Breaking The Boil Of Sexual Abuse Make America Morally Healthy Again

The ABC'S of Health
By Dr. Jo Gjelsten, Chiropractor
Breaking the Boil, Make America Morally Healthy Again!

As I write this article in December for January of 2018,  here we are as a nation, in pain from the diarrhea of almost daily revelations of sexual abuse, abuse of power, towards both adults and minors.  The nation and the world are sick from this.  Time Magazine's Person Of The Year are “The Silence Breakers”, those who spoke up. Going on for way too long, despite years of reporting it, “and yet it went on”,  it is beyond hurtful in ways perpetrators and even victims are not aware of. A monster sized festering boil has, at long last, been broken as women are voicing their “me too's” which spread to 85 countries in the first week!!  This nation is shocked and appalled by people we never thought would be capable of such behavior, who hid it well, or paid women off, and we are sickened by those who were enabled by the sycophants around them. OUR taxes, without our permission (!!!) have been paying out hush money to those abused by some of our government officials. That's disgusting! 
This whole subject is likened to picking up a rock, and shining the light on the cockroaches underneath. Sadly, people take sides; either politically or with their own gender, because neither can understand the other. We have to make those who abuse their power EVERYWHERE understand what damage they are doing here. We have to do this; we must try to scour the mindset of this nation like it's never been cleaned before.  Sexual abuse is a form of bullying, and like bullying it should be stamped out now.  Our national health depends upon us doing the right thing; NOT the thing that serves our party, or the thing that serves our libido, or our impulses, or the thing that serves our pocketbooks. But the behavior that serves our integrity, that serves our reputation in the world as a nation, behavior that HAS as a moral compass, and ultimately, serves our national health. Here's why. Talk to any “me too” person, and you'll find that literally every abuse is recorded in their brain forever. They can't un-see it, un-feel it, wipe their memory clean. It is their own nightmare of a permanent record. Most who are abused are women, but some men are too.  Many men will say they don't understand this, and push back; many, but not all, think “what's the big deal?”, sex is fun isn't it? They laugh about rape on talk radio; I heard it myself on the radio when one joked about Confucious says, if rape is inevitable, enjoy it.! They laughed out loud at that!  But what if it's their daughter who has been a rape victim? Ask her how funny that is! And then it hits home! There is a sea-change going on in our culture; this problem never had consequences before, has never been a career-ender like it is lately for people outed for their shameful behavior, for who they really are; who knew?. Women finally said “enough”! That comes from finally having safety in numbers. It seems 20% of any entity in power being women makes a difference, so vote ladies! And it is important we don't stop this fight. This public purge of those who take advantage of their power, over innocent females or males,  has to continue for the sake of our children, for our nation's health. It's been culturally swept under the rug for way too long! 
For those men and oddly, some women, who don't understand why this hurts so much, here is why it is a very BIG deal. A scenario for the sake of illustration for you guys: You just landed a great new job, and you're called into your bosses office. He starts telling you how handsome you are, how he'd like to promote you; he gets really close with his arm around you, and wants to take you under his wing. You're flattered. Maybe he asks you to stop by house perhaps to work, and you go. What could go wrong? He may even be married. But after the drinks, he approaches you and sticks a hand on your private parts, or hugs you too closely, and you resist, and he tells you'll be fired if you tell anyone. You're sickened by this but you finally got this job and you have a mortgage to pay, kids to feed and clothe and take to the doctor. This may be a really good job and you're afraid that if you make waves no other company will hire you because your boss told you you'd be blacklisted, or not recommended for your next job. What do you do? You may avoid him, though you have to laugh at his jokes because otherwise you won't get a raise or be treated like the others. You may not even tell anyone about it; it's so heinous, isn't it?  Years later, maybe you're better off, retired even, and your old boss can't hurt you, and the climate is ripe for pulling back the curtain on this “revered by everybody” (except you), upstanding citizen-like those we've been hearing about lately. So you come out of the sexual abuse closet saying finally, finally you don't have to live with this  “I was also abused by this man”. Now you're told by all your old boss's lackeys that you're making it up to hurt that person. YOU are the liar. YOU are in the wrong! But wait a minute! That person hurt YOU! Now you're being hurt AGAIN by those who just don't believe you. In the meantime, you've found yourself having nightmares about him (or her if applicable), maybe drinking or eating too much, and if you're a woman you may not trust other men anymore, and now you've developed a health problem. This is what many women go through. And men, though less often.   It affects their health. Those who ARE believed and supported fare better than those who don't. While there are various degrees of assault, which is defined as “a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person” Sexual abuse is defined by American Psychological Assn “unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent.” This of course includes rape, and the damage both by abuse and rape is permanent in the minds of victims, worse if not believed.   In rape cases, and there are many, here is a STUDY: “A 2006 study found that when victims receive advocate-assisted services following assaults, they receive more helpful information, referrals, and services and experience less secondary trauma or re-victimization by medical and legal systems (Campbell, 2006). Furthermore, the same study found that when advocates are present in the legal and medical proceedings following rape, victims fare better in both the short- and long-term, experiencing less psychological distress, physical health struggles, sexual risk-taking behaviors, self-blame, guilt, and depression. So if you don't believe the girls or women there are consequences. For you who say you DON'T know where the line is between being flirtatious and being an old or young lecherous person, think about this. What if your actions are being done by a man in power, to your daughter, sister or mother. If you wouldn't want that behavior being done to them, then don't do it yourself. Very simple. Ask before you touch a grown woman, and don't ever touch a minor, period! For men, women are not here for your pleasure, and women, same thing, unless it's an adult consensual relationship. By adult, I don't mean 16, not in this state; that's too young. Now I worry about the health of all the little girls in Alabama, where the message to all the perverts out there is go right ahead, don't worry about the consequences of hitting on teens. Teens can now be sexually abused and they aren't counted as important enough, not as important as a senate seat for instance,  to go after their abuser. This to me is criminal. Imagine YOUR 14 year old daughter being touched by a grown man who got away with it. Her future?  Unless she gets help, and even with that, those who go through this have anxiety, PTSD, become drug abusers, and may commit suicide. If we condone sexual abuse, we condone sexual violence. And sexual violence victims don't fare well.”Fifty percent of sexual violence victims had to quit or were forced to leave their jobs in the year following their assaults due to the severity of their reactions” Is that enough for you? Victims of sexual harassment, and of rape pay a big price, while many of the criminals doing this go free.  You like numbers? Want to reduce the cost of health care?   Here you go. “Overall, rape is the costliest crime for victims in the United States, with annual costs to victims estimated at $127 billion (this estimate does not include child sexual abuse). AND “Sexual violence against adolescents (ages 15-24) costs $45 billion per year” according to the Minnesota Dept. of Health. It has been reported that if a workplace or government is 20% female it tips the scales away from this behavior. VOTE! So you guys and some gals who don't think it's a big deal?, wake up! We need this purge of one of the most evil, harmful, hidden, secretive, costly infections humankind has ever had to deal with, and we are doing it. That's the good news. Let's now clean the wound, bandage it against further assault, and heal for 2018. Happy and safe New Year.  The information provided in this article and all articles by Joanne Gjelsten, Doctor of Chiropractor, is for informational purposes only. You should consult with a healthcare professional, your Doctor, before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any or stopping any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. 845 358 2687. Offices in Nyack and Chestnut Ridge. By Appt. www.godrjo.com . For more articles .Face to face in office visit is necessary  for nutritional advice for specific problems and concerns will be addressed to patients and not over the phone or by text or email. Www.godrjo.com. 845 358 2687.