by Womens Recovery Center
October 12, 2017
Each October with the changing of the season, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed to give us opportunity to deepen our understanding of the issues, share resources, grieve for those that lost their lives, and support the survivors.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in the United States, an average of 20 people are physically abused by an intimidate partners every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually. On average, 1 in 3 women have been abused by an intimate partner.
Domestic violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is a part of a much larger pattern of dominance and control.
There is a correlation between domestic violence and addictive disease. For both domestic violence and addictive disease, there is a genetic and learned patterns of behavior that reappear throughout generations. For more than 90% of the Women’s Recovery Center’s clients, repeated incidents of violence and trauma serve as pivotal points for women that begin using drugs and alcohol, often in secret, to simply feel normal and to take back their personal power. This is the beginning of the spiraling pattern of the addiction. With increased use, simply getting to the same feeling of normal perpetuates the disease.
With gender specific and a trauma informed treatment curriculum, the Women’s Recovery Center witnesses the healing that occurs.