How Does Mental Health Affect Women

Every choice that an abused woman considers to do with regards in seeking help or ending the relationship involves a variety of risks. Time and time again, the common question arises, “why doesn’t she just leave?” Most often abused women, at great and potentially fatal risk, do leave their abusive

In America, 1 in 5 adults or 18.5% of the population suffer from mental illness throughout the course of a year. Of this, the majority of mental health patients are female. Throughout the history of our country, women have been suffering from mental illnesses. Although men suffer from more social anxiety, women tend to suffer from more severe things such as bipolar, schizophrenia and body dysmorphia. These are diseases that not only rot away at one’s brain, but also wear down a body. Subsequently, mental health in women has become a sort of pop culture. In modern society, it is ‘cool’ to have something wrong with you. It makes you interesting, which is not ideal. As a country, we currently have situated ourselves into one of the largest feminist

Women will continue to suffer from domestic violence unless there is some sort of intervention to help them. When dealing with this population, it is essential to create a safe environment where the woman can talk freely about the abuse without any retaliation from the abuser. When someone comes into a therapeutic session, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and care. This in turn will create a sense of hope that a different type of life can be possible. Also, knowing that there is a support system can help the woman begin the process of change. Despite this, the process of leaving the abusive partner is slow (Warshaw, n.d.)

Intimate partner violence includes the physical, sexual, or psychological harm brought unto someone by a current or former partner. While both males and females can be targets of abusive relationships; women are more likely to report cases of intimate partner violence to the police. Based on reports, the rate of

The CDC reports that nearly half of all men and women in the United States have been psychologically abused by a romantic partner, while around a quarter of women and 1 in 7 men have been physically abused [2]. This is a dramatic difference from areas like the United Kingdom, where 8.2% of women and 4% of men have been abused [3] One in three people experience abuse by a romantic partner by the age of eighteen [4]. In 2015, 87% of hospitalized abuse victims in New York state were women, and were admitted more often than male victims [5]. This can likely be partially attributed to traditional gender roles, which assume that men are “stronger” than women and are “weak” if they are hurt by a woman.

Domestic violence is the most overlooked, misunderstood offense. Anyone can go through it, but many can’t endure the pain it brings. According to (www.helpguide.org), people whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed. Most people wonder why doesn’t the victim leave the relationship, well it is not that easy. “The question, ‘Why does she stay?’ is code for some people for, it’s her fault for staying,’ as if domestic violence victims intentionally choose to fall in love with men intent upon destroying us” -Leslie Morgan Steiner (www.azquotes.com).

According to Warshaw, Sullivan & Rivera (2013) notable traumas female victims of domestic violence often suffer from are those of significant mental health distress. Warshaw, Sullivan & Rivera (2013) do acknowledge the severe consequences of physical trauma including nonconsensual marital rape, but assert that it is the psychological experiences of these traumas (shock, chronic stress, terror, confusion, isolation and despair) that can prolong a survivor’s post-traumatic stress (Kubany 2008) and inhibit the ‘growth’ or ‘healing’ process. The experiences of trauma associated with domestic violence can also vary from short-term to long-term and depending on how prolonged the trauma is, a survivor’s recovery could take years; but when taking into account the word ‘recovery’ it is tremendously important to realise that every survivor will grieve for their own trauma and losses differently

Every minute twenty four people are victims of abuse in the United States, that’s more than 12 million women a year. People seem to wear a mask until they are behind closed doors. Abuse has affected the victim and suspect both and there are many reasons for everything. In addition,

Women who have experienced abusive violence are in a long process of healing both physically and mentally, due to multiple traumas affecting the mind and body. It is usual for this to happen but is crucial and important to take action and began to process and heal. If it is not brought to attention it could worsen throughout time. “According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control, nearly three in every 10 women-about 32 million-in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner reported at least one measured impact or effect related to forms of violent behavior in that relationship” Affects of Domestic Violence. Obviously every victim suffers a variety of traumas. Factors that could influence the outcome of the trauma is age, frequency, degree, and over all impact. It's is important to learn about the effects of violence. Recovering is possible but will take time and painful memories. But entitles to discovering your inner

However, it is not these statistics that has community worker Sandy Wilson constantly troubled. She is troubled, not because of the facts that are brandished in the face of society, but because of those that are hidden and ignored. She states, “…what fails to be publicised is the sheer quantity of women or men who experience psychological or emotional assault as a form of family violence.”

Domestic violence is a very important social problem that we must educate ourselves on because it has such a profound and negative effect on the individual(s) being abused. They are affected mentally, emotionally, physically, and I know from experience that the scars can run very deep. Being in an abusive relationship for three years was devastating to my self-image as a teenager, and because of these feelings of inadequacy, my decreasing esteem allowed me to stay in such a dangerous scenario. Healing from the negative effects of that relationship has been a difficult journey for me, and I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for women abused for years on end. To this day, I struggle greatly with the ability to let go of my own "control"

Reflection In order for a spouse, romantic partner/significant other to overcome the psychological and emotional trauma suffered while in an abusive relationship, there must be a willingness to heal and move on, not wallow in self-pity because all that does is exacerbate the situation. As Reed & Enright (2006) noted “Spousal psychological abuse represent a painful betrayal of trust, leading to serious negative psychological outcomes for the abused partner” (Dutton & Painter, 1993; Sackett & Saunders, 1999). The abused individual must be of the mindset that the abuser no longer has power over her, that person can no longer inflict emotional abuse or issue threats to undermine their safety and sanity and it’s time to take back control of her life.

Research findings indicate that women that have experienced physical abuse, in comparison to those that have not, show considerably higher levels of anxiety, depression, somatic symptomology, have lengthier histories of both medical and psychiatric treatment; and disclose higher rates of substance abuse; (Bergman et al, 1988; Brismar et al, 1987; Kerouac et al, 1986).

What causes victims of domestic violence to stay? Every year in the United States, One in four women are victims of the domestic violence; however, this is only based on what has been reported to the department of justice (Stahly 2008). While men are also victims of domestic violence, women are more often the victims. Moreover, 90% of domestic violence is male initiated. In severe cases domestic violence ends with victims being murdered. More specifically, domestic violence resulted in 2,340 deaths in the United States in 2007, and 70% of those killed were females (CDC 2012). Many people think that victims have the option of leaving and many people blame victims for putting up with the abuse; what many people don 't know is, victims of domestic violence have many reasons preventing them from leaving their abusers, these reasons include, isolation, having children bounding them with the abuser and lack of financial support. "It 's never pretty when you leave an abusive and controlling relationship. The warden always protests when a prison gets shut down," says Dr. Steve Maraboli (qtd from web). Whether a victim stays or leaves their abuser, the outcomes of both situations are not always as easy as many people predict. In some situations, the outcomes of leaving may be very dangerous for both the victim and her children.

dangerous. Some women suffer such severe abuse, where they have no one to turn to, even their