| It's no surprise that psychologists and psychiatrists | | | | just get the job done. And these women walk away |
| are enemies to battered women. Certainly, they are | | | | wearing the label and hating psychology. |
| to the battered women's movement. The question is, | | | | The residual bitter taste and lasting prejudice |
| why do battered women dislike psychology? And | | | | I can remember sitting in a planning meeting with a |
| most importantly, can there be remedy? | | | | battered women's movement group, in which it was |
| Alleging victim's mental illness | | | | decided among members that the word "clinical" |
| In more cases than not, psychology has been used | | | | would not be allowed in their planning or in their |
| as the abuser's club to discredit, contain, silence, and | | | | event. |
| often punish the victim. Most people living in abusive | | | | Before I knew of the social politics of domestic |
| relationships know this. | | | | violence, I was puzzled because the word "clinical" |
| It's the first thing the perpetrator will say to keep | | | | was as neutral to me as the word "popcorn." Now I |
| the victim in an unempowered place: "you're | | | | understand how and why the memory of this word |
| crazy...you're psycho...there's something really wrong | | | | is like a sword used to slice their mental health status |
| with you...you need help!" | | | | into pieces. |
| Officiating victim's mental illness | | | | Remedy for battered women, mental health and net |
| Then, when the day comes wherein the "blue" (law | | | | resentment |
| enforcement) steps in and the court doors open, it | | | | Imagine for a moment that every battered woman, |
| becomes time to make the victim's alleged mental | | | | subjected to what I've outlined above, took a |
| illness legitimate. Hence, the "shrinks" step up at the | | | | different path in this nightmare. What if she |
| bequest of the perpetrator or his/her agents. | | | | challenged the diagnosis and sought to protect her |
| Now with a quick assessment, the psychiatric | | | | mental health status. By doing so, she would |
| evaluation delivers the perpetrator's desired outcome | | | | preserve her sanity both on record and in her reality. |
| and the victim is left scratching their head. Sadly, in | | | | And this would empower her in ways beyond |
| many cases, the diagnoses are improper labels that | | | | imagination! |