'That broken adult was once an abused child': Tasmanian woman wants complex trauma in the spotlight

Tasmanian woman *Lucinda understands this all too well.

When she was nine-years-old she was sexually assaulted by a woman.

Lucinda is now 52, and while she still works through the impacts of her same-gender abuse and the resulting complex trauma, the healing process only began three years ago.

She now understands that many adults live with complex post traumatic stress.

"Trauma changes the way your brain works, we need a lot of healing," Lucinda said.

"When you see an adult who is broken, you need to remember that they were that child who was abused.

"We grow up, displaying issues from the abuse, that might be seen as moral or personal problems, and people see them and say 'they need to get their sh*t together'," she said.

"But one of the biggest things that isn't recognised or understood is the effect of the trauma on the body, and the effect on brain development."

Lucinda said she disassociated from her bad experiences for more than 40 years.

"I raised my children. I think I was almost in survival mode for a long time. It was almost acceptance that it was just a normal part of childhood - you don't know what you don't know when you are nine, ten, eleven.

Lucinda said broken adults, or the "warriors" as she likes to call them, may struggle with addictions, family violence, or other difficult issues in their lives.

"A lot of this can be pin-pointed back to childhood abuse," she said.

"But it is possible to recover from it, and learn to live with it. I will always have triggers, but I have strategies that help me to get through it.

"It is about acknowledging the child inside that has been broken and hurt, and letting them know that obviously what happened wasn't okay, and that it wasn't their fault."

Lucinda is now a lived-experience advocate and board member for the Blue Knot Foundation which advocates for the needs of survivors with complex trauma, including repeated experiences of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Blue Knot Foundation president Cathy Kezelman AM said the foundation empowers adults to recover and build resilience from complex trauma.

"It can be very challenging for survivors of complex trauma to prioritise themselves or find what it is that can support them to feel calm and safe," she said.

Lucinda is also working with the new National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, which has identified seven key challenges that need to be overcome in order to protect children and better support adult victims and survivors.

The Draft Five Year Strategy of the centre hopes to transform responses to child sexual abuse.

This includes better understanding of the affects of abuse across the life course and into adulthood and improving support for children and adults who disclose their abuse.

It also recognises that abuse will not stop unless the power dynamics that allow it to happen are addressed.

National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse chair Joe Tucci said abuse causes enormous trauma to children and adults.

"Without protection and early support, the impact of child sexual abuse can cause a range of emotional, psychological and life challenges for adults across their lives", he said.

"Adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse need understanding and compassion in order to start their process of healing. We need to break through the secrecy, stigma and shame that still surrounds child sexual abuse and make it easier for children, young people and adults to share their experiences and receive the support they need, when they need it and wherever they are."

Ultimately Lucinda said she wants to raise awareness of the impacts of abuse on adults, and of the Blue Knot Foundation.

She recommends Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing therapy as a good way to heal.

"It readjusts the way your brain thinks and acknowledges the memories, to reduce the impact of them."

She also wants to raise awareness of female perpetrated abuse.

"It is more common than people realise," she said.

*Lucinda is not her real name.

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