Healthcare Training Institute - Quality Education since 1979
Psychologist, Social Worker, Counselor, & MFT!!

Section 4
Track #4 - Mental Diagnosis, Physical Handicap,
and Leaving

Question 4 found at the bottom of this page
Answer Booklet | Table of Contents
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In the last track, we discussed Psychological Control and the role it played in leaving related to sexual dominance, social isolation, social humiliation, and a charming exterior.

In this track we will be discussing mental health issues as a life-generated risk ractor to battered women.

As you know, not every risk a battered woman considers when evaluating her abusive situation are batterer-generated. Life-generated risks and circumstances, such as mental health, financial limitations, racism, and other biases, are aspects of a battered woman's life over which she may have little or no control. Have you found, like I, that although battered women have no power over these life-generated risks, the risks still negatively impact her safety and her decisions to leave? Let's look at three negative impacts a life-generated risk had on Lorrie, a 55-year-old battered woman. After looking at these three negative impacts, I will provide you with a Risk Addressor Technique to help you identify life-generated risks in your battered client who is considering leaving.

Negative Impact upon leaving# : Increased Batterer Control
Lorrie had been in psychotherapy and taking medication for depression for several years. Lorrie's partner, Phil, had beaten and raped Lorrie for the majority of their marriage and used Lorrie's life-generated risk of mental illness against her for control. In one session Lorrie stated, "One night I called the police, but Phil said to me, 'You had better tell them nothing happened, you crazy old bat. They would never believe a crazy woman anyway. They'd probably just cart you off to the loony bin.' When the police showed up I told them we'd just been in an argument, but that nothing had really happened. I didn't know what else to do."

As with many batterers, Phil was able to use Lorrie's medication against her to further his control over her. He used the threat that no one would believe her to keep her from telling the police what had really happened. As you know, a batterer may also control his partner by using a disability to humiliate her, or to threaten to keep her away from her children. Are you currently treating a client with a life-generated risk factor related to a physical or mental condition? If so, do you need to explore the impact of this risk factor and the impact this control tool has upon your client's decision to leave? Does she need to be provided with added validation like, "You are handling so much," or "I admire your strength."

Negative Impact # 2: Authority Unresponsiveness
In addition to increased batterer control, the life-generated risk of mental illness can also result in a second negative impact: authority unresponsiveness. Lorrie stated, "A few weeks later Phil was threatening to throw all my pills down the toilet, and when I started to go after them he started kicking me. I called the police again, but this time I told them everything. They believed me, too, until Phil told them that I was crazy. He showed them my prescription bottles and said that I just needed to take my medicine. So then the police just left me."

Has you client on medication or with a disability been inaccurately judge and thus is unable to utilize certain services or resources?

Negative Impact #3: Court Leniency
Lorrie eventually left Phil Lorrie stated, "I did everything the prosecutor said. I wanted Phil to do jail time for what he'd done to me. But, the prosecutor decided to plea bargain my case to a lesser charge with a sentence of 6 months probation. He said he bargained because my 'mental history' made me a bad witness."

Are you currently treating an obese client, for example, who suffers from increased batterer control, authority unresponsiveness, and court leniency because of a mental or physical condition that is out of her control? The next track will take a different focus regarding battering control technique by examining the role the double-bind or paradox plays in your client's decision to leave.

QUESTION 4
What are three negative impacts a mental or physical handicap may have upon a battered woman's decision to leave? To select and enter your answer go to Answer Booklet.