“Killing oneself is not an act, but a process”

This blog will address the relationship between victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and what leads some to committing suicide.

The National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network defines Childhood Trauma as, “When a child feels intensely threatened by an event he or she is involved in or witnesses.” These events are classified under 12 categories that include: Bullying, Community Violence, Complex Trauma, Disasters, Early Childhood Trauma, Intimate Partner Violence, Medical Trauma, Physical Abuse, Refugee Trauma, Sexual Abuse, Terrorism and Violence, and Traumatic Grief. In this blogpost, I will be primarily focused on childhood emotional neglect and emotional abuse. Healthline.com explains that childhood emotional neglect, “Occurs when a child’s parent or parents fail to respond adequately to their child’s emotional needs.” In other words, emotional neglect is more unintentional when compared to emotional abuse. The U.S. government defines emotional (or psychological) abuse as, “A pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth.” Emotional abuse occurs across all races and socioeconomic statuses; it does not discriminate. A psychiatry and psychotherapy study from the Catholic University of Pelotas in Brazil evaluated 917 individuals, and found that 55 were diagnosed with PTSD. Their findings showed that, “The suicide risk prevalence in individuals with PTSD was 63.6%.” They also found that emotional neglect and emotional abuse scores tended to be higher in the suicide risk group. Some examples of emotional neglect and abuse are manipulation, constant criticism, threats, abandonment, etc. This does not go to say that these are the only childhood traumas that leave some with suicidal tendencies. A survey from Matthew K. Nock and Ronald C. Kessler published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that, “A history of sexual molestation, physical abuse, and neglect as a child were associated with high rates of suicide attempts (17.4% to 23.9%).” It is important to note that association/correlation does not equate to causation. As I mentioned on the home page, suicide is a process. Individuals who attempted or committed suicide often have multiple pressing factors in their lives at the time. In other words, PTSD is just one of the descending steps on their path of destruction. For some, this path begins in their childhood.

Disaster in the Mind

Sexual Assault

Sexual violence happens to men, men,women, and children all over the world. It also occurs in various settings. There are numerous testimonies from victims that were assaulted in the military, at school, and even at home. One example of sexual assault is rape. Once someone is raped, they often experience feelings of shame, guilt, anxiety, fear, distrust, paranoia, etc. These feelings are synonymous with those of PTSD. Overtime these feelings lessen in intensity. Ptsd.va.gov reports that “94/100 women experienced PTSD symptoms two weeks following the rape. After nine months, 30/100 still reported symptoms.” WCSAP.org says that those who attempt suicide more often show higher levels of PTSD when following a traumatic event, such as sexual victimization.

Suicide.org reports that Depression and PTSD are common among rape victims. When these conditions go unnoticed, they can lead to suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt. NSVRC.org found that “Over 1/3 of women rape survivors have contemplated suicide at some point after their assault and 13% had attempted suicide.” Another study from WCSAP.org showed that underage males who are abused by a same-sex perpetrator are five times more likely to attempt suicide than males who weren’t sexually victimized.

Through my research I found that most sexual assault victims do not end up committing suicide or considering it. The ones that do are the ones who were abused and then experienced intense depression and PTSD in the aftermath. It is our responsibility to keep watch over our loved ones to make sure their cares/struggles don’t go unnoticed.

Summary

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can take place after a number of events. This blog focused on the relation of PTSD to suicide after the experience of a war, childhood trauma, a natural disaster, and sexual assault. There is no cure for PTSD, but there are steps one can take to get better. Experiencing a traumatic event takes a toll on one’s mind psychologically. Furthermore, one will experience more than PTSD after a traumatic event. For example with sexual assault, victims reported experiencing PTSD and Depression. It is important to remind victims that they are not alone and that suicide is not the answer. There is always better ahead. Thank you for reading today. 🙂