Women survivors of domestic violence are at a greater risk of suffering from long-term illnesses due to the physical and mental trauma they deal with. Not only they deal with incessant bodily pains and everyday tiredness but they also develop severe illnesses like chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. The risk in them is almost 200% as compared to other women.
As per this study done by two universities- University of Birmingham and University of Warwick, published in the ’Journal of Interpersonal Violence’, survivors of domestic violence are at a greater risk of getting serious illnesses. Fibromyalgia is the most common long-term illness in female survivors which causes unbearable pain.
“We have been aware that domestic abuse has significant negative effects for victims and their children. This and other related work by our team showing strong associations with several diseases suggests that the costs of abuse are even greater than understood previously,” said Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Co-researcher of the study and professor, University of Birmingham.
“The higher incidence of long-term illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, for abused women implies the existence of an additional hidden cost to society that we need to understand better,” he added.
Also Read: How Domestic Violence Affects The Mental Health Of A Person
This study also states that female domestic violence survivors suffer immeasurable psychological and physiological stress. The level of physical abuse they go through during the domestic violence period leaves a strong impact on their mental health. The most-common mental health issues they deal with are:
- Stress and depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Forgetfulness and memory loss
- Insomnia
- Seizures
- PTSD or Post traumatic stress disorder
Also Read: Exercising Daily Can Increase The Flow Of Oxygen In The Brain
Another researcher Joht Singh Chandan said, “Considering the prevalence of domestic abuse, and the fact that patients experiencing fibromyalgia and CFS often face delays in diagnosis due to a limited understanding generally of how these conditions are caused, it is important for clinicians to bear in mind that women who have survived abuse are at a greater risk of these conditions.”
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