Content Warning: This story includes references to physical abuse throughout the article and mentions suicide and eating disorders.
According to the CDC, nearly 25 percent of women and 10 percent of men will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetimes. This is defined as physical, mental, sexual, or emotional abuse caused by a romantic partner. IPV is one of the leading drivers of homicide in the United States, and more than half of female homicide victims were killed by a romantic partner.
Unfortunately, many people don’t fully understand the effects of IPV on men and women. Many victims can still experience mental and physical trauma long after they leave an abusive relationship, which can affect their ability to work and engage with others.
Advocates are fighting for this increased awareness as victims of IPV develop long and short-term disabilities because of head trauma and the emotional effects of abuse.
Brain injuries are hard to identify for victims and responders
Advocates for IPV victims are just starting to understand how common traumatic brain injuries are in abusive situations – and also how hard they are to diagnose. While you can easily look at a bruise because it is visible and presents the same way on almost everyone, brain injuries look different in each person. It’s possible to experience 20 different symptoms depending on the part of the brain that has been injured. A person experiencing head trauma might only showcase one of those symptoms or a combination of a few. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, hearing problems, difficulty concentrating, and anxiety.
Unfortunately, many of the symptoms caused by a traumatic brain injury can look like shock, which is common for victims of domestic violence. Dr. Debbie Hager, an expert on women’s health at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, says symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can also hurt people who try to talk to the police to report and escape their abusive partners.
“If a woman is not articulate, if her stories about what happened change because she’s confused, she’s having memory problems … if she’s frightened and therefore less able to remember what she wants to say, I think she’s got practically no hope of being taken seriously in the Family Court,” says Hager.
Additionally, if a person is slurring their words because of a brain injury, a responding officer may wrongly assume they are drunk. The police or community resource officer is also more likely to suspect the victim of domestic violence is on drugs if they can’t concentrate, are irritable, and showcase erratic behavior. The reality is their brains are experiencing trauma and aren’t able to function.
There are long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries
For the past several years, the National Football League has been at the center of discussion around traumatic brain injuries. Players are pulled off the field if they could potentially have a concussion and are closely monitored. However, many players still experience Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), or the degeneration of the brain caused by head trauma. CTE results in symptoms ranging from short-term memory loss to changes in mood and behavior. Victims of IPV are also prone to developing this condition.
Many advocates for domestic violence survivors and other groups are trying to raise awareness for the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries outside of the sports world. Melissa Bickford shared her own story of domestic abuse and how her brain injuries changed her over the course of a year. She developed a neurological condition called Pseudobulbar affect, which is characterized by uncontrolled bursts of laughter or crying, somewhat similar to Joaquin Phoenix’s character in the movie Joker. Bickford experienced frequent meltdowns because of her head trauma and felt overwhelmed to the point of attempted suicide.
Today, Pickford has a name for her condition and is an advocate to better identify long-term damage from brain injuries. She now works with Colorado Victims for Justice and helps people who may be navigating the criminal justice system with head trauma.
Getting a diagnosis is challenging for victims of IPV, but essential in helping them recover. Ashley Bridwell, a social worker, remembers one woman who lost her job because of forgetfulness. She thought he had Alzheimer’s but she actually had undiagnosed head injury trauma. This clear diagnosis gave the woman agency over her trauma and the symptoms resulting from it. “They realize it’s not their fault,” says Bridwell.
Victims of IPV are more likely to develop invisible disabilities
Even after a person escapes an abusive situation, they are likely to face various conditions and mental challenges in the following years. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 20 percent of IPV survivors report a new onset of psychiatric disorders. These include major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The disorders can lead to several challenges when navigating everyday life, including the regulation of emotions, reading social cues, facial interpretation, and forming new relationships with others.
"I am generally sleep-deprived as a result of insomnia now,” says one woman who was abused by her partner. “I seem to veer wildly between compulsive over-or under-eating. I'm much less trusting of others and try to keep people at a long arm's length which has sadly damaged countless friendships, many beyond repair.”
Records from general practitioners found that fewer than one in 100 report partner violence to their doctors, which suggests a degree of under-reporting and potentially a poor or non-existent screening process.
Action starts with awareness
The core call to action that many advocates want is increased awareness. From general practitioners to first responders, there needs to be a greater understanding of traumatic brain injuries caused by domestic abuse and their long-term effects.
- Doctors need to include screenings for IPV whenever they meet with patients, regardless of gender or sexuality.
- Police and community service officers need to understand the potential symptoms of traumatic brain injury and how it can affect the actions of victims.
- Advocates for victims of IPV need to help people diagnose their trauma so they can better learn to live with the symptoms.
From just these examples, you can see how multiple people in various positions of authority need to step in to stop abuse and understand the long-term effects of it. When more people are aware of the long-term results of head trauma and the mental effects of abuse, they can step in to help victims take back their lives, rather than wondering why they display such erratic behaviors.
Learn more about invisible disabilities and how people who may not have a physical condition have a harder time gaining support from employers, medical providers, and community members.
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