Enough is Enough

So, this week has been interesting so far. I actually got to help a patient yesterday who was finally serious about getting out of a bad relationship. I have never felt more empowered and fired up as I did while I was helping him. He is an older guy and we were able to get the Dept. on Aging involved in order to get a restraining order on his caregiver who has been physically abusing him for about 10 years now. I could tell that finally ending the relationship was very difficult for the patient, he had a hard time justifying kicking her out as he said over and over agin "but she hasn't hit me in a while". We explained to him that it was only a matter of time before she hit him again...I just hope that he follows through with kicking her out.

For those who may not know abuse is often a cycle. There is a time where the abuse is occuring and then there is the Honeymoon Phase where the abuser "changes his/her ways" and treats the abused person very well...this will last for a while until the person is "set off" by something that someone else did or the abused person does and then they start abusing again. Often the time that the abused is getting abused lasts longer and longer and longer. But this cycle often tricks people into staying in an abusive relationship...they may think "oh wow he's being really nice to me, maybe he has changed?" or they may believe that the abuse is "normal" as he/she doesn't do it ALL the time. Abuse is NOT normal...and no one deserves to be abused in any way.

Helping someone finally come to terms with abuse and say "enough is enough" is powerful and I hope to be able to help more people who may be in abusive relationships...that is why I am in Social Work.