Study reveals brain connectivity changes in women with post-traumatic stress disorder after sexual assault

[IwantToRetire]

PTSD following sexual assault tends to be especially severe and may be accompanied by depression, suicidal thoughts and other emotional disorders. Although sexual violence is one of the most common forms of trauma affecting women, most PTSD research has focused on other types of traumatic events, such as war or natural disasters.
https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/en/news/clinic-idibaps-study-reveals-brain-connectivity-changes-in-women-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-after-sexual-assault

Interesting. I’m pretty sure that sexual assault must be the most common cause of ptsd because it affects tens of thousands of people, mostly women, every year.

I must admit I have only skim read, but what it made me realise is that there seems to have been some sort of gap in relation to women who have survived domestic violence.

Its often in the news that someone is suffering form PTSD, and I think over the years the idea that this is real is now more accepted.

But somehow when it is about women who have survived domestic violence, even those sympathetic and supportive, dont really talk about and support groups dont really provide services on the basis of PTSD.

And sad though I am that this happens, if it takes a report by medical professionals to make people think about the long term harm of DV, I hope it will make all those who sneer at the idea that women who have experienced male violence, think again.

If they wont believe women themselves, maybe they will believe the "exprts".

This is a related issue which I think is relevant here:

A disproportionate number of women prisoners have sustained a brain injury:
.
The prevalence of head injury is estimated to be as high as 55% in women in prison and might be a risk factor for violent offending, but evidence is equivocal.
Associations between significant head injury and persisting disability and violent crime in women in prison in Scotland, UK: a cross-sectional study - The Lancet Psychiatry

This article is more about the possible ongoing effects of the brain injuries on behaviour, re-offending etc., but the question that immediately sprang to my mind was : How did these women acquire their brain injuries? Isn't it very likely that the answer is in many if not most cases, male violence?

So both sexual and non-sexual violence may have long-lasting psychological effects on women.

How did these women acquire their brain injuries? Isn't it very likely that the answer is in many if not most cases, male violence?

Pretty sure I saw research about the high incidence of traumatic brain injuries in DV victims being circulated about a decade ago.

The long term consequences of DV aren't new information and this isn't the first piece of research. People don't care for the same reasons they don't care about other matters that affects women. Expert evidence or otherwise has little impact.

I went straight to thinking about the women in jail too.

As my mother would say: "Well duh" 🙄

I was trafficked when I was younger, into prostitution; it was ten years ago that I got out but every single day it's all as clear in my mind as it was as it happened. It never goes away. Just plays on a neverending loop in my brain.

Things that happened since then aren't anywhere near as clear. It doesn't leave me alone. I'm stuck at the age, mentally, that it happened.

This is the first thing I've ever read that explains any of this to me.

This book is by someone involved in PTSD research and treatments for decades.

It talks about what happens to the brain during traumatic experiences, why survivors experience triggers and reliving the trauma instead of integrating it into normal memory, and various therapies that have been successful in his patients, often using mind/body connections to help the mind heal through physical experiences.

www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

The author is very clear that domestic and sexual abuse is a big cause of PTSD and trauma in women.

I've actually been meaning to post about it for a while on FWR because although this book doesn't mention transgender identification specifically, I can see how the disassociation/body rejection some trauma survivors experience could lead to that.

A disproportionate number of women prisoners have sustained a brain injury:

I am fairly sure there has been a study on the number of women in prisons who have been victims of DV.

As I said earlier no one seems to want to say the 2 overlap.

Quote:

The charity Women in Prison report that 79% of the women who use their services have experienced domestic violence and/or sexual abuse.

Well done on getting out, @KittyRannaldini.

This random stranger on the internet is proud of you. It’s not easy to exit.

Bloody good for you.

Yes, me too.

Thanks for posting on this thread.

And if it does help you in any way that is good to hear.

I second the recommendation for The Body Keeps the Score. When I was in therapy, Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery also helped me immensely. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trauma-Recovery-Aftermath-Violence-Political-ebook/dp/B06XC5D4VT?ref_=ast_author_mpb

One point that is often overlooked is if one has abusers who get off on hurting women, there is no clear line between sexual violence and physical violence. The abuser gets off sexually by hurting women physically and sexual violence often involves physical torture. I understand why they want to separate them for statistical and planning purposes but real life is not so neat.

I was shocked when I came across this article that found that sex workers more likely than soldiers to have ptsd -

People with certain occupations are also at high risk of PTSD. A study of street-based sex workers in Sydney found nearly half would have met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis at some point during their lives, making this the highest occupational risk for PTSD in Australia.

Who’s more likely to have ptsd

I'm sorry you had to go through such terrible experiences, and that they stay with you although you have been making your own life for the past ten years, I admire your courage and wish you continued strength💐