People experience abuse in lots of different ways, and everyone heals differently. If you’re concerned about a friend or loved one, or want support in your own healing journey, it can help to understand how childhood abuse might affect you in the present. You might know some of the symptoms already, but there are lots of possible after-effects from abuse. Some people don’t realise that the things they experienced were a type of abuse. If you recognise that you’ve experienced some of the symptoms we’ve discussed below, it might help to talk to a professional for support.

Here, the expert child abuse solicitors at Switalskis break down some of the less well-known symptoms that people may encounter following abuse. Often, recognising symptoms is the first step on the road to recovery. You can pursue treatment that can help you to feel better but, more than that, you may be able to pursue legal remedies against the people or institutions responsible. We’ll explain the symptoms and how they make you feel, then talk about what you can do to put things right.

Symptoms of trauma

Traumatic experiences can affect your life in many ways. The following list of symptoms doesn’t cover everything, and it’s always best to speak to a professional about the things you’re feeling. Whether you’re a survivor of abuse or not, there are treatment options available for many of the symptoms listed below.

If you think that anyone you know is struggling with symptoms like these, you should not assume that they have experienced abuse. However, you can recommend that they seek support.

• Sleeping patterns: survivors may experience insomnia or nightmares. Conversely, they might sleep excessively as an escape mechanism.
• Substance abuse: increased use of alcohol or drugs can be a coping mechanism for dealing with the trauma of abuse.
• Hyperarousal: this includes being easily startled, feeling constantly ‘on edge,’ or being excessively alert to surroundings. It’s also called hypervigilance and it’s a condition often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Difficulties with intimacy and trust: challenges in forming or maintaining close relationships due to fear of betrayal or further harm can be a sign of past abuse.
• Perfectionism: sometimes, people who have experienced abuse may exhibit very compliant behaviour, or strive for perfection. This kind of symptom may only be clear to a therapist or psychologist.
• Regression: this sometimes occurs in children, and means that they move backwards in their development.  It can include behaviours like bed-wetting, thumb-sucking, or baby-talk that they had previously outgrown.
• Avoidance: a person might avoid specific locations, situations, or people that remind them of the trauma. They may not be consciously aware that they are doing this. It can limit their social interactions and affect daily functioning.
• Unexplained physical symptoms: survivors may experience somatic symptoms like chronic pain, headaches, or stomach aches with no apparent medical cause. 
• Compulsive behaviours: engaging in repetitive behaviours - which can include obsessive cleaning or hand washing - is sometimes a mechanism to deal with anxiety stemming from trauma.
• Memory problems: difficulties in remembering certain time periods, events, or personal information can be associated with psychological trauma. In rare cases, this can include people replacing their memories with imagined events.

Again, experiencing these symptoms is not enough to diagnose PTSD or another trauma response by itself. Anyone who must deal with a combination of these symptoms, whether they have felt abuse or not, should seek professional treatment. This might mean taking medicine for physical symptoms, or different types of therapy that can help survivors come to terms with emotional pain.

Dealing with symptoms

It’s important for anyone who has experienced abuse to seek help and treatment for the after-effects. This is much easier said than done, but it’s important to know that support is available. Many of the symptoms listed above are manageable and may not affect your life too much. But, while it can seem easier to just accept them and move on, this holds some people back from starting the healing process. It also means that there is no opportunity for survivors to seek the justice they deserve.

In many cases, it’s possible to bring legal action in response to abuse even if it happened a long time ago. Survivors might be able to pursue a criminal conviction against the people who abused them or any institutions responsible. It may also be possible to secure compensation, which can make it easier to access any support they need. Compensation can represent an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and offer a sense of accountability, even in cases where there’s no possibility of criminal charges.

Every survivor’s journey is different. If you know someone who’s exhibiting these symptoms, it’s important to let them come to terms with their experiences and seek help in their own time. Offer them compassion and be patient. If they need to talk, it’s best to refer them to a professional rather than trying to handle these conversations yourself. There are lots of organisations in the UK that host hotlines where survivors can discuss their experiences with professionals. The child abuse compensation team at Switalskis has been trained to conduct these conversations sensitively and let people go at their own pace. We know how difficult it can be to report these experiences and start to come to terms with them.

If you’re ready to start the compensation process, or you just want to talk, speak to the solicitors at Switalskis today. Call us on 0800 138 0458 or fill out our online contact form .