When we talk about abuse, we basically mean mistreating and manipulating someone causing physical, sexual or psychological harm to their emotions and self esteem. Trauma, on the other hand, is a result of being involved in a distressing traumatic ordeal that affects your emotions and leaves lasting memories of the encounter.
Post-traumatic stress disorder may be as a result of past experiences such as rape, domestic violence or molestation. This anxiety disorder that arises from trauma may leave behind long-lasting psychological effects that may keep on haunting the victims (Harris, 1996). Such individuals need counseling and motivation to help them combat the fear within them and boost their self esteem.
Women tend to be more vulnerable to abuse, assault, battering, kidnapping, rape and even physical, emotional and psychological torture regardless of their social status in the community, race, tribe, nationality or their level of education. They all experience domestic violence, abuse and post-traumatic disorders.
In most cases, these incidences of women abuse occur within the confine of a family set up or relationship where one partner tends to mistreat, mishandle, abuse and assaults the other partner and in most cases the women fall victim of such misconducts from their male counter parts. Such abuse and undermining of one’s feelings and emotions often leads to detrimental effects on the victims.
Most abused women tend to harbor anger and hatred against those that mistreat them and this leads to a failed marriage institution as women are the corner stone of any stable marriage. It also leads to low productivity as their psyche to hard work and fend for their families drastically fades away. Post-traumatic disorder that emanates from trauma and routine torture, leads to a negative psychological effect on the victims.
Since women tend to be the weaker sex with a lot of emotions, they tend to be affected to a great extend by such mistreatment and abuse. Some end up having very low self esteem, depressed, stressed up and some even contemplate of committing suicide. Women who happen to be abused sexually or raped in their earlier stages tend to have severe trauma and psychological disorders that may even affect their relationship with their male counterparts and more so their marriages later on in life.
Statistics have shown that one of the three women has been abused either sexually, physically, emotionally or psychologically. A survey conducted in Canada by the General Social Survey (GSS) group deduced that about 25 percent of the women in Canada have been abused by their partners. The survey also showed that the incidences of women molestation tend to be more severe than the abuse directed to their men counterparts. (Pottie, 2000).
In conclusion, we have to find lasting solutions to these barbaric behaviors that have lead to destruction of many women’s lives, their families, kin and relationships as a result of trauma and abuse mostly from their spouses. There has to be a mutual understanding between spouses and each one has to play his or her role in the family and give their very best to enable the marriage to stand.
In cases of serious misunderstandings, the services of a marriage counselor may come in handy. For women who are abused and harbor psychological trauma, it is advisable to seek treatment and guidance from a trained personnel, therapist or a doctor. It also helps have a confidant whom you can freely share your private life with.
References
Harris, J. (1996). Dangerous Domains: Violence Against Women in Canada. Toronto: Sage Publications.
Pottie, V. (2000), Spousal Violence: Statistical profile of Family Violence in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press.