Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Mental Health + (mini treat at the end!)

By Raven

Having a break in ones mental health, does not mean that person should not be held accountable for the wrong that they do, and the hurts that they dish out. Before one gets to the point of being a danger to others; unless they are institutionalized and need constant hands on assistance, they are responsible for taking care of their own mental and emotional health. Those around them, that choose to be in their lives, should also be encouraging this and helping them where and when they can.

When you see a friend being foul, and you KNOW it could possibly be due to mental/emotional health, then be a FRIEND and say something. Do not encourage and enable bad behavior. In many homes, where domestic violence is present, the abuser often has an undiagnosed mental health issue, which makes the demons they fight, even stronger. I do not give the benefit of the doubt to these people, but rather, state facts that some people may not know. A contributing factor to these undiagnosed issues, is denial. The abuser often refuses to seek help. They are not accepting to being vulnerable or feeling helpless and confronted with their own issues in life....only controlling and abusing the vulnerable and helpless, surrounding them.

Bipolar and Narcissistic personality disorders are two common comorbidities, that can be seen and experienced within an abusive relationship. A person with NPD will use manipulative tactics to not only mask their narcissism, but also to lower the inhibitions of their victims. Their tactics are neurologically manipulative, affecting the amygdala, which is the structure within the midbrain that amalgamates emotions, emotional behavior and motivation. When BPD goes untreated, it will result in unbearable stress within a relationship and home. It is common for a narcissist to be forthcoming about mental health disorders, as a means to garner emotional attachment from their victim(s). Giving bits of truth towards something as serious as a mental health disorder, creates a trauma bond to the abuser. The victim then, wants to be the one to 'fix them'. The abuser weaponizes their own disorders in order to cause others to feel responsible for them. This is a calculated set-up for the narcissist to place blame on the victim for their toxic selves. Either they will claim they changed for the bad because of you, or you have changed, within the relationship. What really happens in that situation, is their mask drops and the real them is presented full force. In doing so, they detach themselves from being responsible for their own lives. Explicitly speaking about BPD and NPD combined but not limited to; when these untreated disorders are not seen as a danger and a threat to the well-being of our communities, then we will continue to see more victims of domestic violence. Lastly, It is important to remember that YOU ARE NOT THE BLAME!

A mini treat for YOU, the reader! (Read Below):