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Statistics and some paragraphs including relevant information from the American Journal Of Preventative Medicine
Click here for the most up to date guide about Domestic Violence & Drug Abuse. Click on links below for the most up to date guides on signs of abuse & addiction of drugs & alcohol.
I began searching the topic of Intimate Partner Violence or IPV, and was surprised to find very few studies of the effects on a person’s mental health.
I figured this was a no brainer. Of course violence inflicted by a partner is incredibly damaging. Your partner should be your safe zone. Trust and respect should reign over control and abuse. Always.
This subject is close to my heart because I have been abused in the past.
I never thought I would be one of those women. Yet there I was. It’s insane how love and fear can keep a woman holding on.
I read an article in the American Journal Of Preventative Medicine, about a study proclaiming that A total of 28.9% of 6790 women and 22.9% of 7122 men had experienced physical, sexual, or psychological IPV during their lifetime.
The article went on to say that for both men and women, physical IPV victimization was associated with increased risk of current poor health; depressive symptoms; substance use; and developing a chronic disease, chronic mental illness, and injury. In general, abuse of power and control was more strongly associated with these health outcomes than was verbal abuse. When physical and psychological IPV scores were both included in logistic regression models, higher psychological IPV scores were more strongly associated with these health outcomes than were physical IPV scores.
The study concluded that both physical and psychological IPV are associated with significant physical and mental health consequences for both male and female victims.
Luckily there are social service programs that help victims, not only with relocating them to safety, but also with therapy and social groups. Another study I read about in the Journal Of Women’s Health and Gender Based Medicine, addresses the positive effects of social service for abused women.
In Tulsa we have Domestic Violence Intervention Services referred to as DVIS. They provide an amazing service and have an empathetic staff whom many have lived through abuse themselves.
There is help out there if you need it. It’s the hardest part for sure and extremely scary. However, it’s empowering to take control back over your life and make good decisions for yourself. I’m including some links of national resources below. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, pass these links on. Be safe ladies, you deserve happiness.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline Big plus, they have an option that helps you hide that you visited their website in case your web activity is being monitored.
U.S. Department of Human Services: Office On Women’s Health they are an amazing resource for finding assistance in your state.
Family and Youth Services Bureau
Domesticshelters.org this website helps you browse for help safely. The option is at the top of the page.
* There is also a higher chance of IPV with substance abuse. This is a great resource of information to educate the public about the facts of alcohol and drug use, abuse, addiction, and the difference between them. Click here for alcohol facts. Here for drug facts.
Inside My Manic Mind 