How Mental/Neurological diagnosis result from Domestic Violence

 

October was the Domestic Violence Awareness month. But we need to be aware every day of the month.... every month of the year... and every year of our life time.

 

 

Damage occurs in secrecy: damage to domesticated items, but in most severe cases damage to domesticated animals, and to a persons mind and body. 

Oppression is the result of the damage that this persons' mind and body has experienced through acts of physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse. 

Mental health is disrupted in many forms when any type of abuse has been used towards a person. This individual will most likely live with the unseen symptoms of diagnosis like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and memory loss as a a result of trauma. 

Emotional abuse is defined as an act of using works or actions that intimidate the person, for example: saying that a person is worthless, humiliating a person, making a person feel guilty and blaming a person constantly for their own violent actions.  Long term emotional abuse, can lead to lack of self confidence, and mental health illnesses like depression  and anxiety.

Smaller life results when the person looses confidence and self esteem, or when a mental illness is manifested. The persons life is smaller because they cannot access the resources that they need to live a normal life or to have a good quality of life.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) results when physical abuse to the head or neck occurs.  Hitting a person on the head or pushing their head against an object like a wall, can lead to a concussion.  If this occurs on a regular basis, then enough concussions will eventually lead to TBI. Memory loss, and abnormal functioning are symptoms of TBI.  Strangling the neck of a person can also lead to TBI, because the brain is not receiving enough oxygen to function properly.

 

Isolating a person is a commonly used action against them.  This often results in a person being and feeling completely alone due to long term isolation. It involves taking away things that a person needs such as a phone to communicate with family, friends, coworkers, and medical staff.  Taking away money so that the person doesn't buy things that will allow access to the outside world. Taking away a car so that the person does not go to work, appointments, or accesses resources that may help them.

Crazy making is used in many situations of abuse, especially in isolation; this persons' keys will be hidden so that they do not leave, but are told that they have lost or misplaced them.  The person who abuses, will also make abusive actions seem meaningless, and not severe or important. 

VIOLENCE in a domestic environment is the secretive word that describes all of the above actions. Violence can manifest itself in different types of abuse: physical, psychological, sexual, and verbal.  It usually remains unknown and untold until the individual who is being abused seeks help. In many cases the person who is being abused can leave; but in other cases these actions go unknown until a tragedy occurs or a severe mental illness/neurological disorder has manifested.





Citations: Fox, Winter. National Domestic Violence Awarenes Month. Digital image. The Howler. The Howler, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ghshowler.com/features/2014/10/24/national-domestic-violence-awareness-month/>.