In addition to PTSD medications and therapy, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) help can come in the form of community resources and PTSD support groups. Family members of those with PTSD may also benefit from these PTSD recovery resources.

Many people feel alone with their PTSD or other types of anxiety disorders, and part of PTSD recovery often includes understanding that many people are suffering in the same ways as you. Millions of people are living with posttraumatic stress disorder and many of them help each other every day. Feeling connected with a group of people who truly understand what it is to suffer from PTSD can be a powerful form of PTSD help.

Veterans have additional post-traumatic stress disorder help available through Veteran's Affairs (the VA) and other veteran groups. Veteran PTSD support groups can be particularly useful for those suffering from military-service-related PTSD, as veterans may feel like those who have not served do not truly understand what they are feeling. The National Center for PTSD, created by the VA, is another option for military personnel and civilians needing PTSD help.

In-Person PTSD Help

In-person PTSD help can be received from anyone in the life of a person suffering from PTSD. You may find it through:

• Friends and family
• Faith leaders and groups
• Community organizations
• Outpatient programs
• Veteran's Affairs medical centers – all offer PTSD treatment
• Veteran organizations (in the case of those having served in the military)

Formal PTSD recovery groups are also available. Some of these groups are dedicated to PTSD recovery and others focus on anxiety disorders in general. Find posttraumatic stress disorder support groups and help through:

• Anxiety Disorder Association of America (ADAA) offers self-help information online as well as information on PTSD support groups
• ADAA also offers information on finding a therapist for anxiety disorders
• National Center for PTSD provides further information on finding a PTSD recovery therapist
• Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) offers a program locator which allows searching for PTSD recovery treatment programs by state

PTSD Support Groups Online

In-person PTSD help may not be available everywhere and some people may not feel comfortable seeking in-person help; this is where online help comes in. PTSD recovery information and posttraumatic stress disorder support groups are plentiful online.

You can find online posttraumatic stress disorder help and support through:

• Anxiety Disorder Association of America offers online forums as well as self-help information: http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/self-help-publications
• PTSD Forums provide online PTSD peer support groups
• Daily Strength provides online PTSD peer support groups
• Mental Health of America provides online PTSD information for the general public and for veterans specifically
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides support and programs
• National Center for PTSD provides online PTSD information for the general public as well as veterans specifically

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The causes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not well known or understood. Posttraumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that occurs after being involved in a traumatic event involving harm, or threats of harm to the self or others. Even learning about an event has the possibility of causing PTSD in some people.

Prior to the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980, PTSD was not recognized, and those who exhibited the symptoms were considered to be having an exaggerated stress reaction (Is PTSD a Mental Illness? PTSD in the DSM-5). This reaction was attributed to a character flaw or personal weakness. We now know that character does not cause PTSD and there are physical, genetic and other causes of PTSD at work. 

While one could think of the trauma as the cause of PTSD, some people can undergo trauma and not develop posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder is initiated by trauma, but the causes of PTSD are related to the brain and risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder. (Even though the complete cause of PTSD is not known, PTSD help and effective PTSD treatments are available.)

The events most likely to cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are:¹

• Combat exposure (PTSD: A Big Problem for Military Soldiers in War Zones)
• Rape (PTSD In Rape And Abuse Victims)
• Childhood neglect and physical abuse (PTSD From Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Childhood Abuse)
• Sexual molestation
• Physical attack
• Being threatened with a weapon

However, any kind of event perceived as traumatic can trigger PTSD (Do I Have PTSD? PTSD Test).

Physical Causes of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Brain structures and brain chemicals have both been implicated in the causes of PTSD. Research shows that exposure to trauma can cause "fear conditioning" of the brain. Fear conditioning is where the person learns to predict traumas and the predicted traumas cause parts of the brain to activate. With posttraumatic stress disorder, fear conditioning causes the brain to anticipate danger where none exists, causing PTSD symptoms.²

Additionally, the parts of the brain that are designed to dampen this fear response seem less capable of doing so in those with PTSD. This may be caused by stress-induced atrophy of the brain structures in that area.

PTSD Causes: Risk Factors for PTSD

It's possible for two people to go through the same trauma and only one will develop PTSD, indicating that some people carry additional risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder. Genetics is thought to pass down some of the physiological vulnerability that leads to the causes of PTSD.

Personal characteristics are also known to increase the risk for PTSD. Characteristics that can contribute to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) causes include:

• Exposure to previous traumas, particularly as a child
• Childhood adversity
• Preexisting conditions like anxiety or depression
• Family history of anxiety or depressive disorders
• Gender (more women than men develop PTSD)

Some of the causes of PTSD are thought to be related to the type of trauma itself. Exposures that are more likely to cause PTSD are:

• More severe
• Longer in duration
• Closer to the individual

Some factors can predict a better outcome for PTSD (Does A PTSD Cure Exist?). These predictive factors include:

• Availability of social support
• Lack of avoidance or emotional numbing symptoms
• Lack of hyperarousal (also known as the fight-or-flight response) symptoms
• Lack of symptoms related to re-experiencing the trauma

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Lack of social skills reason why children get bullied. Researchers uncover three factors in a child's behavior that sets him/her up to be a victim of bullies.

Kids who get bullied and snubbed by peers may be more likely to have problems in other parts of their lives, past studies have shown. And now researchers have found at least three factors in a child's behavior that can lead to social rejection. (See: The Impact of Bullying)

The factors involve a child's inability to pick up on and respond to nonverbal cues from their pals.

In the United States, 10 to 13 percent of school-age kids experience some form of rejection by their peers. In addition to causing mental health problems, bullying and social isolation can increase the likelihood a child will get poor grades, drop out of school, or develop substance abuse problems, the researchers say.

"It really is an under-addressed public health issue," said lead researcher Clark McKown of the Rush Neurobehavioral Center in Chicago.

And the social skills children gain on the playground or elsewhere could show up later in life, according to Richard Lavoie, an expert in child social behavior who was not involved with the study. Unstructured playtime — that is, when children interact without the guidance of an authority figure — is when children experiment with the relationship styles they will have as adults, he said.

Underlying all of this: "The number one need of any human is to be liked by other humans," says Lavoie. "But our kids are like strangers in their own land." They don't understand the basic rules of operating in society and their mistakes are usually unintentional, he said.

Social Rejection

In two studies, McKown and colleagues had a total of 284 children, ages 4 to 16 years old, watch movie clips and look at photos before judging the emotions of the actors based on their facial expressions, tones of voice and body postures. Various social situations were also described and the children were questioned about appropriate responses.

The results were then compared to parent/teacher accounts of the participants' friendships and social behavior.

Kids who had social problems also had problems in at least one of three different areas of nonverbal communication: reading nonverbal cues, understanding their social meaning, and coming up with options for resolving social conflict.

A child, for example, simply may not notice a person's scowl of impatience or understand what a tapped foot means. Or she may have trouble reconciling the desires of a friend with her own. "It is important to try to pinpoint the area or areas in a child's deficits and then build those up," McKown explained.

Teaching Social Skills

When children have prolonged struggles with socializing, "a vicious cycle begins," Lavoie said. Shunned children have few opportunities to practice social skills, while popular kids are busy perfecting theirs. However, having just one or two friends can be enough to give a child the social practice he or she needs, he said.

Parents, teachers and other adults in a child's life can help, too. Instead of reacting with anger or embarrassment to a child who, say, asks Aunt Mindy if her new hairdo was a mistake, parents should teach social skills with the same tone they use for teaching long division or proper hygiene. If presented as a learning opportunity, rather than a punishment, children usually appreciate the lesson.

"Most kids are so desperate to have friends, they just jump on board," Lavoie said.

To teach social skills, Lavoie advises a five-step approach in his book "It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success" (Touchstone, 2006). The process works for children with or without learning disabilities and is best conducted immediately after a transgression has been made.

1. Ask the child what happened and listen without judgment.
2. Ask the child to identify their mistake. (Often children only know that someone got upset, but don't understand their own role in the outcome).
3. Help the child identify the cue they missed or mistake they made, by asking something like: "How would you feel if Emma was hogging the tire swing?" Instead of lecturing with the word "should," offer options the child "could" have taken in the moment, such as: "You could have asked Emma to join you or told her you would give her the swing after your turn."
4. Create an imaginary but similar scenario where the child can make the right choice. For example, you could say, "If you were playing with a shovel in the sandbox and Aiden wanted to use it, what would you do?"
5. Lastly, give the child "social homework" by asking him to practice this new skill, saying: "Now that you know the importance of sharing, I want to hear about something you share tomorrow."

The studies are detailed in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. They were funded by the Dean and Rosemarie Buntrock Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation.

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Is sex better when you're in love? And why casual sex can be attractive. Read also about sex in a long-term relationship

Is sex better when you're in love?

Some people prefer sex as part of a long-term relationship while others find familiarity a real passion killer. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall takes a closer look at casual and committed sex.

Casual sex

The term 'casual sex' implies there's no commitment to the other person. Although this doesn't necessarily mean there's no sense of responsibility or care, in a casual encounter you're more likely to focus on the here and now. You can enjoy the moment without much thought about what your partner thinks of you or what you think of them. Without the emotional complications of a relationship, you're free to concentrate on physical satisfaction.

Sex with a stranger - for many people, unfamiliarity is the key to casual sex. They find the mystery exciting and, if there's no chance of meeting again, inhibitions can be cast aside. It offers the chance take on a new identity and act out a secret fantasy with little fear of rejection.

Element of risk - danger is generally part of casual sex. There's a sense of being naughty, of tasting the forbidden fruit. Some people deliberately add to their sexual encounters by choosing public places or partners they feel should be off-limits.

Why casual sex can be attractive

Psychological reasons - some people pick up messages during childhood that casual sex is wrong (and therefore more exciting). Others have been left with a fear of intimacy by their experiences.

Physical reasons - when we take risks and feel fear, the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated. Breathing becomes faster, blood pressure rises and adrenalin is released. Our body enters a state of high alert. If you add sexual messages at this point, the body will respond faster.

Sex when you're in love

Italian scientists have discovered that the biochemical state of falling in love is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder. The yearning of couples to be together and learn about each other in intimate detail is overwhelming. They grab every opportunity to show affection and get as close as possible to one another.

During this period sex can be very exciting. There's still some of the mystery of casual sex and also some risk. The difference is that sex is more mutual when we've fallen in love. It's about giving and sharing ourselves physically and emotionally. As well as sexual satisfaction, we can expect to feel emotional fulfillment. Sex becomes the ultimate act of intimacy.

Sex in a long-term relationship

Those Italian scientists say the brain returns to normal after six to 18 months. It seems it's not physically possible to stay in that manic state of obsession with a partner for much longer than that. It's then that we either fall out of love or the relationship matures.

When a relationship matures, sex matures. You now have the advantage of knowing each other well. Fear of rejection is replaced with trust and security. This allows you to move into a stage of experimentation and mutual growth. You can take the time to fine-tune your skills as a lover.

So is sex better when you're in love?

Sex can be exciting whether or not you're in love, and at any stage of a relationship. I believe sex in a loving relationship offers an opportunity to grow together and become great lovers. It may not be possible to recapture the mystery of casual sex but there's a much higher chance of all-around fulfillment.

From casual sex to long-term love

• Casual sex: risk, mystery, urgency, and focus on physical satisfaction.
• Early love: mutual feelings, yearning, giving, affection and focus on physical satisfaction and emotional fulfillment.
• Long-term relationship: knowledge, trust, skill, experimentation and focus on deepening physical and emotional satisfaction.

Related Information:

• Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Why Practice Safer Sex?

What are the different kinds of touch when pleasing yourself? Discover new ways, taking your time, negative messages and sharing your discoveries.

Pleasing yourself

Although masturbation is often treated as taboo, it's entirely normal and extremely common. Sex and relationships counselor Suzie Hayman explains why it's vital you know how to satisfy yourself in order to make sex with a partner as fulfilling as possible.

Negative messages

As a baby or toddler, you probably explored your body to find out where you began and ended, and what felt good. This kind of experimentation usually evolves into masturbation, but children often receive a puzzling message from parents at this point. They are discouraged from touching themselves and hands are slapped away, which tends to leave a feeling that sexual exploration is a thoroughly bad thing.

It doesn't stop children doing it, but it may mean that boys masturbate hurriedly and furtively in order not to be caught out - which may lead to premature ejaculation in later life. Girls grow up feeling they should never admit to masturbating, let alone do so in front of a partner.

Lots of scare stories have grown up around sexual self-exploration over the centuries. People are told that it makes hair grow on your palms, makes "real" sex unsatisfying, and that it's only for the sad and desperate. None of these tales is true, but the overall result of the negative messages around the subject is that masturbation is seen as a sad activity for desperate people, which shouldn't be valued or discussed.

Different kinds of touch

Masturbation can be all the more satisfying if you vary the ways in which you touch yourself. Choose a time when you can be alone, relaxed and comfortable, and lie back and run your hands over your body. Try strokes, caresses, nips, pinches and gentle scratches.

No one is born knowing how their own body or anyone else's responds to sexual stimulation. You have to learn by trial and error. And since everyone's different, the only way of finding out how to please your partner is to learn from them. It's also common and normal for adults in happy relationships to feel like pleasing themselves at times.

Taking your time

Concentrate on areas that particularly excite you, but try not to stimulate only the most obvious bits. You're likely to bring yourself to orgasm by stimulating your penis or clitoris, but it will be more arousing, and your climax more satisfying, if you explore as much of your body as possible.

Try this

Masturbation can feel so much better if you introduce contrasting sensations. Try stroking yourself slowly with:

• hands covered in oil or cream
• a feather
• fake fur
• a silk scarf
• a body brush
• a sponge run under hot water, then under cold

Sharing your discoveries

When you've had a chance to explore your body and your responses alone, you could think about sharing your discoveries with your partner. Watching them pleasure themselves can be arousing, and it's also the best way to learn about what pleases each of you.

Mutual masturbation or body rubbing has a variety of advantages. It's safe, with no risk of pregnancy or infection. Non-penetrative sex also reduces the pressure to perform. Losing an erection or coming before your partner doesn't have to spell the end of love-making. All in all, brushing up your masturbation skills can add a lot to your sex life.

Related Information:

• Get to Know Your Body
• Sexual Exercises Women
• Sexual Exercises Men
• Fantasies

What is the G-spot, where is it and what to do with it? Learn about female ejaculation of feeling of the g-spot during intercourse

The G-spot

The G-spot has always been controversial - some women say it's essential for orgasms while others say it's non-existent. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall looks at how to find it, what to do with it - and why it doesn't matter if you haven't got one.

Where is it?

If you have one (and that's a big if), it's 2.5cm to 5cm (1in to 2in) inside the vagina on the front wall. You should be able to feel it with your finger. If you're not sexually aroused it may be no bigger than a pea; once you're aroused it increases to the size of a 2p piece.

It's actually more of a zone than a spot. If you want to explore and find out whether you have one, feel for an area that's rough, a bit like a walnut, rather than smooth and silky like the rest of the vaginal wall.

The what spot?

• Originally known as the Grafenberg Spot, the G-Spot was named after the gynecologist Ernst Grafenberg, who first described it in 1944.

• Practitioners of tantric sex have been talking about this 'sacred spot' for over 1,000 years.

What is it? For many women, it's a highly sensitive, highly erotic area that provides hours of pleasure. For others it's a knobbly bit that, when touched too much, creates an overwhelming sensation of needing a wee. And some women don't seem to have one at all.

What to do with it

Once you've established whether you've got one or not, you need to discover whether you have one that gives you pleasure or just feels a bit annoying. Stroking is usually the most enjoyable form of stimulation.

Sexual virtuosos recommend inserting the forefinger to about the second knuckle and making a 'come here' motion towards the front vaginal wall. You'll need to experiment with pressure and length of stroke to find out what feels best for you. It's important that you're sexually aroused first, and also worth noting that many women say sensitivity varies throughout the month.

During stimulation, the first sensation might be the need to go to the loo, possibly because the G-spot is on the front wall so your bladder is being pushed. You can check this out by making sure your bladder's empty first then seeing how it feels. The first couple of times it might be a bit odd, but many women say a little perseverance is more than worth it.

Feeling it during intercourse

Depending on the size and exact location of your G-spot, you may or may not be able to feel stimulation during intercourse. You're most likely to feel something if you have your pelvis raised.

Another popular position is to be on all fours or bending over from a standing position and allowing penetration from behind. You'll need to experiment.

Female ejaculation

Some women say they ejaculate when their G-spot is stimulated. A group of scientists examined some of this ejaculatory fluid and discovered prostatic enzymes, fueling the theory that the G-spot is the equivalent of the male prostate. However, another group of scientists examined the fluid and declared it to be urine. The research continues.

A final word on the subject

Remember, we're all unique. You may have a sensitive G-spot or you may not. If you want to explore, do it light-heartedly. Don't turn it into the Holy Grail; there are many, many ways to enjoy your sexuality, and the G-spot is just one of them.

Related Information:

• Difficulty Reaching Orgasm
• Sexual Exercises Women
• Oral Sex

Genital touching - men

Many men only touch their genitals to masturbate, scratch or urinate, and by doing so miss out on learning about different types of touch. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall has an exercise to help you explore further.

Preparation

• Try to allow at least 45 minutes for this exercise.
• Switch off the phone, lock your door and make sure you won't be disturbed.
• Make sure your room is warm and comfortable.
• You'll need a hand mirror. It might help to start with the massage.
• Get to know your body exercise first.

Know yourself

If this exercise makes you a bit self-conscious, remind yourself that the better you know your body, the better your sex life will be.

Getting sexually aroused isn't the aim of this exercise, although it may happen. You'll find the feelings will soon subside.

As you repeat these exercises, you'll become more receptive to a variety of touch and any over-sensitivity should decrease quickly.

Texture and temperature

Run your fingers over your penis and scrotum. Notice the different textures and the weight in your hand. Can you feel a change in temperature as you continue to touch?

Use a hand mirror and look at the underside of your penis and scrotum - it's a view you may not have seen before. See how it all fits together and explore the area between your scrotum and anus called the perineum. How does this feel?

Remember - the appearance of genitals varies greatly from man to man. The size and shape of the penis varies, as do the testicles. There's no 'normal' standard. You're unique.

Explore

If you press just above the base of your penis you can feel your pubic bone. Place your thumb here and one finger in front of your scrotum, just below the penis and above the testicles. Squeeze gently and you'll feel the tube that connects the testes to the urethra, near the base of the bladder (vas deferens).

Experiment

Try different types of touch on your penis. What differences do you notice along the shaft, the base, the ridge at the top, the head?

Be aware of which strokes and touches you enjoy most. Notice which areas of your penis and scrotum are more sensitive than others.

Related Information:

• Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men
• Pleasing Yourself
• Orgasms
• Learn to fantasize
• Bedroom Talk

Has your child been psychologically abused? It's important for your child to get treatment. In addition, there's help if you or your partner are psychologically abusing your child.

Therapy for Treatment of Psychological Abuse in Children

In order to help a child who is suffering from the psychological effects of child abuse, mental health therapy is a great place to start. A therapist will assist a child in dealing with the psychological effects of child abuse and later, hopefully, break the cycle of abuse.

It may be necessary to remove the child from the home to prevent further abuse.

Anyone who suspects child abuse should report the matter to Child Protective Services or the police. The goal of child protective agencies is to reunite families after the abuser has received help. The law requires health care workers, school employees, and child care professionals to report suspected child abuse.

Treatment for abusers may involve parenting classes and treatment for mental illness, alcohol, or drug abuse.

Help for Someone Who Psychologically Abuses a Child?

If you, or your partner, are abusing your child, seek help immediately. If your partner is the abuser, you should consider moving you and your child to a safe and supportive environment. If you and your partner are the abusers, to prevent further damaging psychological effects of child abuse, you might want to consider having your child stay with a family member or close friend while you get the help and support you need.

There are many support groups available, including Prevent Child Abuse America.

You can also contact your county mental health association, the local United Way or county social services for programs in your community.

Other resources include:

• Anger management classes
• Parenting classes
• Therapy and drug treatment or alcohol treatment (if necessary)

With treatment, many children and parents can be reunited as a family. The long-term outcome depends on the severity of abuse, how long the child was abused, the success of psychotherapy, and how well parenting classes worked.

How Can Psychological Abuse of a Child Be Prevented?

Community programs such as home visits by nurses and social workers can assist families to change behaviors or prevent the start of abuse in high-risk families.

School-based programs designed to improve parenting, communication and self-image are important in preventing future abuse and may lead to identifying abused children.

Parenting classes are very helpful. Newlywed adults without children should be encouraged to take such classes before each child is born. The dynamics in the home change with increasing numbers of children. (See also: Child Abuse Prevention. How to Stop Child Abuse)

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Effects on children who are victims of psychological abuse plus family conditions which may produce psychological abuse of children.

When a complex phenomenon like the psychological abuse of a child is examined, researchers generally agree it is usually impossible to establish a simple cause-and-effect relationship. So there is rarely a simple relationship between an act of violence and its consequences. This is even truer in cases of child psychological abuse, which is often associated with other forms of maltreatment. Yet researchers have observed the following effects of psychological abuse on children:

• Children who are victims of psychological abuse experience more emotional problems than children who are not victims of this type of maltreatment.
• Those who are victims of direct psychological abuse are more affected: more socially withdrawn, depressed, insecure, and much more likely to engage in behavior that puts their safety at risk.
• A large number of children who are psychologically abused or neglected have serious behavioral problems.
• A greater proportion of children who witness domestic violence are anxious and insecure than those who do not.

Conditions Producing Effects of Child Psychological Abuse

Children who are victims of psychological abuse live in families grappling with many problems:

• Families are struggling with substance abuse.
• Families are in a precarious economic situation: one or both parents are on welfare or employment insurance.
• Parents are separated or divorced.
• There are mental health problems in families.
• Families are socially isolated.
• Criminal activities are taking place.
• Physical health problems.
• Intellectual disability.
• Single-parent or blended families are over-represented, compared with the general population.

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Surprisingly, psychological or emotional abuse of a child can have more long-lasting negative psychiatric effects than either childhood physical abuse or childhood sexual abuse. Learn about the types and symptoms of psychological abuse.

Definition of Child Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse of a child is a pattern of intentional verbal or behavioral actions or lack of actions that convey to a child the message that he or she is worthless, flawed, unloved, unwanted, endangered, or only of value to meet someone else's needs. Withholding emotional support, isolation, or terrorizing a child are forms of psychological abuse. Domestic violence that is witnessed by a child is also considered a form of psychological abuse.

Types of Child Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse of a child is often divided into nine categories:

1.  Rejection: to reject a child, to push him away, to make him feel that he is useless or worthless, to undermine the value of his ideas or feelings, to refuse to help him.

2.  Scorn: to demean the child, to ridicule him, to humiliate him, to cause him to be ashamed, to criticize the child, to insult him.

3.  Terrorism: to threaten a child or someone who is dear to him with physical violence, abandonment or death, to threaten to destroy the child's possessions, to place him in chaotic or dangerous situations, to define strict and unreasonable expectations and to threaten him with punishment if he does not comply.

4.  Isolation: to physically or socially isolate a child, to limit his opportunities to socialize with others.

5.  Corruption or exploitation: to tolerate or encourage inappropriate or deviant behavior, to expose the child to antisocial role-models, to consider the child as a servant, to encourage him or coerce him to participate in sexual activities.

6.  The absence of emotional response: to show oneself as inattentive or indifferent towards the child, to ignore his emotional needs, to avoid visual contact, kisses or verbal communication with him, to never congratulate him.

Neglect: to ignore the health or educational needs of the child, to refuse or to neglect to apply the required treatment. (See: What is Child Neglect?)

7.  Exposure to domestic violence: to expose a child to violent words and acts between his parents.

The behavior of an emotionally abusive parent or caregiver does not support a child's healthy development and well-being-instead, it creates an environment of fear, hostility, or anxiety. A child is sensitive to the feeling, opinions, and actions of his or her parents.

8.  Showing a lack of regard for the child

This behavior often includes rejecting the child by:

• Not showing affection.
• Ignoring the child's presence and obvious needs.
• Ignoring the child when he or she is in need of comfort.
• Not calling the child by his or her name.

9.  Saying unkind things to the child

Emotionally abusive parents say things or convey feelings that can hurt a child deeply. Common examples include:

• Making the child feel unwanted, perhaps by stating or implying that life would be easier without the child. For example, a parent may tell a child, "I wish you were never born."
• Ridiculing or belittling the child, such as saying, "You are stupid."
• Threatening the child with harsh punishment or even death.
• Continuous verbal abuse.

Symptoms of Child Psychological Abuse

Symptoms of psychological abuse of a child may include:

• Difficulties in school
• Eating disorders, resulting in weight loss or poor weight gain
• Emotional issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety
• Rebellious behavior
• Sleep disorders
• Vague physical complaints

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