Trigger Warning: The text contains mention of abuse, domestic and sexual violence, and assault

How many of us have heard trauma stories from our mothers, friends and family who have suffered verbal, emotional and mental abuse for years? Many of the people who have lived an abusive past, have become dependent on regular medication to calm their anxieties, migraines and still find it hard to fulfill basic emotional needs. We know such people, we know such stories. There are people living such stories and trauma walking and talking around us. Yet nobody has ever accessed help through legal ways as there is lack of defined terminologies detailing out different kinds of abuse. Legal definition of mental abuse will support survivors and victims in accessing justice and support in preventive measures. 

I have been a survivor of sexual and domestic abuse from a marriage I divorced recently from. I struggle with STD during menstrual cycles. I thought the harder part for me was to go to court hearings and relive the trauma when the judge asks me a question or I see the ex-husband and get triggered. I had to undergo several rounds of therapy, meditation to understand the red flags, trauma areas and learn to make peace with them. It has been 3 years for the court proceedings and 2 years into healing. However, the hardest part for me is to heal from the mental trauma that is with me as residual impacts. I still wake up shaken, suffocated,  trembling in fear from a disturbed sleep more often than I anticipated. I cry for no reason suddenly in times of happiness or emotional distress. This trauma is a repercussion of physical and emotional abuse I endured for years. I still get chicken skin when I see just his first name written on a shop or a billboard. 

No amount of monetary 'relief' or compensation can help me pace up my healing. All this and more as a residual impact of a long-term abuse I endured is something that can be measured and put into legally and medically approved language.

Mental abuse is a prerequisite to as well as an outcome of any other physically violent kinds of assault and abuse irrespective of gender. In Domestic Violence Act of 2005, Chapter 2, Section 3 explanation defines emotional and verbal abuse together as- 

"(a) insults, ridicule, humiliation, name calling and insults or ridicule specially with regard to not having a child or a male child; and
(b) repeated threats to cause physical pain to any person in whom the aggrieved person is interested" 

Mental heath is linked to productivity which makes it a proportional equation to perform better in workplace, at home, around people and with people. This is vital for survivors to be supported with in leading stable lives.

In my opinion and other survivors of abuse, psychologists and psychotherapists the combined definition of emotional and verbal abuse is insufficient and doesn't capture the gravity of the act. This lack of legal recognition has trickled down in the absence of implementation (diagnostic, preventive, corrective) measures. 

In several other cases, accessing well being related services and justice is often faced with stigma and financial burden. This irreversible damage needs to be measured and accessed to create appropriate solutions, help and support.  

Therefore I seek a legislative definition of "Mental Abuse" clearly defined and adopted in all violence, abuse, assault  and  violations laws beginning with Domestic Violence Act 2005 and POCSO 2012. There is an existing recognized reference of the definition and implementation of mental abuse in the laws of UK,  USA and other countries. I request @Kiren Rijiju, Honourable Minister of Law and Justice and @Dr. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment to take requisite actions and follow-up in pushing this agenda further before World Mental Health Day October 10th 2023.

If this connected with you and you have heard such stories, do join me in #CallOutAbuse by discussing further and helping survivors and victims seek appropriate help and pushing our decision-makers to take the first step in defining it. 

#CallOutAbuse

#EnableAbuseSurvivors (Thanks Namrata for ideation)

#OpenDialogueOnMentalAbuse

@OpenDialogueOnMentalAbuse

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