News

By Cheree Cleghorn, Editor

Clinicians know that domestic violence happens everywhere—-from tiny houses to mansions.

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report says that of 70,000 adults surveyed, 24 percent of women and 12 percent of men reported that they had been “violently abused.”

I gave a talk to a women’s group one evening. One of the members had a bruise on her face that looked suspiciously like a handprint. She had done little to try to conceal it although that would have been hard to do.  She didn’t offer any typical excuses, such as, “I hit myself opening a kitchen cabinet.” (Some details have been changed to protect the identity of the woman. )

I noticed that no one commented on her bruise as we talked before the meeting began. Odd.

Most people who have whacked themselves in a household accident fuss about it. “I can’t believe I was so dumb but…”

The absence of any comment, the absence of any concern about her bruise and her general cool suggested that her husband had given her a hard slap on the face. Their silence suggested that this was not the first time. It was not that they did not care about her. They had agreed to pretend that nothing was wrong for her sake. 

Did her doctor know, too? In light of her general cool, probably yes, but maybe not.

Violently Abused Men And Women Need To Tell Their Doctors

If you are violently abused, you need to tell your doctor. Your doctor needs to know for many reasons.

Violence affects the abused person in many medical ways, as the CDC survey, summarized below,  showed. To treat you properly, your doctor needs this information. If you can’t follow the doctor’s advice because of your domestic situation, that is critically important information.

If your doctor also is a family friend, you may hesitate. Ask a hypothetical question. “I have a friend whose husband is physically abusing her. What do you think she should do? What do you think her doctor can do?”

The doctor’s answer will enable you to decide if you are comfortable confiding that your spouse is violating one of the last absolute taboos in our society: beating someone in what is supposed to be a trust relationship.

If you think it is all right to confide in a doctor-friend, you may be surprised to find your doctor already suspected that you were abused.  

Violence tends to escalate. Your doctor should be able to tell you, or refer you to someone who can tell you, when your life is in danger and that you should seek shelter with a relative or friend. This needs to be planned extremely carefully—-unless you must run for your life with no more than the clothes on your back. You can get a restraining order but police have a hard time enforcing one. Many tragedies have occurred for that reason.

If you are badly beaten, go to your doctor’s or an emergency room so that your injuries are documented independently. You can decide if you are willing to press charges later but always get injuries documented. You may need proof, if not now, some day.

Take pictures of your injuries at the time they occur. A cell phone camera is perfect for doing this unobtrusively if you can get the right angle.

Obviously, this study shows that abused people are a large population. You are not alone. You should not be ashamed. You should take steps to keep yourself safer. You should confide in your own doctor unless you think you have good reason not to. In that case, change doctors or go to one within driving distance but not in your immediate community.

If you are a friend or family member of an abused person, you likely feel helpless. You, too, will benefit from reading about domestic violence. Remember, your friend has to agree to get help.

Resource

This link provides you with a state-by-state list of resources for abused spouses or partners.

Journal Watch

“A 2005 telephone survey of 70,000 adults found that 24% of women and 12% of men reported they had been victims of intimate partner violence.

“Male victims were significantly more likely than other men to have arthritis, asthma, activity limitations, and stroke, as well as use disability equipment, smoke, drink heavily, and engage in risky sex. In addition to all of these, female victims were also more likely than other women to have hypertension, heart attacks, and heart disease.

“An editorial note recommends that clinicians consider the possibility of domestic violence when patients show signs of stress or other conditions consistent with intimate partner violence. “Such assessment might influence the diagnosis, treatment plan, and ability of the patient to adhere to treatment,” it says.”

Source: Journal Watch, February 8, 2008

Citation: Centers for Disease Control, MMWR article