Dissociative Disorders Among High Class Prostitutes - Research Paper Example

 DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS AMONG HIGH CLASS PROSTITUTES Commercial sex work has been a highly and stigmatized subject that has risen eyebrows both in the field of psychology and the public in general. Even though the subject is mostly reflected to the individuals that are mostly involved in this behavior, the term ‘sex worker’ most encompasses any individual that is involved in a sexual unequivocal behavior. All through the history, high class prostitutes, or rather sex workers have been referred using different names, for instance, prostitutes, hookers, whores, escorts, exotic dancers, pornographic stars and strippers. Most of these labels are judgment burdened, which replicates the propensity for an individual in this line of business to be surpassed by the circumstance in which the person exists. Its very captivating, that although there is much focus in public on what sex workers do, very little is discussed concerning how the fell into that profession and where the profession still exists. In a study carried out to investigate on the women that are involved in prostitution, it expressed out that a higher percentage of people have a desire to quit from this profession. In most of the studies that were carried concerning the sex industry, most of those involved responded negatively concerning the profession. Instead, they identified other fields that they preferred over the sex work. This is an indication that besides the profession being singled out and stigmatized, most of those that are involved have shown dissatisfaction in this kind of life and they have a desire to turn over a new life. This still leads into a dilemma, why would a person choose to indulge herself into such an activity, and the reason as to why they stay in this industry in spite of desiring to turn over a new leaf. This study shall explore on the etiology of individuals into commercial sex work and the factors that compel them into getting involved into this kind of life1. Moreover, the study also detailed into exploring on the pervasiveness of the both childhood and the adult trauma in this kind of life, and the outcome that is linked with such an experience. Numerous studies give an indication that most of individuals associated with commercial sex work, suffer from high levels of trauma in relation to the entire population. For example, in some instances, in some countries most of high public prostitutes have complained being involved in some form of sexual abuse at their teen age, most probably 16 years. The rate of prevalence to sexual abuse differs from one country to the other, and this depends on the attitude of people towards the commercial sex workers2. This study, however, will not very much get into detail on the reasons that lead individuals into leading such kind of life, but it would rather discuss on some motivations into such kind of life. In most circumstances, trauma changes the behavior of a person, that is, his/her beliefs about his or her life, about others and the world at large. Such beliefs or rather perceptions makes one view his/her self as being unwanted, unsafe and being voiceless in the society. Such are the circumstances or conditions that may lead one to get involved in sex work. For instance if a person get involved into a maladaptive schema at a tender age, he/she will get engage into commercial sex. Once a person gets into this business, the next probable thing is indulging into drugs. This destroys the conscience thus the person does not feel any guilt being associated with that kind of life. Drugs later, leads the person being in the society and therefore the individual will never experience any freedom as he/she is at the verge of causing chaos in the society. The reason behind an individual being involved into sex work and though having a desire of absconding from this life, he or she does not succeed, is due to the fact that, most of them lacks physical and psychological protection once they shun off from it. As copy (2009) assert their close correlation between mental instability and high class prostitutes. She claims that the latter occurs when an individual is at the verge of trying to regain his/her normal way of living. The researcher also claims that the coping strategies employed by an individual at the event of the traumatic incidences, such as the dissociation or indulgence into drugs are also essential tips for high class prostitutes. Individuals who are able to employ such tips into commercial sex business, or rather when involved into any violent act in due course of offering the service to their clients, have a potential of lessening an immediate effect that such an incidence may impact on them3. Even though, as mentioned that there is a connection between mental instability and high class prostitutes, this does not single out that this can lead one into acquiring a label of being a high class prostitute. It should be accentuated that most of the people engaged into commercial sex work have not experienced any trauma from their childhood or adult life. Some researches carried out have also reported that others enjoy this kind of life and they do not have a desire to quit. This is an indication that each an every person within the bracket of sex worker, has a reason why she is involved in this profession. The reasons are diverse. According to this study, there is likelihood that the effect of trauma and traumatic sypmtomatology has a great influence on the high class prostitutes. Basing out argument on this ground, it is very essential to consider Trauma and the effect of oppression on the high class prostitutes both on a social and clinic level. The degree of traumatic incidences for female sex workers cannot be predetermined the stage at which it appears to be more prevalent, whether it’s during the childhood or adulthood. The past and the present mistreatment of the female sex workers coupled together with the physical and psychological pain present in day to day lives of many people puts the prostitutes into a high probability of suffering from trauma-related psychopathologies. In order to have an in-depth analyses, there is a need to be aware of some of the specific symptoms and behaviors associated with the trauma related disorders, substance use and depression. As confirmed by, American Psychiatric Association (2000), Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD), is a treatment that is administered to a person as a result of a traumatic incidence in which the person experience or rather witnessed a terrifying event, For instance death or injury to a person4. Such an event is prone to a person distorting his or her functioning, both physically and psychologically, that is, physiological arousal, re-experiencing of the event via flashbacks, disturbing thoughts or rather dreams and also aversion of stimuli that are linked with the situation. PTSD tends to lower quality of one’s life due to a heightened amount of fear and unease experienced on day after day basis. Moreover, frequent avoidant behaviors restrain what a person is capable of doing, or cause involvement in negative coping strategies such as substance abuse. Incidences of PSTD amid the high class prostitutes seem to range from one person to the other. Most probably most of female sex workers diagnosed of PSTD also suffer from chronic form of disorder. Even though in most cases, the high class prostitutes are reported to have suffered from PSTD, the number is not as high as those suffering from traumatic incidences5. It’s noteworthy to indicate that, it is not everyone suffering from traumatic incidence will develop PSTD. Some risk factors can lead an individual into developing PTSD. For instance, the longer an individual is engaged into this profession the more prevalent the person might be to PSTD. Moreover, mental instability may be correlated to high class prostitute due to the fact that, individual having a greater severity of PSTD symptoms means they have a number of traumatic incidents, entailing both childhood and adult sexual and physical assault. Analyses on PTSD, concludes that there are numerous factors that on one hand protects or puts one into a risk of contracting PTSD, which includes social support, coping skills, depressive disorders and also genetic history on mental health issues. Though classified separate from the trauma related disorders, dissociative symptomatology is often to victims of trauma. Symptoms associated to dissociation are characterized by intrusion in consciousness, memory, identity or discernment incorporated in typical functioning. Dissociative events can assume the form of “flashbacks” where an individual feels as though they are getting rid of earlier traumatic events and are escorted by emotional anguish and physiological indicators, such as hyper arousal6. Extensive incidents of dissociative may turn to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). It mostly occurs when a person’s identity is split into two more diverse personalities, and this alters or takes control over the person’s behavior. Those suffering from DID have a difficult into having a memory of events or rather actions of one alter when another is present. Lastly, being depersonalized is another prevalent symptom as a result of trauma. This is very common with the high class prostitutes, as they feel separate from their bodies while performing sexual services. Conclusion In a nut shell, the study has demonstrtaed that Female sex workers experience high degrees of violence in both their chilhood life and adulthood. Its simple for one to put forward that those that have suffered from either childhood or adulthood trauma, are likely to become involve into commecial sex work. High class prostitutes are thus subjected to a higher degree of PTSD, dissociatrive pathology, substance abuse and depression than the rest of the population, though their contributory relationship is very difficult to determine. References Abramovich, E. (2005). Childhood sexual abuse as a risk factor for subsequent involvement in sex work. A review of empirical findings. Journal of psychology and human sexuality, 17, 131-146. Cooper, B, S., Yuille, J. C & Kennedy, M. A. (2002). Divergent perspectives in prostitute’s autobiographical memories: Trauma and dissociation. Journal of Trauma an Dissociation, 3(3), 75-95. Read More