Girl in the closet: 'I blame myself'

A young woman who was trapped in a small closet for most of her first eight years, has spoken about the ongoing trauma she experiences from the horrific ordeal.

Lauren Kavanaugh, who is now 23 years of age, slept and urinated in a tiny closet in Hutchins, Texas, and was also subject to sexual assault by her mother and stepfather until she was found by authorities in 2001.

Now appearing on Dr Phil, she admits the memories from 15 years ago still haunt her, and that she even blames herself.

"I blame myself," she says on the show.

"You say you blame yourself. Was there something that you did that you shouldn’t have done or didn’t do and should have done?" psychologist and television personality Phil McGraw then asks her.

Lauren confesses: "I feel like I could have ran away when I had the chance or just did different things".

Dr Phil then says: "And if you look back on that and you’ve seen some of the pictures and the tape that’s reminded you of this today, intellectually you realise you were a small, malnourished, beaten, prisoned child at the time. You know that intellectually right?".

"Yes sir," Lauren responds.

"But emotionally you still feel differently?" Dr Phil asks, to which Lauren replies, "Yes sir".

Lauren also admits she has regular flashbacks and cannot listen to country music because that was all that was played during her time in the locked up.

When she was discovered at the age of eight, Lauren weighed around the same as a two-year-old, and was required to have reconstructive surgery due to injuries caused by the sexual assault.

Her mother and stepfather were sentenced to life, and she was given a home with adoptive parents Bill and Sabrina Kavanaugh.

Despite her struggles, Lauren has graduated college and found a loving relationship.

For confidential help, call Lifeline at 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au/

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