Abused in childhood and struggling to cope. Please help.

Question

Hello doctor,

I am on 100 mg Sertraline for my anxiety and depression. I was abused as a child, but nobody knows that. I am struggling to deal with this and I am losing control. I am hardly sleeping and I get very aggressive. I am contemplating hurting those people who abused me and I cannot stop thinking about it. I do not know what to do. Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

What do you think about your current medication? Is Sertraline helping you? If not, then you need to tell your treating doctor about it. Usually an antidepressant or anxiolytic medication begins to melt down anxiety and depression within two weeks and results are apparent within four weeks. If you are not getting any relief, then you need to change it. Secondly, it is very tragic that you had to suffer abuse while you were a child. It is quite common, but is rarely reported. A child is unable to understand the nature of the trauma and usually maintain silent about it. As he grows up and understands what really happened to him, the feelings of disgust, anger and shame surround him. But, when you were a child you could not do anything about it. You need to move on. I suggest you to visit a psychotherapist for a physical evaluation. It will help you work up the trauma you suffered.