Help us put an end to Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Suicide and Drug/Alcohol Addictions.
What is Child Abuse?
Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through an action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child.
What are the different types of abuse?
* Neglect: fails to take care of you; leaves you alone; abandons you.
* Physical abuse: when someone causes injury or trauma (hitting, punching, kicking, pushing, etc...)
* Sexual abuse: undesired sexual behavior from one person upon another; molestation; rape
* Exploitation: using a minor or child for profit, labor, sexual gratification or some other personal or financial advantage.
* Emotional abuse: belittling; shaming; humiliating; call you names; talking negatively and down to you; threatening; screaming; bullying; not affectionate no hugs and kisses; giving you the silent treatment.
* Molestation: touching private parts; exposing their private areas to you; forcing sexual acts upon you; taking pornographic pics of you. People who do this are referred to as MOLESTERS or PEDOPHILES.
* Rape: is forced and unwanted sexual acts it's about power and not about sex. It's when a rapist uses actual force and violence to take control of another human being. This can also happen to adults.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is when one partner in an intimate relationship abuses the other. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or a combination of all three.
Physical abuse can include very aggressive acts, such as beatings and forced sexual activity including intercourse, or it can take the form of less severe acts like throwing, shoving and slapping.
In emotional abuse, the abuser constantly humiliates and puts down the victim. The weapons of emotional abuse include verbal insults, threats, control of physical activity, unfounded accusations of infidelity, control of economic decisions and social isolation.
What is Suicide?
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors include mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, alcoholism, or substance misuse.
Signs to look for if someone is having suicidal thoughts...
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Always talking or thinking about death
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Clinical depression -- deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating -- that gets worse
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Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving fast or running red lights
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Losing interest in things one used to care about
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Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
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Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
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Saying things like "it would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
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Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
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Talking about suicide or killing one's self
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Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
National Helplines:
Child Abuse: 800-422-4453
Domestic Violence 800-799-7233
Suicide Prevention 800-273-8255
For Drug and Alcohol
Addictions please refer to SAMHSA's referral service
at 800-662-HELP(4357) to find the closest help near you.
What is Drug and Alcohol Addictions?
Drug or alcohol problems (sometimes also called substance abuse or misuse) is a pattern of harmful behavior involving the misuse or overuse of substances for mood-altering purposes. This means that the drug or alcohol changes how a person behaves or feels.
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Drugs are chemicals which, when taken into our bodies, affect how our body works or how we think, feel and behave.
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Some drugs are legal, such as caffeine, tobacco/nicotine and alcohol.
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Legal drugs also include medicines that are available over the counter in a chemist or prescribed by a doctor. A person can misuse these drugs by taking them in a way which they are not supposed to be used or in amounts not prescribed by their doctor.
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Other drugs like cannabis, cocaine, ectasy and heroin are illegal.
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Alcohol is also a drug. It changes the way we feel and think.
Alcohol, as well as many other legal and illegal drugs, can be addictive. Many people who take an alcoholic drink will lead normal, unaffected lives. However, for some, their drinking can get out of control, their use of alcohol increases and they can become binge drinkers or become addicted (sometimes called alcoholism).
The majority of people who drink alcohol do so in a social way which does not have a negative effect on the person or their family life. People drink to socialise, ‘get in the mood’, have fun and relax. Alcohol acts as a sedative, which means it will make you more chilled out or relaxed.
However, the bad news is that too much of it can take away a person's judgement and affect the decisions they make.
Sometimes people drink alcohol to forget their problems and help them to cope, but this does not work. The problems will still be there when they have stopped drinking and may even be worse.