The link between a mental illness diagnosis and being a victim of violence

[womanformallyknownaswoman]

Many of you probably know me well enough by now to realise I am very sceptical about mental illness diagnoses - as often the context within which distress is caused is ignored. So, for example, a woman who has been pushed to the edge through coercive control could present like a "screaming banshee" and receive a diagnosis of BPD, CPTSD, bipolar etc when what she is is displaying is a "normal" response to being horrendously abused. Similarly, those who self-harm are diagnosed as having behavioural problems, when they are expressing profound, chronic, somatic distress, often as a result of unacknowledged violence of some kind.

I have finally found some professional practitioners in DV who seem to be speaking my language - in Canada - so here's the link to a short video where they explain their approach. A couple of their assertions are violence is arguably the most important problem of our time plus 80-90% of people diagnosed with a serious mental illness, so-called, also report being victims of violence. Look forward to the discussion...

I need close captions unfortunately tho' the opening diagrams were good.

I am always horrified by the number of people with a history of DV who have sustained repeated head injuries and that, in conjunction with the natural response to such circumstances, would look very like mental illness diagnoses.

Violence, and the minimising of it, are pervasive and destructive. I am not sure that I know why we suppress this as an urgent matter of social policy intervention except that its already acknowledged that the costs of the necessary systemic approach would be huge and our representatives don't want to defend that expenditure.

I emailed them Arran to see if they have videos with captions so will keep you in loop when I hear back. I am so excited at having found professionals in the field that speak my language.

DFV is like all other scenarios - the abusive anti-women men are disappeared and their behaviour and attitudes are never examined nor are limits put on most of them - as is necessary for a functioning, thriving society. Because those same men have the reins of power and don't want their disorder outing. In women aged 25-to-44, domestic violence caused more illness, disability and deaths than any other risk factor - (can provide research links)

I've seen researchers make the argument that suicides associated with DV and coercion should be adde to the mortality statistics of DV.

In the UK, altho' 2 women die a week in DV incidents, the estimate for suicides is an additional 3 a week with 30 a day making an attempt. If a drug had that mortality rate there would be more than vague talk of inquiries and commissions and rumblings of legal solutions.

www.refuge.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/more-refuge-campaigns/taking-lives/

I have PTSD, severe anxiety disorder and depression as a direct result of male violence against me. This has been acknowledged by the health professionals who work with me and a lot of treatment is thought challenging.

I recently had an assessment with a new psychologist and she mentioned thought challenging. I told her that it doesn't work for me, as sadly, my fears of violence from men keep getting reproven by complete strangers.

I really want to go to Westminster magistrates on Wednesday for example, but am too frightened of the potential aggression and violence from men.

my fears of violence from men keep getting reproven by complete strangers.

A common issue facing many women who have already been victimised - it is not you but them who re-target vulnerable women - they read body language exceptionally well and pick off lone women.

It sucks you don't feel able to go - is there any possibility of meeting up with some women beforehand so you aren't alone? Nothing like the herd protection for keeping predators at bay...

And no pressure from me- you know best what's best for you - I just sensed a longing to go...

womanformally that's a good idea! I'm just not sure about being outside in the direct firing line, if you know what I mean?
I went to the London meeting if A Woman's Place and that was fine, because we only had to see the idiots when we left the venue.
I have been putting up my fair play for women flyers and postcards though!
I'll have a think and thank you for your positivity in the face of adversity.

finnmcool

👍👍👍 you're welcome :)

This is brilliant the victim's history is one of resistance, the perpetrator's one of violence

Oh I am so excited to find DV professionals speaking my language - talking about competencies of victims not centring them as "the problem" but naming their fight back dependent upon context

I agree womanformallyknownaswoman we must consider the context and trauma. There is a huge difference between irrational, disproportionate fears like a terrible phobia of pigeons, and a fear of male violence which is actually very rational, especially when you have lived through it. Too often women are treated as mad and silly and belittled. It is cruel.

Finnmcool thought challenging sounds cruel for your situation. Sonds like a new name for aspects of CBT. As I said irrational pigeon phobia yes maybe, but not for life experience. I have experienced similar and it just makes it worse. Feeling safe, or safe within yourself at least is key. Safe to say no, safe to choose, safe to have the control you need. 'Permission' to feel scared, that is what some doctors try to take from us. It is actually maddening. I'm going to polish up my positivity too!

Yes BuntingBo I have read too many judgements now where no one sees the seriousness of the man's MH problem and that they need treatment, not just to be given normal sentences. Just as with the males getting into women's prisons to alleviate the man's suffering (which is horrifc and shameful). It may well be that they have also been terribly abused as a child (and I think it likely that many have) but acting out your distress on others makes you a severe danger as well as a victim. If you can't help harming others due to mental illness, I say fine, I accept that, but that is a reason to be detained and treated is it not? It isn't going to stop without it, if ever. Why are these men not subjected to 'thought challenging'? That would be revealing. Hmm, remind anyone of the push for unquestioning affirmation? Everyone is too scared to push the buttons and it is just how they like it.

If you are told by your GP to take any medication for depression, anxiety or other symptoms like being over emotional and you are worried about the side effects, yyou may want to see this video before reporting it.
If your kids take any medicines for ADHD, bipolar etc see this video.
I was offered anti depressants also a drug used for PTSD, after seeing this I threw them in the bin!
I am just a mum who has survived, I have no medical background but since coming off I have got my soul back.
You do HAVE a choice what help you accept from a GP for the usual depression or anxiety. They should tell you about the alternatives like councelling/familly councelling, I have also found raiki, acupuncture, massage and Kinethsiology very helpfull. Actually all amazing.
For physical pain an osteopath is a good idea and will be able to diagnose injuries if you do not get the pain diagnosed by your GP, i.e possible fractured rib and things the doctor says will heal naturally. Victim support, Local Women's aid are great sources of support.
Do not be afraid, heal you and your children naturally, anyone agree ?

That was a very interesting, enlightening video.
The mental health professionals who have worked with me, haven't known how to treat my problems. Apparently I'm still too traumatised for EDMR and reliving therapy and due to my refusal to take responsibility for men's violence against me, I've pretty much been cast adrift.
Thank you for posting them, they're incredibly helpful.

Here is the link to the video I mentioned ;-mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?pli=1#inbox?projector=1

From earliest memories men have hurt me. My brother started and no one stopped him.
After that it was a neighbour and various men in my life.
I am happy now. Stable marriage but a list of physical, behavioural and mental souvenirs. From my nose, broke aged 8 and now causing respiratory issues. And the PTSD from brother trying to suffocate me.
The rape
Suicide attempts.
Self harm
Hospital admissions
The attempted strangling.
Bruises. Fear. Anxiety. Depression
Bipolar diagnosis for want of something more concrete to put on the paperwork.

No one even knows where to start.
Medicated up to the hoohaa and still suffering.
CBT. Therapy and in the U.S. I had electroshock therapy.
Still mad after all that and at 50, making some progress but unable all my life to have a single professional take all of that into 1 basket and attempt to deal with it.
I have given up and just adress each day as it dawns.
Is there a feminist approach to therapy for survivors?

Oh, that video is interesting - it just re-frames the whole discussion about mental health in women. Why do women have higher rates of mental health issues? Because men are enacting violence upon them.

I was interested in the point about violence isolating women. It's taking the point a bit further, but in the book Inferior: How science got women wrong – and the new research that’s rewriting the story by Angela Saini, it's argued that human and animal groups in which females group or work together, there's more likely to be equity / something approaching it, whereas in groups in which females are isolated, males are more likely to have dominance over females. I really recommend this book.

Also 💐 for those of you who have suffered and are continuing to suffer. I'm one of you, and I'm not sure that I'll ever manage to unpick it all.

WARNING DO NOT CLICK ON LINK IN tinkerbell399's post - I have reported them

lolaflores

It sucks all of that happened to you and left its legacy. I have a couple of suggestions - yes we need a feminist approach but there isn't one - even the DV counselling, whilst better than ordinary mental health therapy, still doesn't reframe the survivor's injuries as normal after being run over by a truckload of disordered men. I have found a different approach to therapy has worked. It's predicated on the fact that women don't heal fully unless they understand the tactics of the perpetrators - the deliberate, planned and orchestrated nature of what predators do - so educating oneself about Cluster B guys - reading Lundy Bancroft's why does he do that etc Education first and foremost. Then if therapy is needed it's more focused and targeted - but again choose a therapist wisely - most have had no training in DV- it's not mandatory on a psychology degree where I am and 90% of psychiatrists have had no DV training. There's a wonderful video of a woman who spent 12 years in and out of hospital in the USA after leaving abuse - she was always labelled as the problem, sometimes committed and then after therapy made some progress but always relapsed. She did the psychoeducation piece and within a year was off all medication and said she's never felt better - she said the problem was no one had ever educated her about what was being done to her - ie the context and tactics or the perpetrator.

My experience is that there are a few women's organisations, and also those working in the homelessness field that are starting to think about trauma-informed practice, although for some of these it's still at the lip service level. The main thing for me with the good ones is a shift away from "what's wrong with you?" - e.g. the mental health labels, to "what happened to you?" which puts women's behaviour in the context that it's perfectly understandable that women are misusing substances, self harming, frightened of men etc. in the light of their experiences. Much of this is built into the neural pathways of our brain rather than being a conscious process, some of us feel emotional pain more strongly, we all probably have over-developed warning and fight, flight or freeze systems. Women are being massively let down and there is a complete lack of understanding about our experiences and how they shape us. We can end up in a vicious circle - whilst we ourselves are traumatised it's difficult for us to form relationships with well adjusted partners, but stable and caring relationships are exactly what we need to develop better emotional regulation and to feel safe.

Conversely a diagnosis of a mental health condition for a violent man is used as an excuse for his violence, and the violence and abusive behaviours minimised because of it ime.

Yes the disordered men do a DARVO on MH diagnoses as well to make out they're the victim but they never seek treatment......or only as much as suits their goal. There's no point actually as no treatment works with these guys - hence why they need to be contained ...

The main thing for me with the good ones is a shift away from "what's wrong with you?" - e.g. the mental health labels, to "what happened to you?" which puts women's behaviour in the context that it's perfectly understandable that women are misusing substances, self harming, frightened of men etc. in the light of their experiences. Much of this is built into the neural pathways of our brain rather than being a conscious process, some of us feel emotional pain more strongly, we all probably have over-developed warning and fight, flight or freeze systems. Women are being massively let down and there is a complete lack of understanding about our experiences and how they shape us. We can end up in a vicious circle - whilst we ourselves are traumatised it's difficult for us to form relationships with well adjusted partners, but stable and caring relationships are exactly what we need to develop better emotional regulation and to feel safe.

YY - well said - the isolation of women in nuclear families and then being exiled from mainstream society by economic abuse if they leave, is all part of the same coercion and subjugation - it's no accident...

And it's one problem I am working to solve