Psychiatric correlates of incest have been found to include: anxiety disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social and simple phobia), major depression, and alcohol abuse and dependence. It has been shown that borderline patients exhibiting aggression, trauma, and hatred, have experienced sexual or physical childhood abuse. Multiple personality has been associated with effects of incest; victims experience time distortions, time lapses, blackouts, amnesia, severe headaches, depersonalization, derealization, hypnogogic visions, and auditory hallucinations. Incest is found to be particularly disabling to the individual's future interpersonal relationships (Kernberg, 1994; Pribor & Dinwiddie, 1992; Saltman & Salomon, 1982).
Prostitution is also associated with incest. The incest victim learns that the only power she possesses is sexual and that sex is synonymous with exploitation. Power over men may be felt as they are forced to pay. Women may feel morally superior as they have an opportunity to vent their hostility towards men and their weakness in the face of female sexual power (Westerlund, 1983).
O'Hare and Taylor (1983) list adult symptoms of incest found in their clinical experience to include: compulsive behavior, severe difficulties with intimacy and trust, sexual problems, feelings of being a freak, poor body image, amnesia about childhood, guilt and shame, severe contempt for and hostility and distrust towards men, phobias of being touched, and fear of losing control. Courtois and Watts (1982) in their counseling experience found victims experience intense pain, extreme anger or rage, feelings of isolation and being different, and a lack of trust since no one in their family was trustworthy.
It is believed that the incest victim must achieve a realistic perspective of her own feelings and belief systems; anger and hate need to become more acceptable. Group therapy has been hypothesized as facilitating this...