How Jessica s Early Upbringing Impact Her Current Situation

605 Assignment 2: Quiz – Essay Question Two University of Southern California Francis Sizer Dr. Doni Whitsett November 13, 2014 Question 2: Jessica, a 24 year old, who grew up experiencing child sexual abuse now finds herself involved in an abusive relationship with her live-in boyfriend. She has been living with her current abusive situation for four years. She has tried to leave the situation before, but has returned to her boyfriend each time. She demonstrates a wide range of symptomology from hyper-vigilance to dissociation. She is at times tearful and agitated and at other times she is distant as if â€Å"in a dream.† A. How might Jessica’s early upbringing impact her current situation? Jessica’s early upbringing impacts†¦show more content†¦This style is also more likely to be the recipient of abuse. The fearful style also has an unlovable presentation of self and can show itself as either the perpetrator or recipient in partner violence. I believe that Jessica’s childhood directly impacted her inability to recognize her need to self-protect and understand that she does not â€Å"deserve† this type of behavior from her current boyfriend. She cannot recognize this because she feels she is undeserving, unlovable and â€Å"bad.† If Jessica had a secure attachment to her caregivers as a child, she would have the foundation for optimal mental health and resilience which is a protective factor against the development of trauma (Solomon Siegel, 2003). Using concepts of Fairbairn’s object relations theory, Jessica is attracted to the exciting object as indicated in the asynchronous materials on the virtual academic center. The ideal objects, Jessica’s parents, were supposed to nurture and care for her; they did not meet those needs. Jessica longs for acceptance and approval. In her internal world, Jessica experienced disappointments with her external objects. She created internal objects that compensated for the deficits of her parents. As a child, Jessica was in a state of helplessness and dependence to her parents (objects) and she needed to see them as good. As a result, in order to cope with the anxiety she feels, she split off the negative aspects and repressed them