Today is Election Day {Note: This was written on Election Day on November 8, 2016}. As most of us in the United States know, we have been experiencing an unprecedented amount of stress, anger, and emotion around the Presidential campaign. I have to wonder what this kind of stress has on families inside their own homes. I wonder if this kind of campaign and political chaos has CAUSED mental, physical, or emotional abuse. Well, I did some research. One USA TODAY news article published in October caught my attention ….
USA TODAY – Presidential race causes spike in crisis center calls
Brittany Horn, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal 9:09 p.m. EDT October 18, 2016
My suspicion was correct. According to the article, “In the weekend following the release of Trump’s comments about how he comes onto women, the National Sexual Assault Hotline saw a 33 percent increase in calls, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.” In the State of Delaware, there was a spike of 42% in hotline calls alone. That kind of increase has not happened since the 9/11 attack. This news story seems to directly relate this increase in hotline calls and website activity to the accusations against Donald Trump, his “bullying” style behavior during the campaign, the well-known “secret recording” on the bus with Billy Bush, and multiple other kinds of statements and behavior Trump has expressed.
I can’t even imagine what the TRUE reality of the numbers of domestic violence victims there are on THIS day alone. I wonder how many women are being emotionally held hostage from voting in the U.S. this year because they wish to cast their vote for Hillary Clinton. I wonder how many women are being physically, emotionally, and mentally abused by their male partners, after they return from the voting booths. Are they “taking one for the team?”
I realize I’m writing about the women victims only in this blog. I’m not ignoring the fact there may be many men in our country who are suffering the same reality. But I can’t ignore the numbers of women who are the primary victims. “In Delaware, 75 percent of all domestic violence victims in 2014 and 2015 were women, according to statistics from the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. These acts of violence against them come in the form of assaults, rape, threats and emotional abuse and vary in frequency and severity.” (Brittany Horn, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal)
The reason for my blog today is to reach the women who are, or will be victims of domestic abuse today. I also want to reach the women and MEN who KNOW someone who may be a victim of abuse due to Election Day. I implore you to reach out for help, or support someone who needs help! TODAY will be one of the most important and historic political moments in history, and who knows HOW many women and their children will suffer tonight as the results of the election start reporting.
There are some things you can today to stay calm:
- To help with whatever you are feeling today, and remember you get to feel whatever YOU want, watch this video of Indrani sharing a singing-bowl meditation to ease your stress and heal the world: https://www.facebook.com/indranislight/posts/10154740707869048
- If you are suffering from abuse, or need to seek help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They can guide you to local assistance right away
- If you are feeling overwhelmed with stress, or need to talk through feelings that have come up during this election, join us for our Live A Brighter Life Virtual Class this coming Thursday, November 10th at 6pm PT. It is absolutely free, and we will be talking about letting go of shame, the dangers of shame, and acknowledging triggers. Here is the link to join us: http://bit.ly/2dPNEIR
Please know you have help and support out there. We can teach you tools, and give you support around living a brighter life after the election. There are professionals at the National Domestic Violence Hotline that are ready to send you help if you need it. Reach out! We are here.
With Love & Light,
Amy Jaffe | Indrani’s Light Foundation
Director of Education & Training