Does "abuse" by another cause a person to have a psychiatric disorder? What is the diagnosis in this case?

Question

I'm writing about an individual who was oppressed, abused, ridiculed, and neglected during childhood to the point of not talking and hiding (even as a child of 2 or 3 hid in a closet to avoid the mother). This continued to some extent into teenage years. Many mistakes were made and opportunities lost even as an adult. The person is now able to join in conversations without the "tremendous" fear that was present in past years, joins in group activities, etc., but is still somewhat socially withdrawn. This person was "damaged" by another, but is this a psychiatric disorder? The person is very intelligent (IQ 150+) and has no problem conversing about common interests. One otherwise would not be aware of the problem just to observe from a distance. This is definitely not Asperger's. What is the diagnosis?

Answer 1

It is known that if a person continues in a depressed/abusive state, that the condition of depression can become biological, triggering chemical changes in the brain. Simply put, yes, a persons brain can be changed by a abusive negative environment, and if this treatment is done to a small child it can have life long effects. Alternatively, a person can be born with a chemical imbalance, and also can create an imbalance with the use of drugs/alcohol, or trigger a dormant genetic gene and thus be considered pre-dispositioned to a psychiatric disorder.
The diagnosis would be hard to determine not knowing the patients/family history. Is there a family history of biological psychiatric disorder's?
Lets pretend there is not a pre-disposioned mental disorder:
I would still have to know, what sort of abuse this person suffered. Was it physical, as well as mental abuse?
I can tell you, that this person would definatly be experiencing stressed induced physical calamities in some situations.
The diagnosis could be anywhere from Social Phobia's to Paranoid behaviors, Avoidant personality disorder, Antisocial personality disorder;
The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV-TR, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders, defines avoidant personality disorder as a "pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection
Is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked
Shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed
Is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations
Is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy
Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others
Is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing

I discuss early on in my blog my own experiences with Social Paranoia. Stop by and read if you have time.

Answer 2

Any form of abuse can be damaging to a person. Im not an expert jst sharing a thought. In some respects yes I think that it would contribute to a psychiatric disorder. You said it yourself that although he is very intelligent and has improved a lot, he will socially withdraw himself. Wouldnt have a clue what the diagnosis would be, but its sad that anyone has to experience any type of abuse.

Answer 3

This person probably has some kind of trust issue due to the abuse. It would be helpful if the person had some therapy to make her/him feel more comfortable in social situations.
This person need to learn more social skills which were missing at the time of the social withdrawning due to the abusiveness. A clinical psychologist or psychiatric would be able to tell you the diagnosis if there is one.

Answer 4

Yeah, it can.

The usual would be post-traumatic stress disorder, or some kind of anxiety disorder.

There's some disagreement about the diagnosis for long-term trauma/abuse victims, as "trauma" is usually a short-term event, like being in a war or raped. Abuse, like child abuse, might go on for years on end, so it's not a trauma like you'd normally think of one.

The term "complex PTSD" was suggested for abuse victims to acknowledge both the PTSD symptoms and the fact that the trauma was ongoing. It hasn't gained widespread acceptance.

Oh, and as far as intelligence--most mentally ill people are at least normal, if not above-average intelligence.

I'd say, check out anxiety and possibly personality disorders, but the usual diagnosis is something like PTSD.

Answer 5

Unfotunatley this person was brought up by monsters!If they are not getting treatment of some kind even if it is meeting with others who suffered the same fate,it would be helpful.many people who have been abused etc. may not show any outward behavioral or anti-social problems,but emotionally they most likley are,any body would who has been through what u describe they have experienced.The diagnosis is impossible to say without a professional meeting with them,which should be encouraged.in the meantime it is nice they have you to talk to.good luck to u and your friend.

Answer 6

I'm a very intense person and give all that I have in a relationship so the hurt is intense when I break up with a love. My first husband cheated on me, we had three children by then, I tried hard to make our relationship work for 16 years but yes it still hurt some when I found out he was marrying another women and I was already marrying my second husband. I think it was the fact that we had a family together and I was upset still that he hadn't tried harder to make our family work. My second husband is actually my first love, I had known him when I was 18 and we got married later in life, I was very hurt when I found out that he was living with another women after he abandoned my children and I but then I realized that he always abandoned family and friends, he doesn't allow himself to feel someone elses love so while it still hurts a bit I feel relief knowing that it wasn't for the lack of me trying and that gives me more peace of mind and heart.

Answer 7

To answer your first question, no. Many, many people experience abuse and do not develop psychiatric disorders. That doesn't mean that abuse doesn't contribute to some individuals' mental health problems-it can.

It doesn't really sound like the individual you describe has a diagnosable mental illness. Unless they are bothered by being somewhat socially distant or it causes them a lot of problems in functioning...

Answer 8

abuse that starts at such a young age can cause permanent damage to the psyche. sometimes when opportunities are lost in the development of a very young child, they cannot be regained as an adult. it's a developmental handicap, but not mental retardation. these handicaps often go hand-in-hand with emotional illnesses. this person may never be able to live independently as a result.

Answer 9

PTSD - Post Tramatic Strees Disorder.

Answer 10

The person does not have a mental illness based on what you've said. Many people have been through that as children and have problems even after becoming adults. It does require counseling/therapy, though. No pill is going to help that.