From what I know and what I have seen practically, abuse cases are becoming rampant, at least in this part of my world. Every now and then, you will hear stories of how humans treat their fellow humans as if they are animals, and I begin to wonder what went wrong. How suddenly humans can change and allow the beast in them to manifest. Sadly, most people going through abuse don't speak up.
Some prefer to keep managing, hoping that all will be alright, which in most cases things usually get worse at the end and sometimes lead to death or emotional damage.
If there's one thing I am very good at, then it is speaking up about anything I am not comfortable with. I do not believe in romancing issues for any reason because doing that might keep birthing further negativities. I believe in opening up when trouble arises and seeking a solution as early as possible. Some persons who have lost their lives today over abuse found it uncomfortable to speak up; sadly, they died with the whole trauma and without their family members getting to know what they were passing through and probably stepping in to help fix things before it got escalated.
Personally, I haven't experienced abuse of any form, but I have a close friend who experienced both physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, and even financial abuse from her husband, who was supposed to be the shoulder she leaned on. Things are happening, and it baffles me how someone will be severely abused and still find no reason to speak out until she turns into a human ghost from the whole torture.I first noticed how this friend of mine was acting cold, feeling sad always unlike her and when I asked, she said that all was fine. Then again, I noticed a deep cut at her shoulder and many scars on her body, very reddish and fresh, also redness in her eyes, coupled with loss of appetite, she complained...
At this point, I forced her to open up to me about what's going on. That was when I found out the level of abuse she was going through for close to one year in her husband's hands. Really? And you didn't tell your family? I asked! I took the matter as urgently as possible, straight to the welfare office over her in Lagos State. I went together with my friend and made her report the abuse case. Good enough, it was the beginning of her freedom, coupled with the counseling she further went after the welfare department summoned her husband for the matter.
It will interest you to know that this matter lingered for two years as they both separated, living apart but communicating once in a while. It was a period the husband discovered his character problem and promised to work on it. Currently, they are back together living together for about 3 years now without any form of abuse again.
What if this friend didn't speak up? Who knows what would have been the end point? Sadly , a lot of people are yet to realize the need to speak up whenever anyone consistently abuse them. Speaking up remains the first step to being free from abuse because it's when people know your predicament that they can offer help.
This post is in response to the hive Ghana's weekly prompt on the topic titled, Abuse
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