Difficulty regulating emotions. Difficulty regulating emotions is one maladaptive coping strategy. Ways in which an individual may have difficulty regulating their emotions would be if they choose not to accept their emotions, if they have difficulty controlling their emotions during emotional distress, and if they are unable to use their emotions as information. According to one study, the reason that sexually abused individuals may struggle with emotion regulation is because “abuse disrupts the development of emotion regulation mechanisms” (Ullman, Peter-Hagene & Relyea, 2014, p. 76). Just like many of the other maladaptive coping strategies, difficulty regulating emotion has also been linked to PTSD (Ullman et al., 2014). Dissociation. “Dissociation is a mechanism that allows the mind to separate or compartmentalize certain memories or thoughts from normal …show more content…
Self-blame is an especially prevalent characteristic of women who have been sexually abused. They may feel like the abuse was their fault because they were not careful enough or because they were being too reckless. Like many of the other emotional effects, blaming oneself for the abuse is also known to lead to PTSD. The younger the woman was when the abuse occurred and the number of times a woman was abused can also play a role in the feelings she may have (Talbot et al., 2004; Ullman et al., 2014). Along with self-blame comes shame. “Shame is a highly aversive, debilitating affective experience associated with a profound negative evaluation of the self, which propels a desire to hide and disappear, impedes active coping, and is difficult to modulate” (Talbot, Talbot & Tu, 2004, p. 445). Shame is often the driving force behind self-blame. Because victims feel ashamed of what has happened to them, they begin to blame themselves. Talbot, Talbot, and Tu discussed how especially among women who experienced sexual abuse at a young age, there was a link between shame and dissociation