by Roxanna Kay

Created on: December 22, 2009

In my opinion, Lorena Bobbitt handled her volatile relationship with style and grace. For those who don't know the Lorena Bobbitt saga, let me recap. Her husband, John came home in a drunken stupor. He commenced to raping her - again. Four years of his physical and mental abuse raced through her head as she stood in the kitchen afterwards. She snapped. The carving knife on the counter found its way into her hand - while rage of being treated like an animal blazed through her altered state of mind.

As John lay passed out, Lorena severed his penis with the carving knife. "In her mind, it was his penis from which she could not escape - which caused her the most pain. The most fear. The most humiliation," Lorena's lawyer said. She left with the severed penis and drove for a short while, then rolled down the car window and tossed John's penis into a field.

Okay, maybe style and grace isn't the best way to describe Lorena Bobbitt's execution of her turmoil. But John shouldn't have brought a penis to a knife fight. I know, I know, that was tacky, but John didn't stop the violence against women. After they reattached his penis two other women charged him with domestic abuse – ladies and gentlemen, that's tragic. What will it take for this man to learn domestic violence is not in his best interest? Is he so mentally deranged that even after the dismemberment of his penis, he still can't stop himself? And, do all abusers have this mentality? I guarantee you, a bad haircut would make me change my ways!

EMOTIONAL EFFECTS…

The immediate focus is the physical injuries suffered by victims. The emotional and psychological abuse inflicted has longer term impacts. Coupled with depression, victims may suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms like flashbacks, intrusive imagery, nightmares, anxiety, emotional numbing, insomnia, hyper-vigilance, and avoidance of traumatic triggers. Lorena obviously suffered from flashbacks, depression, intrusive imagery and emotional numbing at the time of the penis detachment.

The abuser uses intimidation, fear, verbal abuse or threats of violence to control their victim. They bully and terrorize until their victim is utterly beat down to just a shell of a being. Consequently, that causes victims to be isolated from friends, family, neighbors and their network of support. Victims live in fear, embarrassment and isolation in their own homes. No hope, no self-esteem, no connection to the outside world. Their world consists

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