By Stephen Collazo, Department of Social Work
October
is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. And while it may be
difficult to imagine someone with cancer in an abusive relationship,
it's more common than you might think.
Anytime someone hurts or
threatens to hurt his or her partner in any way (physically,
emotionally or sexually), it's called intimate partner violence (IPV) --
more commonly known as domestic violence.
While statistics show
that 85% of people affected by IPV are female, it doesn't mean that men
can't be abused by their partners. IPV occurs in all races, ages,
economic classes and sexual orientations.
Cancer diagnosis and abuse
When the person being abused has been diagnosed with cancer, there are even more complicated issues that can occur.
For
example, the patient might have to rely on the abuser for financial
reasons, or to provide transportation to appointments, manage medication
or help with basic daily tasks.
All of this can make an abuser
feel like he or she has more control and more power, and therefore
easier to inflict abuse without meeting any resistance.
In some instances, the abuser might not be the person diagnosed with cancer.
If you're a caregiver
and someone is abusing you, it's important to remember that there's no
excuse for violent or abusive behavior in a relationship.
Are you in a safe relationship?
The following list of questions will help you identify whether you're in a relationship that's not safe:
- When I'm with my partner, do I feel as if I'm walking on eggshells?
- Does my partner call me names, make me feel stupid or tell me that I can't do anything right?
- Does my partner limit my contact with friends or family or get overly jealous of my other relationships?
- Does my partner stop me from taking care of myself by doing things such as controlling my medications or keeping me from coming to my appointments?
- Has my partner ever kicked, hit, choked or used an object to physically hurt me, or threatened to do so?
- Has my partner ever forced or pressured me to have sex against my will?
- After an argument in which my partner has physically or verbally hurt me, has my partner ever come back to me, brought me gifts and promised never to do it again?
- Am I afraid of my partner?
Make a plan
Leaving a relationship is not always an option, but that doesn't mean you can't plan to stay safe.
- At home, plan an escape route ahead of time and know where you can go to stay safe.
- Talk with a neighbor or friend who you can trust and ask that person to call 911 if they ever hear a disturbance at your house.
- Develop a code word to let others know that you are in trouble so they can get help for you. Teach this code word and how to dial 911 to your children.
- Stay away from places where weapons may be present during an argument, like the bathroom, garage or kitchen.
- Get to a room with a window or door if you feel you're in danger.
- Spare keys
- Medications
- Checkbook, money, credit cards
- Identification: driver's license, birth certificate, Social Security card, passport
- Things for your children: school records, insurance, immunization records or a favorite toy
The Department of Social Work at MD Anderson has social work counselors who are skilled and prepared to help individuals who have been affected by IPV.
They can meet with you in person, talk with you over the phone, or communicate with you through myMDAnderson.
Remember, the level of abuse can become more frequent and violent if the abuser knows you're trying to get help, so it's important to be discreet when making plans.
You can contact someone from Social Work by calling 713-792-6195, by visiting the department's website, or by asking your doctor or nurse to speak with a social work counselor.
Resources
Safety and Your Relationship (video)
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