When Paul Nylander decided speak publicly about his experiences dealing with the trauma of child sexual abuse, he had no idea how it would be received.
"It was a leap of faith," Dr Nylander said.
The retired Tasmanian GP said it had been difficult but a mostly positive experience for him.
"If not only for the fact I feel like I'm doing something to raise awareness for other people … it's very important that I get to speak about what happened to me, but I think it's more important that other people feel they can speak about themselves."
Dr Nylander was repeatedly sexually abused when he was aged nine to 13 by a serial paedophile he met through a childhood friend.
He went on to have a successful career in medicine, including more than 30 years as a GP.
But he carried the burden of the abuse for many years, not realising until he was aged in his 40s that he "had a problem".
He was in his late 50s before he started receiving treatment for childhood trauma from the sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dr Nylander no longer lives in Tasmania, but felt compelled to speak out when three Tasmanian government ministers — including his sister, Attorney-General Elise Archer — were identified as having groaned in parliament during a question being asked by Opposition Leader Rebecca White on behalf of victim-survivor Tiffany Skeggs.
"I was really heartened by support that I got from friends and acquaintances," Dr Nylander said.
Former patients contacted him in support, and two family members he had not had contact with for 15 and 20 years respectively also got in touch.
Dr Nylander said it was the support of others that had helped him "get through the negative emotional stuff".
"Overwhelmingly there's been good support, but it's quite a difficult process to go through," he said.
He was also surprised to see the level of support among victim-survivors for each other.
"They actually really have quite a supportive network going … it's just amazing to see that in action. I wasn't aware of that at all."
Dr Nylander has the unwavering support of his wife, Lisa, but said some other family members had not been supportive.
"[The abuse] has cost me a fortune in lots of things that have stemmed from this, not just my own mental health, but for people in my own family that have been collateral damage I guess.
"I freely admit that I probably haven't been the easiest person to live with, I know these things have an effect.
Level of damage 'needs to be acknowledged'
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, 1.4 million adults — of 7.7 per cent of the adult population — have experienced childhood sexual abuse.
The ABS report, however, warns childhood abuse is widely under-reported, so the actual figure is expected to be much higher. The ABS figures also only count abuse perpetrated by an adult.
"The level of damage that's still occurring just needs to be acknowledged," Dr Nylander said.
"I don't think they [the government] really get the magnitude of this problem."
Tasmanian victim-survivor Wilma, who has told her story publicly but now wants to use a pseudonym, was sexually abused by a family member when she was a child.
Now aged in her 60s, Wilma said it was an important that society faced up to the problem of child sexual abuse.
Like Dr Nylander, she said she received support from other victim-survivors once she told her story.
She also said she had the support of good friends, her husband, some relatives and old school friends who "came out of the woodwork".
But she said she lost other friends and family, which has been re-traumatising for her.
Hobart's Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) chief executive Jill Maxwell said it took an "enormous amount of courage" for a survivor to speak publicly about their experience.
She said SASS had noticed that for many of its clients, an enormous sense of isolation and disempowerment sets in following a sexual assault.
"Sometimes part of the reason why a person might talk publicly about their experience of sexual assault is a way to break that sense of isolation and disempowerment — it's a way of reaching out and connecting to others on a more broader platform that may just validate their experience and address the injustice," Ms Maxwell said.
"This can lead to some level of empowerment, which is exactly what is needed for recovery.
Focus on institutional abuse leaves some feeling overlooked
The Tasmanian child sexual abuse commission of inquiry started holding public hearings in May.
The focus is on the Tasmanian government's responses to child sexual abuse in state institutions.
The national child sexual abuse Royal Commission also focused on the responses of institutions — state and private.
Dr Nylander and Wilma both said they felt overlooked.
"We're the invisible ones," Wilma said of people who experienced child sexual abuse outside of institutions.
Ms Maxwell said while it is a "positive move that institutions and governments are addressing these issues in the hope that history is not repeated … we must not forget rape and sexual assault is personal".
Government 'open' to changes
A government spokesman said the government "strongly supports all victim-survivors of child sexual abuse".
The spokesman said increased financial help and assistance was now available to them under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act — although that help is not available to people like Dr Nylander and Wilma who were abused before the Act came into effect in 1976.
The recent changes increased the total amounts available for multiple victims of a single incident or crime, and the commissioner can make an award for future medical and counselling expenses on top of the prescribed maximum.
