People with mental illness including substance abuse, are more likely to report being sexually abused as a child. This NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence poster explores the journey of Carly, a survivor of child sexual assault who enters the mental health system and the difference in her life's trajectory, depending on whether her abuse is identified or remains un-identified. As part of their response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Recommendation 9.1. the NSW government is investing heavily in improving the identification of childhood sexual abuse, where individuals are already receiving health, social and justice services. Our petition is asking the Victorian State Government to make these same investments in the lives of Victorian survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

From the age of 5, Carly experiences shock, fear, loneliness, terror, secrecy, and dissociation, leading to substance abuse, self-harm and depression. Leaving school at 15, Carly experiences guilt, headaches and is hypervigilant. At 16 years old Carly is admitted to an acute inpatient unit after a suicide attempt, and medication commences.

Carly experiences shame, mistrust and numbing, and at 20 years old is diagnosed with drug induced psychosis and depression. Carly experiences self-loathing, nightmares and hallucinations and is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. 

Carly makes another suicide attempt, and the poster depicts the significant differences between Carly's trauma of childhood sexual abuse being identified, or remaining un-identified, at this point in her life.

After Carly has entered rehab at the age of 23, Carly's childhood trauma is identified, and Carly is re-diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Resulting in Carly receiving appropriate practical, counselling and advocacy services and supports, which in their absence, Carly abused substances as a form of self-medication.

Carly now begins to experience hope, healing and recovery, as Carly benefits from coordinated treatment plans for her complex post-traumatic stress disorder and her substance abuse disorders.

In the scenario where Carly's trauma remains un-identified, and her complex post-traumatic stress disorder continues to remain untreated, Carly's mental health, substance abuse and relationships worsen. Carly is now experiencing anger and hopelessness, and Carly's constant readmissions into care fail to diagnose and address her complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Resulting in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Carly's story depicted in this powerful NSW Health poster, is all too real for so many survivors living with un-identified and therefore, untreated post traumatic stress disorder.

Our over 12,300 Petitioners are making it possible for our petition to help change the trajectory of Victorian survivors of childhood sexual abuse, for the better.

Thank you for continuing to stand with Victorian survivors and their families, and in a couple of weeks time we are hopeful we will have some very good news to share with you all! We're making progress!