Real Talk

It's time for a real talk time-out. The sexual assault chapter was an "at-home study" chapter, which is unfortunate. Equally unfortunate was that we didn't really address person-on-person violence as part of the trauma chapter in class. If you work at all, especially in Utah, you're likely to come in contact with someone who is seeing you as a result of domestic violence. Black eyes and neck pain? Suicidal patient? Alcoholic? Drug addict? Where did it all start?

A lot of people focus on emotional abuse when it comes to lasting impact, but all abuse - sexual, physical, emotional, and financial - will have lasting effects (also, emotional abuse is an aspect of all abuse. I'll spare you that rant). "among patients with depression, irritable bowel, chronic pain, or substance abuse, prevalence of reported childhood physical or sexual abuse runs as high as 70%." Another study finds that "the following symptoms significantly related to a history of childhood physical or sexual abuse in women in primary care practices: nightmares, back pain, frequent or severe headaches, pain in the pelvic, genital, or private area, eating binges or self-induced vomiting, frequent tiredness, problems sleeping, abdominal or stomach pain, vaginal discharge, breast pain, choking sensation, loss of appetite, problems urinating, diarrhea, constipation, chest pain, face pain, frequent or serious bruises, and shortness of breath. "

This is relevant to our work, right? At the least we could recognize that people with drug and alcohol related issues deserve compassion and respect. At most, we could recognize the symptoms of battery or sexual abuse and report it to police. Help someone out. I realize this is uncomfortable for a lot of people to talk about. Perhaps it's because, statistically, they know they'll be addressing someone who has been through it. It's likely they've been through it themselves. But isn't that better? Let these people know you care about this issue. Let others know how to handle survivors and open some minds! This is an epidemic across the nation, and ending it starts with addressing it.