Q: I am in my 20s and have always had problems with anxiety, depression,
low self-esteem and eating disorders. I feel like I experienced sexual
abuse at such an early age that I have no memory of it. Sometimes I wonder
though if I'm just trying to find one specific reason for all of my issues
and sexual abuse seems to make sense but maybe I'm just crazy.
Here is a list of factors about myself that are concerning to me...
-bed-wetting until about 10 years old
-I was an only child and was very distant and quiet
-earliest memories of masturbating to sexual fantasies around 3 or 4
-I would frequently get caught masturbating by family members as a child
and was subsequently scolded and/or whipped
-I have memories of acting out graphic sexual fantasies with a friend around age 7
-I have a memory of being caught masturbating during nap-time at preschool at age 4
-I have memories of sexual fantasies played out by familiar cartoon characters
-compulsive binge-eating began in early childhood around age 4
-hair-pulling/trichotilomania began around age 7
-frequent vaginal yeast infections in early childhood
-earliest memories of suicidal ideation around age 7
-When I first started have sex at age 15 I experienced a great deal of vaginal pain
which continued for years until I became more comfortable with sex and my long-term
boyfriend which leads me to believe it was probably psychogenic
Even if I was sexually abused but don't remember it, should I even bother trying to remember or delve into this further? Would this make everything worse or be the key to unlocking the solution to my problems and allow me to move forward? And if it happened and I never do remember, am I doomed to suffer PTSD-like symptoms forever or can you treat those symptoms without addressing the possible root cause?