When training to detect counterfeit money one becomes a master of real money. In spending time handling and examining real money counterfeits money stands out like a rose among thorns, a candle among the darkness, or a treasured story in a book of empty words. I took that analogy and ran with it at my monthly “Charla” (Chat) at Bryia Adult Public School in Washington, D.C. The topic this month is healthy relationships. So to explain healthy relationship I opened the chat to unhealthy relationships; Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
IPV does not discriminate based on gender, financial standing, education, or ethnicity. IPV is a form of abuse. Abuse is a learned behavior, not something you are born with or a caught pathogen. According to the Center Disease Control and Prevention, IPV can be physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression which I believe also includes financial control.
In Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the brain get’s hijacked thinking it is in a state of danger; therefore, the automatic nervous system (ANS) is always reved high in a state of fight, flight, or freeze. Cortisol, “the stress hormone,” becomes hyper active. Too much cortisol can cause medical disturbance such as but not limited to: impaired cognitive performance, dampened thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, sleep disturbance, or elevated blood pressure. IPV victims can suffer from PTSD.
I recalled my IPV days. Why did I stay, maybe it was the Stockholm syndrome that set in or that the chemicals in my brains were going haywire. I didn’t get PTSD, but I was traumatized. I recall the time I finally mustered the nerve to call the police and while the police was present he tried to go after me. The police offer looked at me and said, “If you don’t leave he’s going to kill you.” I left.
The Charla didn’t bring back the horrific days of living in IPV. What the Charla did do was to reinvigorate my passion of empowering others to overcome life’s challenges and obstacle and press on toward their Healthiest Life yet. Si se puede!
Salus Vita, Gloria