Child abuse and anxiety

[lolobricada]

Happy New Year to all. I am new to the Forum and was wondering if anybody here thinks they have anxiety cause they were beaten as a child. I am convinced that my anxiety is related to this, but how to prove it. The stress of constantly not knowing when I was going to get hit as a kid I think was repressed and now it is coming out as anxiety. I know these things are so complicated, but was wondering if anyone has experienced anxiety and thinks it may be due to childhood trauma.

Thanks!! :)

[Ryobi]

I think a major cause of my mental illness is a result of being mis-treated as a child. I wasn't physically abused as much, as mentally.

For example, my step-mom often kept me in a room without food, all day, while my dad worked. Before my Dad came home, she would let me out, and we would have dinner. Even though, I was starving, I had trouble eating. I was scared. Food was/is kind of a big thing. She was always complaining to my Dad that she didn't have enough money for shopping. She must of expressed that anger by taking it out on me.

Anyway, I still can't eat in front of people. I always go through drive throughs. I tend not to eat for long periods, and then just Gorge(sp)-eating everything in sight.

I guess, another example is, if I want something, and I'm afraid of telling someone, particularly an authority figure, for fear they'll take it away. For example, when I was 4-5 years old there was a toy in a cereal box. I really wanted this toy, and her kid found out, had a fit, and told her mom. So step-mom emptied out the cereal into a bowl, took the toy out, and gave it to her daughter. I still remember that bowl today-big and silver- LOL.

As a result of experiences like this, I have a thing about not showing authority figures how much I want something, for fear they'll take it away. In general, I have a hard time working hard for anything, for fear, it will be taken away and will be all for nothing. It's happened so often...lol.

It sounds stupid, I mean, a toy in a cereal box, but when you're 4 or 5, and you are being hard wired for the rest of your life, things take on greater importance...

Oh well....

[mollydog]

Naw, I have it and my parents never abused me. I got the strap now and again from my dad if I or we (sibs) were bad but not abuse. One thing that I do agree on is trauma in general. Anything traumatic in your life can set it off. I actually had my first one driving from penna to NJ alone down the turnpike at night, this BAD feeling of what if came over me. I shrugged it off. I was about 19 or 20, I wasnt diagnosed until 30 years of age. And child abuse is trauma so yea, it could be. You should be able to bring a civil liability for it.....