OM Cafe Connects: Domestic Violence Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I do not pretend to be an expert on this topic. But as the friend of several domestic abuse survivors, the daughter of someone who was abused by a trusted family member and the former girlfriend of an abuser, it has touched my life directly.

So, all month long I have scheduled for people who are connected to this issue in some way to share their thoughts and experiences in the Organic Mama Cafe.

I have been so fortunate not to have personally experienced DV. But in the last year and a half, I’ve discovered that at least 4 friends in my immediate circle have escaped abusive relationships. As I listened to their stories, it struck me how little I hear people talking about this problem, especially when 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

That’s right. More women are affected by Domestic Violence than the 1 in 8 women who will get breast cancer in their lifetimes.

Look around you. With stats like that, I guarantee you know someone who is affected.

Listen, I know this is not an easy issue to discuss. You may be tempted to take a break from the blog this month to avoid it. (I promise I’ll still post on my normal topics as well.)

I get it.  It’s scary and it’s messy. Many of us come to the table with preconceived ideas, some unconscious, about domestic abuse and who it affects.

Statistics are important. They provide a context for understanding how widespread and serious this issue is.

The stats make it clear that Domestic Violence transcends every boundary you can imagine. It can happen to anyone, man or woman, adult or child, straight or gay, religious or not, rich or poor. We’ll take a look at stats this month. But stats sometimes seem like numbers on a page, impersonal and easy to ignore.

I hope that this month’s emphasis will take us beyond the numbers to the faces of those affected by Domestic Abuse.

So, I’ve invited some thoughtful voices to join this conversation. You will hear from

• An attorney who prosecutes DV cases
• The sister of a victim
• A pastor who works with recovering abusers
• A psychologist who shares insights on why victims don’t leave their abusers
• Victims who’ve escaped and how it’s changed their lives

I’ll connect you to resources like contact information for local shelters, explain how to get help if you are in an abusive relationship and how to get involved if you are ready to step up and work to address this issue.

Will you do something in return? 

Please share this post on your facebook page, pinterest, twitter, tumbler, wherever – and invite more voices into this conversation. 

Read this story of survival and transformation from a son.