There has been a surge in reports of domestic abuse during the corona virus pandemic. Couples are spending more time together and there are bound to be more disagreements. On top of that, the usual ways to soothe irritations and anger such as watching sports events or going down to the pub have been removed.
Just in the last week there were reports of 9 deaths due to domestic violence. This is a very serious problem right now. Cases of domestic abuse typically spike when we experience economic difficulties and we are experiencing this as well. Unfortunately, many are not equipped to deal with this added stress and they add to it by abusing their loved ones.
Being place in perpetual prcimity to your abuser must be torturous and I regularly think about these vulnerable people. The Guardian states:
” In Wuhan in February, while the province was under strict lockdown, one police station, reported a threefold increase in complaints compared with the same period last year. Advocates are concerned that this bleak reality has reached the United States, where experts say one in four women and one in seven men face physical violence by a partner at some point in their lifetimes.”
In the UK, it has been reported that there has been a worrying “drop” in calls to domestic abuse charity hotlines – clearly this is due to the fact that there is no opportunity to do so.
An estimated 1.6 million women and 786,000 men experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending March 2019.
If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, I am happy to help for FREE during this time. Email me on: mandyjkloppers@live.co.uk or find me on Facebook or Instagram and I will help in any way I can. I am also happy to text if this will help be more discreet. Contact me intially vie email and we can take it from there. Or contact me via the contact page on my website. There are also many useful blog posts on this website that may help you:
https://thoughtsonlifeandlove.com/examples-of-manipulative-behaviour/
https://thoughtsonlifeandlove.com/living-with-domestic-abuse/
Help for domestic abuse is available for other resources:
In the USA: The national Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
Call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
In the UK:
Refuge – 08082 000247 (24hrs)
Women’s Aid – chat.womensaid.org.uk
Respect Men’s Advice Line – 08088 010327, infor@mensadviceline.org.uk
Photo by Soroush Karimi on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
