In a recent article “The Hidden Epidemic of Brain Injuries From Domestic Violence” By Christa Hillstrom, the long-term effects of domestic violence on women’s brains explains why the damage goes unnoticed in today’s society. There is a severe lack of knowledge on this topic that can be considered a crisis and impairs our ability to properly deal with its dire consequences.
The article follows a young woman who discovers the severity of the brain damage she sustained as a victim of domestic violence, while also including stories from other women who have gone through similar situations. After escaping a long-term violent relationship, the woman finds herself cognitively impaired and unable to carry out simple tasks. It is important to note there are also football players who are referenced throughout the studies, as they sustain similar long-term brain damage due to the harsh sport; not to mention that they have much more research allocated towards their cause. After taking a look at the woman’s brain, the doctors and researchers affirm that the frequency and magnitude of blows to the head had an effect on the severity of long term ailments- alterations to the brain structure and function. This is a pattern that is observed among many of the women who come in with both diagnosed and undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries.
The correlation presents that persistent hits to the head had larger consequences, in congruence to the extensiveness of the injury. Although widely speculated, this information was confirmed in the study as the women’s personal anecdotes aligned with their hospital records. It was found that most domestic violence survivors who acquired brain injuries from their time as victims were living with physical and mental impairments- constant headaches, sensitivity to light, recurring forgetfulness, irritability, etc. The symptoms can be discreet due to the fact that they are seemingly normal onset, and grow worse with time. This results in many of these survivors being unable to carry out their daily tasks due to the neurological damage which they sustained, ruining their lives.
Perhaps with the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in more clinical settings, we can learn and help more domestic violence survivors. In the study “Neuromodulation in Neurorehabilitation: Now and the Future,” Theresa Paper and fellow researchers focus on noninvasive neuromodulation methods, specifically transcranial magnetic stimulation which can be used to improve cognitive functions. It has been proven that the repetition of these brain stimulation methods allow for the neural pathways to become stronger, quite similar to working out a muscle. With a focus on damaged functions or impaired pathways, we can acknowledge that these methods have grown to aid in rehabilitation and recovery.
In truth, there is a deficiency of awareness when it comes to the world today on the battle wounds of domestic violence survivors- the topic is considered taboo and there is no urgency to take action. Consider the government released warning claiming that, “lack of data-gathering on traumatic brain injuries in abused women makes it impossible to confront the crisis in a meaningful way”-stark in comparison to, say, the public consciousness of football players' risks when it comes to playing the game. By recognizing the problem, it is possible to share the solution.
With the help of researchers and doctors, there is hope- they can now push against the negative narratives against debilitated survivors. Using TMS methods for traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims may be a form of cognitive therapy and an advanced recovery path. By using these methods less sparingly, we can help more people recover and live more normal lives. In fact, it can be argued that these should be included in welfare checkups, in addition to MRI and CT brain scans, as preventative measures. This goes for women and children of concerned families, or even those who play rigorous sports. If it is possible, we can prevent and even reverse these issues before they grow to be long-term and long lasting.
References:
Hillstrom, C. (March 1, 2022).The Hidden Epidemic of Brain Injuries From Domestic Violence. The New York Times Magazine. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/magazine/brain-trauma-domestic-violence.html
Bender Pape, T. L., Herrold, A. A., Guernon, A., Aaronson, A., & Rosenow, J. M. (2020). Neuromodulatory interventions for traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 35(6), 365–370. https://doi.org/10.1097/htr.0000000000000643
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