getting upset over.

Munch on a snack if you are feeling a little overwhelmed. Foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates work to stimulate the release of the feel good brain chemical, serotonin. The release of serotonin helps to induce calm. Some crackers, a bagel, or pretzels should do the trick.

If you find your muscles are tense from stress, an excellent choice for unwinding would be a professional massage. Stress can cause muscles to get tense and stay that way. A great massage can not only help you relax, but it also leaves you feeling less stressed.

One way to positively manage your stress is to lose some weight if you have a few pounds to lose. This could be beneficial to you because the boost in self esteem will motivate you to accomplish more in your life and hopefully eliminate all that causes your stress.

You should be sure to learn the difference between good stress and bad stress so that you are better able to deal with each of them. Good stress is short lived and not very strong and can be used to motivate you whereas bad stress feels as though it is unrelated to anything in particular.

Often times those who find themselves under a lot of stress are simply there because they put too much on their plates. A simple way to solve this is simply cut down on the concurrent activities and responsibilities. In this way you will slowly get back to a clear level headed state.

If you are looking to reduce your stress, a great way is to take a positive approach to your situation. We tend to feel the most stressed when we feel the most out of control. By taking an active role rather than a passive role in your situation, you will feel much more control over the situation, which in turn means less stress.

Taking a long, warm bath is a wonderful method for relieving tension and stress. A few drops of essential oils, or a fizzing bath bomb will make the experience all the more luxurious. Read a book or listen to soothing music. This soak is a wonderful way to shut off the mind for a little while, and to just rest while allowing the stress to dissolve away.

A great tip that can help you reduce stress is to make sure you give your brain enough time to unwind before you go to sleep. If your brain is still really active when you go to sleep, you’ll find yourself worrying about everything you’re supposed to do which will leave you feeling stressed.

Try to be as humble as possible when you are around the people that you love and your co-workers. The more arrogant you are, the more you will have to live up to the expectations that you create. This will lead to additional stress, which should be avoided in the first place.

One of the newer practices to reduce stress is using aroma therapy. There are hundreds of plant essences and essential oils that are known to have stress relieving qualities. A scent like lavender is known to produce a feeling of relaxation and calm while geranium will bring down stress levels. These scents can be used to reduce stress while working or while meditating.

Try to limit the amount of chatter or gossip that you participate in during the course of the day. When you are talking about other people, at times you may stress and get worked up about their problems. This is extra stress that you do not need to deal with.

When you wake up in the morning, eat a piece of fruit. Starting the day off with an apple or an orange can provide you with the extra energy that you need. This will give you confidence instead of uncertainty when you are faced with a challenge at school or on the job.

Doing the things that you love is going to reduce the amount of stress that you feel in your life. It may seem as if it is going to cost you a day at work to do the things that you love, but it will be worth it. You will better be able to focus on your job if you are not as stressed when you go back.

Fight stress and stressful situations with deep breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply through the nose at least ten times. Deep breathing can slow down an anxious accelerated heart rate, help relieve shortness of breath, calm jittery nerves and clear your head to help you prioritize your thoughts or ideas and that long need-to-do list.

Handling stress well is one of the best things you can do for your mental health. Use these techniques to better deal with stress and you’ll find you are able to do things you couldn’t before. Learning to deal with stress will help you relax but better than that, coping skills will improve the quality of your entire life.