ABSTRACT
The experience of being abused in whatever form and whether chronic or acute is essentially unique to each individual. Symptoms or features of abuse can be discerned in most people who have experienced abuse. This chapter seeks to highlight the experience of abuse and the factors which can influence its identification. Most forms of abuse are likely to have a significant psychological impact on the individual, in addition to the more direct features of any special type of abuse. Whilst the identification and prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in abused older adults has yet to be fully investigated, many case examples cited in the literature reflect some, if not all, of the features characteristic of the disorder. However, in circumstances where the trauma cannot be controlled, that is where repeated attempts to deal with aversive experiences do not lead to relief, three primary effects occur.
