October is...

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Today I have a diagnostic mammogram. It is a precaution because of a cyst that was discovered three weeks ago. I am neither worried nor concerned; I am lucky it is a precaution and I was due for my every two year mammogram anyway.

On the other hand, October is also National Domestic Violence Awareness month. I am very concerned about this topic. I am a survivor of domestic violence. It is an esteem robbing, support system denying, brutal life; however, there is help. Twenty-four hour hotlines exist for almost every country in the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Scotland. Just 'google' it and you can find help online-on the phone and you will be directed to help in your neighborhood. This information is for anyone...NOT just the victim of domestic violence.

If you suspect that a friend or family member is a victim of domestic violence, you can call the hotline and ask what you can do to support the victim. Being there is about the best that you can do, though-the victim has to decide to get out of the relationship. It's that simple and it is that difficult, but don't give up. The seemingly inability to get out of the relationship is very debilitating and very hard to do; the victim will need all of the support that they can get to make and keep the break away from the violence when ready.

If you do know a survivor of domestic violence-the difference is that the victim is still in the situation and a survivor made it out of the situation-there is help for them, too. Counseling, shelters to start life over, financial assistance for necessities, domestic violence hotlines can provide all of these services to help the victim become a survivor.

Perhaps the most interesting program that I have discovered to support a survivor of domestic violence is the Give Back a Smile program sponsored by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. You may recall that I was hired to blog several commercial blogs. If you visit this one: Dental Health Center, I have blogged about the the Give Back a Smile program and how to contact the organization for application information.

The best part about the post is that there are before and after pictures of a survivor. Her teeth were chipped by her abusive partner-the AACD Gave Back a Smile to this woman. It is worth a read and you can visit the AACD's website, too. It is always endearing when an organization gives back to a community...Giving back smiles is perhaps one of the best self esteem increasing programs I have ever discovered for domestic violence survivors.