Men Not Immune From Trauma of Sexual Assault
By Hugh C. McBride
A number of studies have established a connection between sexual abuse and substance abuse. But though most research into this abuse-addiction connection has focused on women, the truth is that many men have also turned to alcohol or other drugs in the aftermath of sexual assault.
Men who have been sexually assaulted are at increased risk for a number of potentially devastating conditions and behaviors. According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), about 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape, and about 3 percent of men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes.
As reported by the Mental Health Association in New York State Inc., a strong association exists between substance abuse and sexual abuse among men:
In a study of male survivors sexually abused as children, more than 80 percent had a history of substance abuse, 50 percent had suicidal thoughts, 23 percent attempted suicide, and almost 70 percent received psychological treatment.
In a study of 100 adult patients with polytoxic drug abuse, 56 percent of the male drug abusers had been sexually abused prior to the age of 16.
From a sample of 100 male and female subjects receiving treatment for substance abuse, more than one-third had been diagnosed with some form of a dissociative disorder stemming from childhood sexual or physical abuse.
Shame & Confusion
During an online conference about male sexual abuse victims (the transcript of which is posted on the MaleSurvivor website), Richard Gartner, PhD, Director of the Sexual Abuse Program at the William Alanson White Institute, addressed the ways in which societal values and shame can force many men to attempt to either ignore their pain or deal with it in unhealthy ways:
Unfortunately, in our society … for men to acknowledge that they've been victimized to them is saying they aren't really "men." And this is a very unfortunate part of masculine socialization – how we learn to be men. They feel shamed by the idea that others will think they are not male, just because they've been abused. …
Alcohol, drugs, gambling, overeating, overspending, and sexual compulsion are all things that men may turn to when they need to sooth the tremendous pain they feel. Often when men come to me it is because they finally realized that they were killing themselves through such self-abuse.
The pervasive and damaging effects of shame among male survivors of sexual abuse were also explored in a 2006 study that was conducted at the University of Alberta (Canada). In a June 27, 2006 article on the Medical News Today website, study co-author Gerri Lasiuk noted that men struggle when attempting to seek treatment for mental health issues related to sexual abuse.
“We found that it's doubly difficult for males to come forward after they've been sexually abused, because many men have difficulty identifying and expressing their feelings,” Lasiuk said. “There is also a common perception that males should be strong and shouldn't ever admit vulnerability or ask for help.”
Lasiuk’s paper, which was published in the June 2006 edition of the journal Issues in Mental Health Nursing, explored the ways in which gender-related perceptions of vulnerability, weakness, and similar issues impacted the ability of abused men to get the help they need.
“Given the pervasive stereotype of men as strong, in control, and always able to defend themselves, even health professionals have a hard time recognizing men as victims, especially if their abuser was a woman,” Lasiuk said.
Getting Help
Unless they receive effective professional treatment, men who have been sexually assaulted either in childhood or as adults are at risk for a number of physical, emotional, and substance-abuse disorders. However, in recent years, as awareness of the prevalence and impact of sexual abuse upon boys and men has increased, so, too, have opportunities for them to be treated.
In the peaceful hills overlooking Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Life Healing Center offers comprehensive recovery services for men (and women) who have been impacted by the trauma of sexual abuse. From eating disorders to substance abuse to sex addiction, the many ramifications of sexual abuse are identified and addressed by the trained professionals who comprise the Life Healing Center’s treatment staff.
The devastation of sexual abuse and trauma is also addressed at Sierra Tucson, a residential recovery program that is located on a 160-acre campus in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. A dually licensed facility that provides treatment for men and women who are suffering from psychiatric issues as well as many types of addiction and chronic pain, Sierra Tucson describes itself as “a place where pain is met with compassion, fear is met with reassurance, and anger is met with understanding."
