Kimberly Ulmer ENG/220 03/27/2017 Mark Polanzak, Instructor ADULTHOOD INTERUPPTED The Effects of Childhood Physical & Emotional Abuse on Adults Kimberly Ulmer ENG/220 03/27/2017 Mark Polanzak, Instructor

SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD If you didn't spank, hit or yell at your child, they became spoiled 1 Childhood abuse has lasting effects on adulthood 2 What stays with us longer, the physical abuse or the emotional abuse? 3 DADDY!!!! I WANT IT NOW !! Figure 2 1, We now know that childhood abuse has lasting effects on adulthood. 2. We have trust issues, not just with the people we meet , but our own family, our own husband. 3. Through research, case studies and my own personal experiences with physical and emotional abuse, I will examine the similarities and differences of each and which form of abuse stays with you longer.

ABUSE IS NOT LOVE What is Abuse? Per Merriam -Webster (2017), “The legal definition of abuse is improper, unfair, or excessive use; the infliction of physical or emotional injury; also: the crime of inflicting such injury.” 1 When you’re a child, you look to your parents to provide you with love, shelter, clothes, food, and a roof over your head. 2 Why do adults still suffer from childhood physical and emotional abuse? 3 Childhood emotional and physical abuse ,both, have adverse effects on your well- being as an adult. We have health issues, depression and anxiety. No child should be exposed to physical or emotional abuse. For children who were either emotionally or physically abused, or maltreated, we carry our hurt and pain with us, way past our childhood. There is a link between childhood physical abuse and the effect it has on you as an adult. More Woman then Men, will get 9 out of 13 health factors from childhood related abuse. Some of these are : arthritis, back problems, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD, cancer, stroke, bowel disease, and chronic fatigue syndrome . Per Afifi et al. (2016) Figure 3

SHE’S COME UNDONE Figure 4 Children who have been maltreated are at higher risk of having psychological and behavioral problems 1 Some of the health concerns do not show up until years later 2 Maternal childhood abuse can lead to their children having behavioral and emotional issues, usually the first born and usually male 3 Rijlaarsdam (2014) Some issues adults that survived childhood abuse end up getting are : depression, alcohol abuse, anxiety, and suicidal behavior. Physical and emotional abuse affects adults differently. From personal experience , I have been diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder and Depression at the age of 42. Women, more than men, seem to have mental and physical health issues from childhood abuse, with , emotional abuse, having more health-related problems later in life. This is something I can attest to, with the fact that my 16yr. old, who is our first born, was been diagnosed with high functioning ADHD and anger issues at the age of 6. Not only did my childhood maltreatment effect my adult life, as the study suggests, it affected my son and that this can continue onto the next generation.

Both Men & Women are Affected PAIN BY NUMBERS Both Men & Women are Affected Types of Abuse 48% Women 48% Men domesticshelters.org (2015) Psychological/ Emotional 64% Women : Called fat, ugly, stupid 63% Men : questioned/GPS Tracked domesticshelters.org (2015) Verbal 24% 1 in 4 Women 14% 1 in 7 Men The National Domestic Violence Hotline (2012) Physical 18 and older have been the victim of severe physical violence from 1994 to 2010. About 4 in 5 victims of violence were female, ages 18 to 34 (The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2012). Norman et al. (1-32, 2012), examined in their study, that non-sexual childhood abuse (physical and emotional) have lasting effects. All the research has one thing in common, though physical and emotional are with forms of abuse, it seems that emotional, also classified as psychological abuse has a more lasting effect on an adult's future health, both physically and mentally.

Figure 5 THE INVISABLE SCAR Getting over the pain of physical abuse seems easier than emotional pain. I remember when the physical punishments stopped. My husband dealt the physical abuse, it stopped when he was around 10-11 yrs. old. I was about the same age when the physical stopped, but the verbal and emotional abuse continued until I moved out of my parent's house at age 22. They felt that they can still treat me with disrespect and verbally insult and abuse me and I'm 42yrs. old. Finzi-Dotten & Harel (2014), "studies have not been unanimous in claiming that all past abuse leaves a specific impact on the victims’ adult life, they do all agree that being abused as a child has detrimental implications on adult life." *the similar health issues of physical and emotional abuse

ATTACHMENT DISORDERS Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 The bonding process that occurs between a child and caregiver When attachment is lacking, children lack the ability to form and maintain loving, intimate relationships Abuse that has been going on for years, some adults develop “Attachment Disorders” *Evergreen Consultants in Human Behavior (2013) Some develop “Fear-Avoidant Attachment Disorder” According to Flow Psychology (May 30, 2016) FEAR AVOIDMENT ATTACHMENT DISORDER, “Having ambivalent feelings when it comes to having relationships. They fear intimacy in relationships and keep away from opening up to their partners while lacking affection, but at the same time have a strong desire to be in relationships. They find it difficult to trust his or her partner but at the same time feel inadequate and does not deserve to be loved.” (para.3). Feeling this way does d a lot of damage to relationships and getting a better understanding and to know that not all this my fault, helps me see that there is hope of getting help and changing the way, I feel and think. And, in the process, stop it from continuing down to my children to pass to their children.

THIS IS NOT THE END A good support system, meds, and some therapy, could set you on the path to getting better and feeling better… By not addressing the problem, ignoring it and just living your day to day life, you are doing more harm to yourself and your family, mainly your children. All I wanted in life was to be happy, have a family and want nothing but the best and brightest future for my boys. I didn’t know that my abusive childhood would pass onto them and they possibly keep the cycle going. By getting treatment, counseling and maybe medication, and a little hope, I can get over my childhood issues and stop any maltreatment from happening and continuing with my boys.

REFERENCES http://preventchildabuse.org/figure 1 https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur/figure 2 https://www.google.com/imgres/.canstockphoto.com%2Fcanstock40929168.jpg/figure 3 racie O. Afifi, Harriet L. MacMillan, Michael Boyle, Kristine Cheung, Tamara Taillieu, Sarah Turner, and Jitender Sareen et al (2016, March). Child abuse and physical health in adulthood. Health Reports, 27(3), 10-18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1787152118/fulltextPDF/9717E8A854E844D2PQ/1?accountid=458 Abuse. (2017). In Merriam -Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abuse\ Evergreen Consultants in Human Behavior. (2013). Adult Attachment Disorder & Treatment. Retrieved from http://www.attachmenttherapy.com/adult.htm REFERENCES

REFERENCES Dhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com7K6Gi4DzmmY/TckVplSNAyI/AAAAAAAAATg/HGM_aTk24AE/s1 600/Sad+Anime+girl+crying ++1.jpg/figure 4 https://www.pinterest.com/1490614783738778figure 5, 6 7, 8 Domesticshelters.org. (2015). Psychological Aggression and Domestic Violence Leading facts and statistics on abuser’s use of verbal and emotional tactics in domestic violence. Retrieved from https://www.domesticshelters.org/domestic-violence- statistics/psychological-aggression-and-domestic-violence#.WLPRM1UrImk The National Domestic Violence Hotline. (2012). Get the Facts & Figures. Retrieved from http://www.thehotline.org/resources/statistics/ 

REFERENCES Winch, Ph.D., G. (2014). 5 Ways Emotional Pain Is Worse Than Physical Pain. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201407/5-ways-emotional- pain-is-worse-physical-pain Finzi-Dotten, R., & Harel, G. (2014, May). Parents’ Potential for Child Abuse: An Intergenerational P respective. Journal of Family Violence, 29(4), 397–408. doi: h ttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-014-9592-7 F low psychology (May 30, 2016). Fearful-Avoidant Attachment Disorder in Adults. Retrieved from http://flowpsychology.com