Many survivors of childhood trauma do not seek treatment until they are well into adulthood. Often, their presenting complaints may not directly reflect a childhood trauma, but rather the outcome of a lifelong psychological reaction to the trauma. For instance, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse may seek treatment as an adult for a variety of issues, such as depression, alcohol or drug abuse, or insomnia, which may appear unrelated to the abuse.

In this Discussion, you will analyze the long-term effects of childhood trauma on survivors’ mental and physical well-being.