April raises awareness for both Alcohol and Domestic Violence. Unfortunately, there is a great need for more awareness of both. My patients in and around menopause commonly discuss issues related to alcohol and if I ask about it, they discuss domestic violence issues with me as well. Sometimes the alcohol abuse is their drinking problem; but more often, their partner or spouse has a drinking problem and as consequence, so do they.
Alcohol is responsible for nearly 4 percent of deaths worldwide, and according to the World Health Organization, alcohol kills more people than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence. According to the CDC, alcohol abuse kills about 80,000 Americans annually, results in more than 1.2 million emergency room visits and 2.7 million physician office visits are due to excessive drinking. The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006 were estimated at $223.5 billion. It’s the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and 72 percent of those who die are men.
For some women, the consequence of an alcoholic spouse is enduring violence, abuse and assault. I’ve written about sexual assault and rape before in one of my blogs. So it’s not surprising that April is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a terrible fact that on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, and 54 percent of sexual assaults are never reported to the police, according to the CDC. In addition, more than 1 million women are raped in a year and over 6 million women and men are victims of stalking in a year.
If you are in a relationship where alcohol is affecting the quality of your life or safety, or you are a victim of sexual assault, don’t keep it a secret. Tell your doctor, clergy or other trusted professional and seek help. That’s always the right thing to do.
A major part of HealthRock’s mission is to incorporate music with important health messages. To help spread the word on both alcohol abuse and domestic violence, I’m making available two HealthRock songs: Beer Brain Blues and Love Doesn’t Hurt. CLICK the song title to get instant access to your FREE download.
For many women, alcohol and domestic violence are a source of diminished sexual function or intimacy. For that reason I’ve created a 6 CD audio program to help with these problems.It’s called Better Sex, Better Intimacy.
