Veterans of a Secret War

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Abstract
Data from a longitudinal study of women survivors of childhood sexual trauma documents the presence, over time, of the same symptoms that characterize posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans—reexperiencing, avoidance of reminders or psychic numbing, and arousal. Survivors, as well as veterans, had endured conditions of helpless terror and threats to body and life. In both cases, traumatic violence was the antecedent of PTSD, and tenacious symptoms were the result. The sexual abuse survivors differed from veterans in several ways. The women were generally abused by family members, they were far younger at the time of their trauma, and they experienced it alone rather than in a group. Their abuse typically lasted longer, it was more likely to have been repressed, and therapy was much delayed. Despite an average of three decades separating trauma from treatment, significant progress toward healing was documented during the 6-year period of this study.

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