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  • Essay / Child Abuse as a Reason for Childhood Mental Illness

    As a new parent, I am more concerned about myself and others than ever. Everything I say and do, I think about how it will affect others – positively and negatively. There is a difference between tough love and bullying. Many people don't even realize that they are saying or doing harmful things. With children, you have to be very attentive because they do not yet know how to control their emotions. Some parents don't even realize if they are emotionally abusive until it is too late. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayOne of the main reasons for childhood mental illness is child abuse. Child abuse is defined as an act committed by a caregiver intended to intentionally harm the child. These acts include physical, sexual, emotional and verbal abuse. Children who grow up in poverty tend to have poor socialization skills, inadequate family support, parental mental illness or substance abuse and these children are vulnerable to abuse. Personally, I had a little bit of everything sprinkled everywhere throughout my childhood. In my case, this was not done by my parents, for the most part, not intentionally anyway. My father was not in the picture and my mother struggled with PTSD and depression that had haunted her since childhood. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, and with 2 siblings and a few to share everything with. When I was very young, I watched my older brother, who is autistic and has organic brain syndrome, be physically abused by my sister's father, which made me live in fear wondering if I would be the next. Fortunately, this was not the case, but there were many other instances where I witnessed or experienced similar abuse. Growing up, I resented my mother and acted out because I felt she was neglecting me. I was in a state of anxiety. I had little to no socialization skills. This leads me to forgive friends who have hurt me, something I still struggle with today. I feel like this mainly comes from my lack of attention due to my disabled brother. Obviously, because he has organic brain syndrome and is autistic, he needed a lot more attention and guidance than I did. I perceived his treatment of me as neglectful because my brother demanded so much of his attention and as a child I did not understand that he needed it more than I did. What child would understand that? I don't want to say that my mother neglected me, because I know she did her best. But because my brother was high maintenance, she spent more time with him than with my sister and me. I went through a rebellious stage where I blamed all my problems on her and did everything I could to defy her. Because of all this unintentional neglect, I had become so detached from her and everyone else, making it difficult for me to manage my emotions and properly connect with someone, in friendships and of romance. As I grew older and saw more and more abusive situations, I began to develop some of the common negative mental side effects. Early childhood abuse and trauma come with a range of mental side effects such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and various addictions. Many studies have shown that high levels of stress associated with child abuse can cause damage to the hippocampus, which..