The Mental Health Impact: Growing Beyond the Abuse

The effects of physical abuse on a survivor’s mental and emotional state can be difficult to navigate alone. Trauma, especially when intensified by the loss of trust or increased skepticism of authority figures–can alter brain chemistry in order to protect itself. Below is a list of mental health disorders that often stem from physical abuse, especially when abuse occurs during the developmental phases.

Anxiety and Depression
Just from experiencing the threat of physical abuse, survivors start to experience feelings of anxiety, also commonly known as paranoia. In extreme cases, survivors of physical abuse experience long-term anxiety disorders, panic attacks, or their anxiety can evolve into more serious disorders, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) or Hoarding Disorder.

Physical abuse survivors also experience lasting feelings of despair or hopelessness, resulting in a diagnosis of clinical depression. It’s important to note that referring to medical professionals is best practice–however, it’s not always possible for physical abuse victims to have access to proper healthcare. Thus, making well-developed self assessments until they can refer to a medical professional may be appropriate. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there are many resources who can help you or your loved one.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Physical abuse can also result in the development of PTSD, which is more emotionally-charged, and more common amongst those who’ve experienced or witnessed intense physical violence. PTSD is also predominant in veterans who’ve experienced combat. PTSD includes symptoms such as flashbacks caused by environmental triggers, nightmares, or dysregulated sleeping.

The Link Between Physical Abuse and Mental Health

At its core, physical abuse inflicts harm across boundaries, affecting its victims physically, emotionally, and mentally. The emotional fallout from such abuse can manifest in a myriad of ways, creating a turbulent environment full of distress, fear, and a pervasive sense of helplessness when you’re trying to navigate it alone. Victims often grapple with a profound loss of control over their lives, trapped in a cycle of apprehension and uncertainty, and the repercussions of enduring physical abuse echo throughout the corridors of mental health–fostering a space that can potentially breed debilitating disorders. 

The impact of physical violence reverberates beyond the immediate pain, leaving a deep wound on the mind. Neurobiological changes occur as the brain attempts to cope with and adapt beyond the traumatic experience, which explains how changed behavioral patterns or personality traits come to exist. These alterations in brain structure can perpetuate a cascade of mental health disorders, establishing a lasting connection between trauma endured in the past, and the continued pain caused by learned behaviors and through continued patterns. 

Chronic exposure to stress and trauma can remodel the brain entirely, disrupting neural pathways responsible for regulating emotions and processing fear. Your amygdala, your brain’s center for regulating emotions, can become hyperactive which amplifies certain emotional responses to perceived threats–and these perceived threats are directly influenced by who caused your trauma, and by the methods they employed. Conversely, your prefrontal cortex is crucial for rational thought and also plays a part in regulating your emotions–and under the pressure of chronic stress and trauma, your prefrontal cortex can actually start to exhibit diminished activity, which ultimately impedes your ability to manage truly distressing emotions.

The impacts of physical abuse on mental health are profound and complex. Trauma reshapes emotional responses, alters neurological pathways, and leads to mental health challenges. Understanding how trauma influences brain chemistry helps us support survivors, engage in honest discussions about well-being, and create pathways for healing.

Recommended Coping Strategies for Physical Abuse Survivors

Seeking Professional Assistance
For victims of physical abuse, seeking professional assistance can be a crucial step in the recovery process. A mental health expert can help guide trauma survivors in processing their trauma, in learning effective coping strategies that work for them, and in dealing with the lingering effects of resulting disorders from said trauma.

Practicing Self-Care
Self-care practices such as exercise, meditation, and time spent in nature, can all help boost survivors' overall moods and give them outlets to manage their stress, anxiety, and sadness. Additionally, self-care can foster a sense of well-being that helps to establish survivors with a sense of control in their lives.

Self-Advocating
This coping strategy takes continued practice and is often difficult for survivors to engage with immediately following an abusive situation. While it does take time and continued maintenance, establishing clear boundaries within healthy relationships, expressing your needs and preferences, and asking for assistance when it's needed are all great examples of how to advocate for yourself. Self-advocacy can aid survivors in regaining confidence in expressing themselves and empowering them to discover their own voice once more.

Building a Support System
Healing takes time, especially after an abusive situation. Connect with friends, family, and other encouraging people who care about your well-being to build a strong support network full of people who you can turn to when you need them. A robust support network can offer more practical forms of support, like child-care, job search assistance, housing support, etc., while you find ways to rewire your brain and practice self-regulation.

It is critical to stress how important it is for those of us who’ve endured physical violence to seek support and assistance. Speaking up and asking for help requires a great deal of bravery and so does being honest with yourself about your situation, but doing so is the only way to move towards recovery and a better future that you deserve. Please take a moment to practice self-care and look into these provided resources if you and someone you know may be involved in an abusive situation. No one should have to go through physical abuse alone, and seeking support and assistance is never something to be worried about or ashamed of.

Resources
A comprehensive list of the resources found in this blog post–in order of appearance.

• “Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD).” Cleveland Clinic.

• “Abuse & Trauma Resource Portal.” Find the Light Foundation.

• “Traumatic Stress: Effects on the Brain.” J. Douglas Bremner, MD. National Library of Medicine: National Center for Biotechnology Information.

• “Where to Seek Professional Mental Health Support.” Mental Health First Aid, National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

• “Trust, Safety, and Respect–The Importance of Boundaries.” Stanford University Student Affairs Office.